Concert Review: Taylor Swift

Admittedly, Taylor Swift is the only celebrity I follow on Instagram, and after her “1989 World Tour” performance at the American Airlines Arena last night, I feel justified for fangirling. Swift’s concert was far more than a recounting of her biggest hits—it was a carefully calculated and theatrically thoughtful experience that was well worth the two hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic and parking garage havoc I endured on the way to my seat.

Humbly charming singer-songwriter Vance Joy opened the show with a 30-minute, 7-song set including his new single “Fire And The Flood.” He switched from guitar to ukulele to play his most popular song “Riptide,” and the audience, so engrossed in the soothing sounds of the curly-haired Aussie, seemed to momentarily forget the real reason they came to the AAA.

But before Miami got a taste of Swift’s ingenuity, she made sure they were well versed in all things “1989.” The video screens above the stage displayed behind the scenes footage from the “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” music videos,  “1989 World Tour” trivia and an “Ask Taylor” segment in which she compared her cats Meredith and Olivia to emojis.

Swifties erupted in a wave that permeated the stadium as they anxiously awaited their queen. As a familiar night skyline lit up the main screen, rows of newspaper-reading backup dancers paced onto the stage before Swift emerged in a metallic blue mini skirt singing “Welcome To New York.”

Two songs in, Taylor adorably introduced herself as if the thousands of fans bearing her face on their t-shirts were unaware of her identity.

“I just want to have fun and celebrate and have a big party,” Swift said about reveling in the one year anniversary of her “1989” album release. “You go to Miami for that—obviously.”

The party kept on going with a set list that also included songs from her previous albums “Red,” “Speak Now” and “Fearless.” Intermittent episodes of Taylor’s repertoire of impressively famous best friends speaking candidly about the pop star allowed just enough time for her to change from one glittery two-piece outfit to the next. And when Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne weren’t mentioning their thoughts about love or Swift’s cat obsession, backup dancers were keeping the crowd alive with routines including LED-lit umbrellas, doors on wheels and scaffold-like structures.

As if celebrity vignettes and over-the-top set design weren’t enough to accompany Swift’s unfaltering vocals, she brought out some of Miami’s moguls in the form of sporadic surprises. Dwyane Wade presented Taylor with her own Miami Heat Jersey, Pitbull joined her to sing “Give Me Everything” and Ricky Martin for “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”

But perhaps the vinyl LED bracelets each audience member found attached to their seats were the most engaging element of last night’s production. They lit up stadium-wide to set a mood that coincided with whatever song Taylor was performing. She expressed that the purpose of the bracelets was for her to see every fan’s face illuminated. In true Swift style, she shamed the hate that infiltrates social media while parading a message of self-confidence and self-worth.

“I just want to let you know that you are not the opinion of someone who doesn’t know you,” she said before singing her detoxifying song “Clean.”

In an era full of vulgar rap lyrics and failed childhood stars, Taylor Swift remains classy and driven even under the media’s microscopes, and her “1989 World Tour” is proof.

Set List:

Welcome To New York

New Romantics

Blank Space

I Knew You Were Trouble