Taylor Swift’s new concert movie, Taylor Swift: City of Lover is a great way for Swifties to experience what the Loverfest tour would have looked like if it hadn’t been cancelled due to COVID-19. The performance is intimate, filmed at L'Olympia Theater in Paris, which can hold 2,000 people, according to Variety. Swift performed for contest winners from around the world who were flown in to watch Swift perform songs from her new album Lover, which was only a few weeks old at the time. The film premiered on ABC and is now available on Hulu and Disney+.
The intimate feel of the performance is heightened when Swift speaks to the audience between songs, stressing that this is the first time she is performing them, making the audience at the theatre and viewers at home feel like they’re part of something new and special. The film even included a slideshow of photos of her and other performers posing around the city of Paris, which was heartwarming if not a little cheesy. The slideshow was only in the filmed version, not the concert itself, giving fans yet another reason to tune in for more behind the scenes content. The moments in the movie where Swift is authentic and natural with her fans make it almost impossible not to like her or her performance.
It is clear that Swift genuinely cares for her fans. Not only did she fly some of them to Paris to watch this concert, but she also did all she could to make the release of the film special for the fans who couldn’t make it. She live-tweeted the premiere of the film, replying to fans posting pictures of themselves FaceTiming with friends as they watched or tweeting their reactions to the songs.
It’s obvious that, while a casual fan could watch and enjoy the film, it was made with Swifties in mind. Swift performed acoustic versions of some songs and strays from her usual dramatic stage lighting and screens for something more stripped back. The acoustic versions of “Cornelia Street” and “Lover” were highlights, but all of the performances were strong. Though the film only included songs from “Lover,” Swift performed older songs at the concert as well. She said on Twitter in 2019 that her previous record label will not allow her to perform the music it owns on television, which is why the film is missing some nostalgic gems.
While it may not be something to give your undivided attention to for all of its 42 minutes and 17 seconds, the movie is a good way to get a glimpse of what Loverfest would have been and to fall in love, at least a little, with Taylor Swift.
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