City of Lover
One-off concert by Taylor Swift | |
Location |
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Associated album | Lover |
Date(s) | September 9, 2019 |
Duration |
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No. of shows | 1 |
Attendance | 2,000 |
City of Lover was a one-off
City of Lover and its corresponding TV special received positive reviews from media publications, who lauded Swift's stage presence and intimate engagement with fans. However, a few critics complained that the TV special should have included the whole sixteen-song set list instead of just the eight Lover songs. Some publications noted that Swift's concert at the Olympia—a venue with a 2,000-seat capacity—was a rare move for her after her 2018
Background
The American singer-songwriter
To celebrate the album's release, Swift held the City of Lover, a one-off concert, at the
City of Lover marked Swift's first concert at a music hall in France since her 2011 Speak Now World Tour.[9] She had also held a small performance on a boat by the Seine in 2013 to perform songs from Red.[10] Before, Swift had not had attained commercial success in France to the same extent as in the United States or East Asia—during its first week of release, Lover sold 7,500 copies in France first-week, compared to one million units in China or nearly 700,000 copies in the United States.[7][9] Swift told Le Parisien in a May 2019 interview that she deemed it a "priority" to hold a concert again in France after eight years.[11]
Concert synopsis
The title of the concert plays on the nickname of Paris as the "City of Love".
After opening the concert with "Me!", Swift greeted the crowd in French, "Bonsoir Paris! Je suis Taylor, enchantée!" before switching to English.
During the six-song acoustic session,
Video and music releases
City of Lover | |
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Genre | Concert film |
Directed by | Dan Massie |
Starring | Taylor Swift |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Mike Downs |
Production location | Paris, France |
Cinematography | Ben Coughlan |
Editor | Laura Randolph |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | May 17, 2020 |
On May 17, 2020, the concert was aired as a one-hour special, titled Taylor Swift: City of Lover, on
Cast
- Taylor Swift, vocalist
- Max Bernstein, guitarist and keyboardist
- Matt Billingslea, drummer
- David Cook, keyboardist
- Jeslyn Gorman, background vocalist
- Amos Heller, bassist
- Kamilah Marshall, background vocalist
- Mike Meadows, guitarist and keyboardist
- Melanie Nyema, background vocalist
- Paul Sidoti, guitarist
- Eliotte Woodford, background vocalist
Reception
Upon completion, City of Lover received positive feedback from the European press. Most critics were particularly fond of the acoustic session, which showcased Swift's songwriting crafts and intimate connections with the audience.[6][9] The French webzine Melty deemed it a "memorable night".[10] Reviews from the British publications NME, the i, and The Times all gave the concert five-star ratings. Hannah Mylrea from NME Swift's stage presence, vocals during the acoustic numbers, and intimate interaction with the audience.[6] Sarah Carson from the i deemed Swift a "confident and commanding performer" with a more laid-back and self-asserted attitude. Carson appreciated Swift's decision to play at the 2,000-seat Olympia rather than stadiums as on her previous world tour, Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), which fostered an intimate setting with fans.[13] Will Hodgkinson of The Times applauded Swift for "appearing unguarded while remaining entirely professional, and it drew you towards her".[22] In an article for the French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, Ahlem Khattab noted that Swift had had limited commercial success in France, because she prioritized the English-speaking countries and East Asia. Through the City of Lover concert, Swift proved herself to be a capable musician and performer, which could possibly pave a path to French success.[12] Le Monde journalist Stéphane Davet was otherwise skeptical about whether City of Lover could turn Swift into a pop star in France, but concluded that it "doesn't matter".[9]
The ABC TV special received positive reviews in the American press, although some critics felt that the 42-minute run was too short. Chris Willman of
Set list
This is the set list for the City of Lover concert.[6] The songs that featured on the ABC TV special are marked with a dagger (†).[18]
- "Me!" †
- "Blank Space"
- "I Knew You Were Trouble"
- "The Archer" †
- "Love Story"
- "Delicate"
- "Death by a Thousand Cuts" †
- "Cornelia Street" †
- "The Man" †
- "All Too Well"
- "Red"
- "Daylight" †
- "Style"
- "You Need to Calm Down" †
- "Lover" †
- "Shake It Off"
References
- ^ Collins, Katie. "Taylor Swift's Lover: How to stream and buy the album now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon". CNET. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Suskind, Alex (May 9, 2019). "New Reputation: Taylor Swift shares intel on TS7, fan theories, and her next era". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ Moniuszko, Sara (August 23, 2019). "Taylor Swift Lover reviews: Critics are enamored by the 'earnest,' 'romantic' new album". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "australian-charts.com – Taylor Swift – Lover". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "Biggest-selling album worldwide for a solo artist (current)". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mylrea, Hannah (September 10, 2019). "Taylor Swift's The City of Lover concert: an intimate celebration of her fans and career". NME. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Fans Descend on Paris for 'City of Lover' Concert". Reuters. September 9, 2019. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Blisco, Elise (February 27, 2021). "Taylor Swift officially cancels Lover Fest tour because of 'unprecedented pandemic'". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Davet, Stéphane (September 10, 2019). "Musique : opération séduction de Taylor Swift à l'Olympia" [Music: Taylor Swift's operation of seduction at the Olympia]. Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Taylor Swift éblouit Paris lors du City Of Lover Concert à l'Olympia, notre récap'" [Taylor Swift dazzles Paris with City of Lover concert at l'Olympia, our recap]. Melty (in French). September 11, 2019. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Glaubitz, Sabine (September 10, 2019). "Taylor hält Hof in Paris – Auftaktparty mit euphorischen "Swifties"" [Taylor Swift holds court at Paris's Olympia – a euphoric party with "Swifties"]. Die Zeit (in German). Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022 – via Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
- ^ a b Khattab, Ahlem (September 26, 2019). "Taylor Swift est-elle enfin à la conquête de la France ?" [Is Taylor Swift finally conquering France?]. Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c Carson, Sarah (September 10, 2019). "Taylor Swift – City of Lover, L'Olympia, Paris: this tiny show was magical, intimate, and unique". i. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Garvey, Marienne (May 18, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'City of Lover Concert' was an intimate, stripped-down performance". CNN. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 8, 2020). "ABC To Air Taylor Swift 'City of Lover' Concert Special". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (May 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift City of Lover Concert: Best Moments". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Lanza, Alexis (May 26, 2020). "Taylor Swift: City of Lover review". North by Northwestern. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c DeLuca, Dan (May 18, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'City of Lover' concert special was brief and bittersweet. Remember live music?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Porter, Rick (May 18, 2020). "TV Ratings: 'American Idol' Finale Tops Sunday, Down From 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- ^ "Taylor Swift Releases 'The Man – Live from Paris' Song and Video... and it's Glorious: Stream It Now". Billboard. February 18, 2020. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ Doherty, Kelly (February 13, 2023). "Taylor Swift has shared heart-shaped vinyl for Valentine's Day". The Vinyl Factory. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (September 10, 2019). "Taylor Swift review—unguarded, irrepressible, but entirely professional". The Times. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Willman, Chris (May 18, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Acoustic Side Commands Center Stage in 'City of Lover' Special". Variety. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Yasharoff, Hannah; Oliver, David (August 23, 2021). "A love letter to Lover: Why we adore Taylor Swift's lost triumph". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.