Speak_Now_World_Tour_2011

Speak Now World Tour

Speak Now World Tour

2011–2012 concert tour by Taylor Swift

The Speak Now World Tour was the second concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who embarked on it to support her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). It ran from February 9, 2011, to March 18, 2012, and covered 110 shows across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.

Quick Facts Location, Associated album ...

The set list consisted mostly of songs from Speak Now, with a few numbers from Swift's first two albums, Taylor Swift (2006) and Fearless (2008). Two songs were performed as medleys with music of other artists: "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train, "Apologize" by OneRepublic, and "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. On several US shows, Swift invited special guests to perform duets onstage with her. Multiple US shows were recorded for a concert film and live album, both titled Speak Now World Tour – Live, released on November 21, 2011.

Music critics generally praised the production and Swift's showmanship and interactions with her audience. According to Pollstar, the Speak Now World Tour was the fourth-highest-grossing tour and the highest-grossing by a female artist of 2011. Billboard ranked it fifth on their list of the top tours of 2011.

Background and development

View of the stage for the concert at Pittsburgh

I’m so excited to go back out on tour again in 2011! The 'Fearless Tour' was so much fun and even more unforgettable than I ever imagined, and I can't wait to get back out and play my new music from Speak Now! The fans have been so amazing and I'm thrilled to play in new cities around the world and meet even more of my fans in 2011![2]

While promoting Speak Now, Swift mentioned her excitement for her upcoming tour. She stated that the tour was going to be "big" and "extensive".[3] On November 23, 2010, various media outlets, including Billboard magazine, announced the second tour by Swift.[4] It followed her successful Fearless Tour, which played over 100 dates in five countries. The Speak Now World Tour marked Swift's first in multiple stadiums. Before it commenced, she performed "The Allure of Taylor Swift" show aboard the MV Allure of the Seas at the Allure of the Seas Aquatheater, as a part of Royal Caribbean Cruises on January 21, 2011 in Cozumel, Mexico.[5] Swift used Tom Petty's "American Girl" as her entrance song.[6]

It ranked tenth on Pollstar's "Top 50 Worldwide Tour (Mid-Year)" list, earning over $40 million.[7] At the end of 2011, the tour placed fourth on the magazine's annual "Top 25 Worldwide Tours" list, earning $104.2 million from 100 shows,[8] making it the highest-grossing female and solo tour of 2011.

Arm lyrics

Swift performing during the Speak Now World Tour in 2012 with lyrics from Natasha Bedingfield's "Neon Lights" on her arm

During the North American[9] and Australasian tour legs, Swift wrote different song lyrics, and occasionally quotes from famous speeches and movies, on her left arm for each show. She stated that the lyrics should be viewed as a nightly "mood ring",[10] and The New Yorker has cited the practice as an example of Swift's "keen understanding of what fuels fan obsession in the first place: a desire for intimacy between singer and listener".[11]

Acoustic cover versions

Swift performed many acoustic cover versions during the North American leg. In each city, she paid tribute to a homegrown artist.[12] She stated that the cover versions allowed her to be "spontaneous" in an otherwise well-rehearsed show: "You'll have a lot of people who will come to more than one show, and I want them to get a different experience every time."[13]

Set list

The following set list is from the May 27, 2011 show in Omaha, Nebraska. It is not intended to represent all shows throughout the tour.[14]

  1. "Sparks Fly"
  2. "Mine"
  3. "The Story of Us"
  4. "Our Song"
  5. "Mean"
  6. "Back to December" / "Apologize" / "You're Not Sorry"
  7. "Better than Revenge"
  8. "Speak Now"
  9. "Fearless" / "I'm Yours" / "Hey, Soul Sister"
  10. "Last Kiss"
  11. Surprise cover
  12. "You Belong with Me"
  13. "Dear John"
  14. "Enchanted"
  15. "Haunted"
  16. "Long Live"
Encore

Notes

  • During the Asian and European legs, "Mean", "Our Song", and "Haunted" were not performed due to stage reduction. Additionally, "Fifteen" was performed in place of "Last Kiss".[citation needed]
  • During the show in Kansas City, Swift performed "Superman".[15]
  • Starting with the show in Denver, "Ours" was added to the set-list.[16]
  • During the shows in Lexington,[17] Houston,[18] and Raleigh,[19] Swift performed "Never Grow Up".
  • During the shows in Oceania, "Safe & Sound" was performed during the encore, except the second performance in Auckland, where "Eyes Open" was performed instead.[20]

Surprise covers

The following songs were performed each night after "Last Kiss":

Special guests

Tour dates

More information Date (2011), City ...
More information Date (2012), City ...

Cancelled date

More information Date, City ...

Notes

  1. The shows on October 1 and 2, 2011, in Atlanta at the Philips Arena were originally scheduled for July 9 and 10, 2011; however, due to illness, the shows were postponed.
  2. The show on October 11, 2011, in Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center was originally scheduled for July 2, 2011; however, due to illness, the show was postponed.
  3. The show on November 16, 2011, in Charlotte at the Time Warner Cable Arena was originally scheduled for July 8, 2011; however, due to illness, the show was postponed.

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