Shruti Suman
Taylor Swift captivated her Cardiff audience by greeting them in Welsh during her eagerly anticipated concert in Wales. Kicking off her performance at Principality Stadium with hits like “Cruel Summer,” Swift astonished the crowd by making a heartfelt connection in their native language.
“Shwmae,” she greeted, though the enthusiastic roar of the crowd nearly drowned her out.
“Croeso i daith Eras,” she continued, meaning “Welcome to the Eras Tour.”
“This is my very first time playing a show in Wales, and just look at this,” she marveled, taking in the impressive turnout. “You’ve got 67,000 people here; this is incredible. Thank you, Cardiff.”
Continuing her tradition on the Eras Tour, Swift gifted a young fan the hat she wore during her performance of “22.” The lucky recipient, a young girl, received the hat after a double high five and a hug from Swift.
In her next number, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” dancer Kam added a local flair by exclaiming “ych a fi” (Welsh for “disgusting”) during a playful interaction with Swift. These regional touches were eagerly anticipated by the audience, who responded with great enthusiasm.
Introducing the Folklore segment, Swift reflected on the creation of the album during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before performing “Betty,” she mentioned that Welsh folklore had inspired the album, which tells the story of a “woman wandering through nature.”
“Somewhere in the beautiful Welsh countryside,” she mused.
She then transitioned to “Evermore,” the companion album to “Folklore,” performing songs like “Champagne Problems.” At one particularly electrifying moment, the crowd’s cheers were so overwhelming that Swift stood stunned for over two minutes, basking in their adoration.
Swift concluded the concert with a heartfelt “Diolch o galon” (Thank you from the heart) before launching into the final song, “Karma.”
Khushi Sikarwar
