Dear Taylor Swift: I am begging you to bring your Eras Tour to NZ

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith is a Stuff culture reporter and lifelong fan of Taylor Swift.

COMMENT: Hey Taylor, it’s me – you may not realise this, but we go way back.

It was love at first sight: me, 8-years-old and never having experienced a romantic love in my young life, watching the You Belong With Me music video circa-2008, my eyes glued to the screen as you danced alone in your bedroom and sung the greatest love song of all time.

Maybe there was an invisible string tying you to me – the memory is forever engraved in my mind as the moment my brain chemistry would be completely rewired for the rest of my life, the start of our 15-year love story.

So, Tay – mind if I call you that? – I come to you today to plead with you to please consider bringing your Eras Tour to my home country, a neat little place by the name of Aotearoa New Zealand.

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I know you like to handle your business in private, but after spending my entire Sunday desperately scrolling TikTok to catch clips from the first night of your tour, I feel I have no choice but to take my pain to a public forum.

After making sure I got every single second from your 3-hour-long performance from every angle possible via social media, I have no doubt you are one of the greatest artists and performers of our generation (obviously, I always knew this, but these videos affirmed my beliefs).

For such a high-production show, I can understand why the Eras Tour hasn’t had international dates announced yet – a queen needs her time to rest, relax, and scheme, of course.

Your generosity in fitting 44 songs from your legendary ten album catalogue into one show, complete with outfit and set changes, delivered with your usual flair from drama (yes, I have seen the diving video) has already brought me to the verge of weeping and Wayne’s World-style “I am not worthy!” grovelling.

I’ve always said the one Taylor Swift show I would give anything to see would be one where you’re spanning your entire discography, so this is something of a lifelong wish for me, like an athlete winning an Olympic gold medal or an actor being awarded and Oscar, but much better.

Maybe I’m the problem, maybe it’s me – I know after everything you’ve contributed to society I shouldn’t be here on my hands and knees begging for more, but you taught me what it means to be overdramatic and true to the people you love the most.

I feel like we’re well overdue for a reunion, you and I. The last time I was lucky enough to see you perform in the flesh was during your Reputation Stadium Tour at Auckland’s Mt Smart in 2018 (remember that? You sang in the drizzling rain in black sequined outfits while I cried in my waterproof poncho).

Now 5 years later, who would’ve guessed you would deliver four more albums, two re-releases, and the long mythologised 10-minute version of All Too Well?

Between all this new music, as well as your early classics, I’m scared I’ll die feeling unfulfilled with life if I never get the chance to be an attendee of the Eras Tour.

I’ve cried like a baby in the back a car coming home drunk from a bar with you. I’ve had the time of my life fighting dragons with you. I’ve danced in a storm in my best dress with you (those last two examples are more-so figurative than literal, but still).

I really shouldn’t ask anything of you, but please, please bring the Eras Tour to New Zealand when you have time in your busy schedule to consider international plans, or else I will voluntarily bankrupt myself by spending thousands of dollars travelling to see you perform in some faraway country.

Oh, and if you do decide to come to NZ, can you give me a heads-up? I need to plan accordingly for any possible Ticketmaster drama.

With love, always – your biggest fan, Lyric.