Big Reputation

   On September eighth, I went to my first concert. Coincidentally, it was Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour. She had released her album, Reputation, on November 10, almost a year before. I’ve loved Taylor since her country days and was elated when she released her album, after teasing it on her Instagram for about a week.

   Her album was released amidst controversy surrounding her feud with the Kardashian-West family (mainly Kayne) and Katy Perry, and three months after she won an infamous court case against a DJ who groped her. Her album and tour surround the idea of a ‘reputation’ and what it means.

   She embraces being called a snake and incorporates them into her stage routine and the light up wristbands we were all given. The songs and dancing were incredibly on point and everywhere I looked on stage, there was something happening. Her backup dancers were a diverse, beautiful group, and each one was recognized for their participation. I was so impressed by her sets and her voice I remember crying, and she even sang old songs, like Love Story and the Story of Us.

   She talked about how much Kansas City meant to her and was so genuinely grateful to our city. Every time people cheered for her, she got this goofy smile on her face like she hadn’t processed the fact that she was famous. Her gratitude and humility were unmatched.

   Everything about her tour was so thought out and meticulous and everything was perfectly in sync. There were fireworks and blasts of smoke and confetti and bursts of fire. She made me fall in love with her music all over again, and all I could do was scream along and dance until I couldn’t. She renewed herself to the haters, the fakers, and the people who said she was nothing.

And in the death of her reputation, she felt truly alive (and so did I).