The true heat of the summer is officially here, and Swift-related news is hot, hot, hot. Swift recently performed in countries like Germany, Poland, London and more, all of which are facing the heat and humidity that you might be facing as well. If only her hairstylist could give us their secret for keeping Swift’s hair from getting frizzy as she sings, dances and sweats onstage all night.
Swift had a busy month in July, with a mix of good and bad events. Some good news included guests like Anne Hathaway at her show, Cruel Summer charting again, and a Swift impersonator going viral for her work (imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?). Bad news included a stalker attempting to enter one of her shows, but luckily this person was detained until she and Travis Kelce were out of the country.
Interested to know more? Keep reading to see what Swift was up to during the month of July.
Anne Hathaway Attends the Eras Tour with her family
The princess of Genovia headed over to Gelsenkirchen, Germany to attend The Eras Tour on July 19 with her son, who is eight years old. They were invited to the VIP section, however, they spent part of the show handing out snacks to people in the stadium. Hathaway was able to go to this show in particular because she was filming Mother Mary, a new movie she is starring in.
Stalker Gets Caught Trying to Chase After Swift & Kelce
Many reports of stalkers following Swift have come out over her nearly twenty years in the public eye… but stalking her during the Eras Tour is a bit more of a commitment. According to Forbes, an American man traveled to Gelsenkirchen, Germany and made threats on social media towards both Swift and Kelce. He was arrested when trying to enter the first of the three concerts there, and kept in custody until the pair left the city.
Death of Slim Shady takes over as no. 1 album
Swift’s newest album The Tortured Poets Department stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for 12 consecutive weeks (one week shy of 13, her lucky number). Its reign was ended by the success of Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady. This was the longest one of Swift’s albums stayed at No. 1, as she stated in an Instagram post after her Eras Tour shows in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
This comes after a rumored feud between Swift and Billie Eilish over the spot on the charts. Fans speculated that Swift and Eilish were competing after their albums (Eilish’s being Hit Me Hard and Soft) came out on the same day. Eilish’s team was seen as having criticized Swift for blocking artists from being as successful as she is. Swift dropped new editions of several songs as Eilish’s album stayed at No. 2, which to some, solidified the idea that Swift’s actions were tactful.
The original source of this “feud” (if it can even be called that) is related to some comments made by Damon Albarn, who compared Swift and Eilish, saying the latter is a better songwriter. He even speculated that Swift doesn’t write her own songs. After he made these comments, Eilish brought Albarn onstage with her at Coachella and made a joke about Swift onstage.
It’s nothing we haven’t seen before — criticism of Swift, comparison between her and another talented artist, jokes made at her expense. But most of all, it’s a reminder that the music industry is a business, and Swift knows how to dominate it. Some may say she kept another woman from success; others may say that she did what anyone would do: demonstrate her abilities to those who doubt her. Eminem and Swift have had positive things to say about each other in the past, which seems like a reason why he may not have faced the same heat that Eilish did.
Cruel Summer is charting again
It’s starting to feel like a tradition for “Cruel Summer” — which came out five years ago in August — to chart during the summer. It certainly makes sense, not just because of the name of the song but also because it was one of the first songs Swifties heard during The Eras Tour when it started just a few months before summer did in 2023.
According to Billboard, it’s her longest-reigning song on the charts, surpassing “Anti-Hero” with a 54 week run on the Hot 100 in May. As of June, it’s still on the 200 list.
Taylor Swift Impersonator Goes Viral
A woman who goes by June (Taylor’s Version) went viral on TikTok for her performance as Swift in Canobie Lake Park, New Hampshire. June, who looks and sounds quite similar to Swift, recreated her costumes, choreography and hair and makeup looks for live performances in the park, which are six days a week through September. WCVB interviewed kids who were in the audience for the performances who absolutely loved how similar June (Taylor’s Version) was to the singer.
The viral video has tons of positive comments on it, including some people asking her to come to their nearest park and others marveling at how similar her costumes truly are. Another commenter joked “close enough, drop rep tv.”
Interested in seeing one of June (Taylor’s Version)’s shows? Find out more information here.
Passion Tourism Trend Sparked by Eras Tour
In past news updates, it was reported that tourism had increased on continents such as Asia as a direct result of Swifties traveling to see Swift. Now, it is being said that there is a new trend called “passion tourism,” which is when people travel to pursue a personal interest or hobby. It can also apply to traveling for an event that involves their passion. There is no doubt that Swifties are passionate, and plenty have traveled far to see her. It may seem tough on your wallet, but the international concerts are actually cheaper than the U.S. shows. Traveling to another country also means a concert goer gets to explore the country they are in, which may have been on the bucket list anyway.
One mother even wrote about how a trip to Wales to see the Eras Tour was a more budget-friendly option than a vacation for her family of four, so it makes sense that Swifties with a strong passion for her music would invest in a concert.
Eras Tour Updates
The Eras Tour in Germany was probably one of the most interesting stops yet — for a few reasons. Swift stopped in Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg and Munich while in Germany. The surprise songs were as follows:
Gelsenkirchen, Night 1: a mashup of “Slut!” and “False God” and a mashup of “Superstar” and “invisible string”
Gelsenkirchen, Night 2: a mashup of “this is me trying” and “Labyrinth” and a mashup of “Hey Stephen” and “Speak Now”
Gelsenkirchen, Night 3: a mashup of “Paper Rings” and “Stay Stay Stay” and a mashup of “it’s time to go” and “Better Man”
Hamburg, Night 1: a mashup of “Teardrops on my Guitar” and “The Last Time” and a mashup of “We Were Happy” and “happiness”
Hamburg, Night 2: a mashup of “the last great american dynasty” and “Run” and a mashup of “Nothing New” and “Dear Reader”
Munich, Night 1: a mashup of “Fresh Out the Slammer” and “You Are In Love” and a mashup of “Ivy” and “Call It What You Want”
Munich, Night 2: a mashup of “loml” and “Don’t You” and a mashup of “imgonnagetyouback” and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” (the latter also being most streamed song on Spotify)
So, why was her stop in Germany so unique? The stadium in Munich where Swift is holding her concert, has a hill next to it called Olympic Hill. 25,000 fans gathered on the hill in 88 degree weather hours ahead of the concert to see the concert for free. Water and emergency blankets were given to the fans in order to keep them safe in the heat, making it a truly special night for a lot of people.
Swift’s next stop is in Warsaw, Poland, which you can read all about when the news update for August is released at the end of next month.
Taypedia 