“It’s been a long time coming…”

As this wistful opening line echoed through the packed stadium, a sea of Swifties screamed their hearts out in anticipation. Since the release of her three new albums and two re-recordings, fans of the beloved Taylor Swift had long awaited her return to stage. The pop icon took Tampa by storm and delivered three show-stopping performances.

The atmosphere of the concert was surreal. Fans were covered head-to-toe in glitter and wore outfits representing Taylor Swift’s respective eras. They also donned homemade friendship bracelets, an idea based on a lyric from Swift’s song “You’re On Your Own, Kid.”

There’s an old saying on the Internet that there are truly no “bad” seats at a Taylor Swift concert. Despite sitting in the nosebleeds, my experience at The Eras Tour was breathtaking all the same. There is no seating arrangement that can prevent the rush you obtain from screaming the bridge to “Cruel Summer” at the top of your lungs alongside thousands of fans.

As Swift transported us through her various eras, there were certain performances that stood out to me. My personal favorite was “my tears ricochet.” Although the tone of the song is somber, its performance was remarkable and powerful. “Enchanted,” “betty,” “Cruel Summer,” and “champagne problems,” were other highlights of the night.

The portion of the concert that raises the most excitement, however, is definitely Swift’s performance of two surprise songs from her discography that are not on the set list. On night three of her Tampa tour, she selected “mad woman” and “Mean.” She did an excellent job performing these songs alongside her friend Aaron Dessner from the band The National.

An unforgettable moment from the night that encapsulated the magic of the concert is when lightning struck in the sky as Swift sang “But with you I’d dance in a storm / In my best dress / Fearless,” from her song “Fearless.”