Swift's Eras Tour a bejeweled spectacle for the record books

You could carefully unpack the vocals, the staging or the costumes. But what do you do when all of these are pure perfection?

For more than three hours, every second of Taylor Swift's first Australian Eras Tour show in Melbourne on February 16, was meticulous.

The crowd of 96,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the biggest audience of her career, was treated to her powerhouse vocals without any sign of wavering as she effortlessly stepped between the genres of her collection.

From the high-energy pop song Shake It Off to the acoustic surprise song You're Losing Me, Taylor Swift demonstrated exactly how she made Grammy history with her fourth album of the year win in early February.

With each song, a chorus of voices sang back in unison or in some cases screamed. Tears ricocheted as each fan's favourite came next.

The staging was beyond anything I've ever seen on a tour or, dare I say, on any stage.

The message of The Man was brought to life with platforms rising out of the stage to show the lyrical climb to the top and later trees grew from the stage during 'tis the damn season and Willow, where balls of lights carried by cloaked dancers brought the emotion through simplistic elegance.

Fireworks, flames and confetti filled the sky as each song brought something new for each perspective of the stadium to enjoy.

The real highlight of the crowd was when she took the audience into the woods with the famed folklore cabin for songs from the album she said is "always going to be so proud of".

Swift told the MCG the folklore album, written during the pandemic, was an opportunity to challenge herself by writing something different about fictional characters rather than her own life.

She thanked fans for allowing her to "go crazy" with the album and supporting her to try new things.

"I appreciate the belief you have in me when I switch lanes because it's what keeps it fun for me."

For me, the true measure of the tour must be the community, kindness and connection she managed to weave well before even entering the country.

Fans spent months and eye-watering amounts to perfect their costumes that glistened from every inch of the MCG as you turned your head.

Fans traded friendship bracelets hours before the gates opened, even with the police officers on duty.

Once inside, there seemed no barrier between groups, with selfies and more bracelet trading taking place. Conversations and costume compliments flowed freely between the rows as the countdown began.

And when Swift took to the stage, she carried this on. Speaking between songs, she made all in the stadium feel as though she was talking directly to them. A true skill which can't be taught.

Every age group, from the screaming pre-teen to the chaperone dad appeared enthralled.

The vibe was safe, supportive and inclusive. And with all else impeccably carried, the Eras Tour gets a perfect score from me.

Was most of this a masterstroke of a marketing genius? Without a doubt.

Even a call for the crowd to pre-order an exclusive copy of her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department was delivered as though it was a kind gesture between friends. Any rational person could see the dollars starting to roll in.

But only one person could take over the news cycle on February 16 and it was Taylor Swift with her gentle but vice-like grip on culture.

Her flight into Australia was the most tracked worldwide on flightradar24. She was named Time's Person of the Year. She recently became the centre of a presidential campaign conspiracy theory. Even America's NFL has fallen at her feet.

I'm sure there may have been doubts about media coverage when 42,000 fans went to see The Beatles in Melbourne in 1964 - yet the scene of them waving from the Melbourne Town Hall balcony has lived on as a slice of Australian history.

Art should be news because art shapes our history and with Taylor Swift, it looks like she is still only getting started.

If the result is the same kindness, community and passion displayed at the MCG, I don't see the downside.

If you can manage to secure a last-minute ticket to the Sydney shows, don't miss out.

Ayden Dawkins was a guest of Frontier Touring for the first night of the Eras Tour.