#21: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Will Be First to $1 Billion!

Today, we're taking a thrilling dive into Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, a spectacle set to shatter records by becoming the first billion-dollar grossing tour! From sell-out shows to surprising setlists, and an extraordinary act of generosity, we've got an interesting story to unfold. Stay tuned, you won't want to miss this!

Hello my beautiful students and welcome back to English News Pod, the best way for you to learn practical English through the news. I’m your host and teacher, Caroline. 

In this episode, we’ll be discussing Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. You can find a full transcript of this podcast episode in the description. 

Taylor Swift's Eras 2023 146-show-tour is in full swing and it is safe to say it is nothing short of a sensation. Due to the COVID Pandemic, this is Swift’s first tour in 5 years. As a thank you to her fans, or "Swifties," for patiently waiting for her return, Swift expanded the Eras tour to include songs from her entire discography - yes, including her country-styled albums too. 

The tour has been met with exceptional success, with sold-out shows around the globe and an average of 54,000 fans attending the singer's concerts at every concert. Swift's powerful performances and unexpected setlists have captivated audiences, proving yet again that she's a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Moreso, the Wall Street Journal has estimated that Taylor Swift will be the first-ever artist whose tour grosses $1 billion!

Her tour hasn't just made headlines because of the music. Swift reportedly gave her entire touring company $55 million in bonuses, a testament to her commitment to the team that makes each show possible. Even more crazy, Swift’s concert in the US city of Seattle, generated seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

Swifties have had a notoriously difficult time buying tickets for the tour, with websites like Huffington Post now publishing guides for how to get tickets successfully. Luckily, Swift has just added 15 more North America tour dates. Swift’s Eras tour will now reach over 140 concerts, with her tour now extending into late 2024. Are you planning to see Taylor Swift in concert?   

Let’s take a look at some grammar:

1. ‘In full swing’ - ‘in full swing’ is a phrase that describes when something is at the height of activity. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour started a few months ago, so it is now in full swing. 
2. ‘Discography’ - ‘discography’ is a noun and is all of the albums of an artist. In this news segment, we said that Swift expanded the Eras tour to include songs from her entire discography, which means she will sing songs from each of her albums.
3. 'Sold-out' - 'Sold-out' is an adjective that describes something for which all tickets have been sold. In this context, it refers to all the tickets for Taylor Swift's concerts being sold.
4. 'Setlist' - ‘Setlist’ is a noun that refers to the list of songs that a musician or band plans to perform during a specific concert or show. In this news story, Taylor Swift's unexpected setlists have been a highlight of her 2023 tour.
5. 'Force to be reckoned with' - This is an idiomatic phrase used to describe someone powerful or influential. Taylor Swift is described as a 'force to be reckoned with' in the music industry.
6. ‘Bonuses’ - ‘Bonuses’ is a noun that describes when someone is given a sum of money in addition to their typical wages. Swift gave her entire touring company $55 million in bonuses. 
7. ‘Notoriously’ - ‘Notoriously’ is an adverb that emphasizes when something is well-known. In this case, we are talking about Swifties that have had a notoriously difficult time buying tickets for the tour.

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Thanks for listening, and I will see you soon for more news in English!