This summer was a continuation of “The Stadium Era” with artists such as Beyoncé and Jelly Roll hitting the stage. Taylor Swift announced her sixth concert tour, The Eras Tour, which is predicted to be the largest grossing tour in history. 

For Junior Jersy Stinson, her love for Taylor Swift has been a life-long fascination.

“I first listened to Taylor Swift the moment I was born because her first album came out the year that I was born. My sister Macy listened to her a lot, so I would [too],” said Stinson.

Through the years, Stinson’s ability to connect with Swift’s lyrics has added a whole new layer to her listening experience. 

“She sounds very nostalgic for me. But as I grow older, I’m more able to listen to her lyrics. I think her lyricism is a big part of [the appeal],” stated Stinson. 

The process of buying tickets for The Eras Tour was a complicated one. Many fans waited in the queue for hours, even days, and were still unable to snag tickets. Stinson reflected on what this process was like for her.

“Me and my sister got this try again option, so we could try to buy tickets again. We got them for face value, so we got them for like $120,” explained Stinson. 

Stinson recalls the frenzy of Taylor Swift fans, nicknamed “Swifties,” in Cincinnati at the time of the show. 

“You see people walking and they look like people going to see Taylor Swift,” explained Stinson.

One thing Stinson loved about The Eras Tour was the energy that the stadium exuded throughout the three hour show.

 “At one point, it’s just her and twenty dancers, right? Another time, it’s just her and her guitar…Everyone’s in it the whole time,” said Stinson.

Senior Jazsmin Ramirez attended Jelly Roll’s Backroad Baptism tour over the summer. Ramirez enjoys listening to his music because the lyrics are relatable.

“I first heard ‘Save Me’ and it was really sad, but I understood it because my family’s gone through all that,” explained Ramirez. 

Ramirez got tickets for Jelly Roll right before the show, even with thousands attending.

“We got tickets like two days before the concert… there’s 20,000 people there and it sold out,.” said Ramirez. 

Ramirez’s time at the “Backroad Baptism” concert came with new experiences. 

“We had lawn tickets this time and we usually get seat tickets but the lawn was really cool because we could sit anywhere and we met a lot of new people,” explained Ramirez.

English teacher Star Hargis appreciates that Beyoncé is headlining a tour on her own. 

“I just like the idea of strong, independent, savvy women writing intelligent songs that have something to say,” explained Hargis.

Hargis believes that people enjoy Beyoncé’s music because she speaks her mind. 

“I think a lot of people do listen to her music because they feel like she is honest and she is open with them as an artist and I think that audiences appreciate that,” said Hargis.

Hargis also enjoyed seeing the fans’ outfits at Beyoncé’s concert in St. Louis. 

“It was one of those shows where audience members dressed up in order to fit the themes of the show. So everybody looked really interesting and artistic and beautiful and it was just a lot of fun,” said Hargis.

Hargis notes a difference between Beyoncé’s concert production and other artists’. 

“In terms of her tour, I loved the production value of it. There’s a lot of artistry attached to it, not just singing and dancing, but it’s also about the visual aspect. She has a lot of video montages in between her sets that are artistic and really beautiful in nature,” states Hargis.

For Hargis, the audience’s energy during one of her favorite songs was the best part of the show. 

“My favorite part of the show was Crazy In Love because I love the big band sound to it. And it was a whole production with multiple dancers and all the audience members were just having fun dancing and singing along with it,” explained Hargis.

A memorable part of both the Beyoncé and Taylor Swift concerts for Hargis was the example she could show her daughters. 

“It was pretty cool to be able to take my two daughters to women headliners just to show them that if you’re smart and intelligent and hardworking, you can achieve major success. I just thought that was a great message for women in general,” said Hargis.