Taylor Swift review, Arizona: On the first night of her Eras tour, Swift seems as liberated as she's ever been - The Independent

When Taylor Swift released her second album, Fearless, back in 2008, she was a bright-eyed singer-songwriter hoping to make it big in Nashville.

Her “Eras Tour” was designed as a journey through that staggering back catalogue of 10 albums, from her earlier country twang on her self-titled debut to the shift to synth-pop on 1989, then to the subdued folk and alt-rock of Folklore and Evermore.

Like the fact that she opens on “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince”, the hazy synth-driven track from Lover,inspired by Swift’s political disillusionment.

Deeper album cuts appear in the form of “Illicit Affairs”, the haunting track on which Swift battles her inner emotions, and a striking acoustic version of “Mirrorball”, which she dedicates to her fans.

“Look What You Made Me Do”, the 2017 single that heralded her return after a lengthy hiatus, sees different versions of Swift inside glass boxes: a nod to a time when she grappled to reconcile her sense of self with her public image.

It’s telling that Swift closes on “Karma”, a tongue-in-cheek nod to how she ultimately rose above the tabloid headlines, feuds and rivalries that once circled her like vultures.