Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the talk of the town, but something that has fallen under the radar is: who is she touring with? Here are all of Taylor’s special guests for Eras Tour.
The Eras Tour is going to be THE event of 2023, and Taylor doesn’t wish to celebrate alone. In Taylor’s announcement of the tour, she announced the nine special guests that would be touring with her and trading off as her supporting acts. They will not appear at every show, but rather on certain legs of the journey. Let’s see who Taylor invited with her on the Eras Tour.
beabadoobee
beabadoobee, or Beatrice “Bea” Kristi Laus, is a Filipino-British indie, alternative rock singer-songwriter. She will be performing with Taylor in Las Vegas and the majority of the Southern leg of the US tour. beabadoobee began her career in 2017 when she signed with Dirty Hit Records. She was born in the Philippines before moving to London at age 3, growing up in West London her whole life. She began her start on YouTube uploading covers and original music, such as “Coffee,” a song of hers that is still very popular to this day; Dirty Hits discovered her through the song. Before officially signing with Dirty Hits, she released her first EP in 2018 called “Lice.” A guitarist and vocalist, with a background in violin, beabadoobee is heavily inspired by film soundtracks and artists like Elliot Smith, the Moldy Peaches, Daniel Johnston, and Simon and Garfunkel. She recently dropped an album called Beatopia in July 2022 which charted number 1 on the UK Indie charts, which she will most likely be playing songs from on the tour, along with other popular hits. Her connection to Taylor, as far as we are able to discern, began at the NME Awards in 2020, where Taylor talked to beabadoobee and told her her discography had “no skips.” Since then, it seems Taylor’s admiration for the indie artist has only grown since she was asked to join her on tour.
Gayle
Taylor Gayle Rutherford, better known as simply Gayle, is an American alternative pop/rock singer-songwriter someone you may remember from TikTok with her hit song “ABCDEFU,” which she released in 2021 with Atlantic Records. Having grown up in Plano, Texas, Gayle moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue music. She released a handful of singles that she self-produced before she was discovered by American Idol judge and Arthouse music publisher, Kara DioGuardi, which got her signed onto Atlantic Records. When she released “ABCDEFU,” it immediately launched her into popularity, charting number 3 in the US and number 1 in the UK, Austria, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and worldwide. It became viral on TikTok, everyone knowing the lyrics “A, B, C, D, F U and your mom and your sister and your job.” It was the single to her first EP, A Study of the Human Experience Volume 1, which was released in March 2022, followed by Volume 2 in October 2022. Only 18 years old, Gayle met Taylor Swift at an award show in Nashville where Gayle got to perform, after which she and Taylor got to talk after the show where she told Gayle she’d call her. Taylor apparently asked Gayle to join her on tour in person, which is a life-changing opportunity for someone just starting her career. She will be playing with Taylor all over the Eras Tour in the Southwest region, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Northeast region, and Los Angeles.
Girl in Red
If you’re in the LGBTQ+ community, you know Girl in Red. Born Marie Ulven Ringheim, this Norwegian indie pop singer-songwriter and record producer is often regarded as a queer icon with many of her songs being about queer romance. A vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and synthesize-ist, Girl in Red began her career writing Norwegian pop music and releasing it on SoundCloud as “Lydia X,” but changed her stage name after referring to herself as the “Girl in Red” over text to a friend trying to find her in a crowd. In 2016, “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” was released to SoundCloud under this new name and got thousands of streams. In 2018 she re-released it on Apple Music, and it blew up, being listed as number 9 in The New York Times list of “The 68 Best Songs of 2018.” She released her debut EP, Chapter 1, in September 2018 and signed with AWAL in 2019, then her debut album If I Could Make It Go Quiet in 2021. The subject matter of her songs usually consists of talking about mental illness along with queer romance and the queer experience, Taylor Swift being one of her biggest musical influences. Girl in Red was featured on Taylor Swift’s Instagram story as she promoted her album, saying she had the entire thing on repeat. She apparently got an email from Taylor that was “a whole book,” and she responded by telling Taylor how much she loved and admired her. The rest is, apparently, history as she is now joining her on tour for the midwestern leg of the US tour.
Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams is a Jewish American, bedroom pop singer-songwriter who you may also remember from TikTok with her song “21.” Daughter of film director, J.J. Abrams, and film and TV producer, Katie McGrath, Gracie was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, beginning her music career in 2019 under Interscope records with her debut single, “Mean It.” In 2020, Gracie released her debut EP, Minor, then her debut album in 2021, This Is What It Feels Like. That same year she released a single she worked on with Aaron Dessner called “Rockland,” Aaron being a frequent collaborator with Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift, along with Lorde, Joni Mitchell, Bon Iver, Kate Bush, The Killers, and Phoebe Bridgers are some of Gracie’s musical influences, and Swift has responded to this interest in kind and is pictured together at Taylor’s birthday party in December 2021–so they’re apparently friends! You can see Gracie play for Taylor in the Eras Tour in the Southern stretch of the tour, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, the Midwestern region, and the Western region of the US.
HAIM
HAIM, already collaborators and friends of Swift in songs such as “no body, no crime” and “Gasoline,” as well as Taylor’s “Bejeweled” music video, is an American rock/pop rock band consisting of sisters Alana, Danielle, and Este Haim. Alana plays the guitar, keyboard, and vocals, Danielle is the lead vocals and plays the guitar and drums, and Este plays bass guitar and vocals. Having been active since 2007, they’ve been in the music scene for much longer than some of Taylor’s other guests and having grown up in a very musical family, music is kind of in their blood. Born and raised in San Fernando Valley, California, the band formed in 2007 and released their debut single “Forever” in 2012. Their most recent venture is their 2020 album Women in Music Pt. III, in which Taylor makes an appearance in the song “Gasoline.” Their music, while often being described as soft rock, also has influences of R&B, and is often compared to that of Fleetwood Mac. They’ve cited influences of the likes of Joni Mitchell, Prince, Destiny’s Child, and the Spice Girls, and have made huge strides for all-girl rock bands with their Grammy nominations in 2021, being the first all-girl rock band to be nominated for Album of the Year for Women in Music Pt. III. It’s not hard to see what they have in common with Taylor, the four of them all being influential women in the music industry, and you can catch them on tour with Taylor in the West Coast stretch of the tour.
MUNA
Another band on this list, MUNA is an American indie pop band consisting of college friends Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. Another band notable for their influence in the queer community, every member of the band is queer, Naomi identifies as non-binary. Their music frequently addresses the topics of sexuality and gender, wanting to inspire young queer people to be comfortable with whatever way they identify. They formed the band in 2013 after meeting at the University of Southern California, and experimented with various genres at the beginning of their careers, releasing their debut EP, More Perfect, on Bandcamp and SoundCloud. This got them signed with RCA Records, though they later signed with to Phoebe Bridgers’ label, Saddest Factory, in 2021. They would release their debut album, About U, in 2017. MUNA’s connection to Taylor is a bit more mysterious, though it seems MUNA has an appreciation for Taylor and has recently covered her song “august” on their EP, Live at Electric Lady. Regardless, it seems the appreciation is mutual, and you can catch MUNA on the Eras Tour in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Colorado, and part of the Midwestern stretch.
OWENN
If you love Taylor Swift, you already know OWENN, or Christian Owens, from her “Lover” music video in 2019, in which he played her love interest. A pop singer, dancer, and choreographer, OWENN has been dancing with and choreographing for acts like Rhianna, Beyonce, and Lil Nas X for many years now, including Taylor Swift, who he considers a friend. Born in New York, but having moved to Los Angeles at seventeen to pursue dancing, OWENN turned towards music after meeting producer Bettencourt while on tour with Rhianna. His music is inspired by artists such as Prince, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, and the Smiths, and has put out only two singles–the first one being “Baby Girl” in 2021–and a cover of Taylor’s song, “willow,” before he was asked to tour with Taylor. Talk about an impressive origin story! You can catch OWENN on the Eras Tour in New Jersey, the Midwest, and Los Angeles, California.
Paramore
If you don’t know who Paramore is, I don’t know what to say to you, but here are the basics. Legendary American alternative rock band, Paramore, consists of lead vocalist, Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro, and they’ve been active since 2004. Hayley met Zac and his brother, Josh (a former band member) when she was 13 at a weekly supplemental for homeschooled kids, and they formed the band as teenagers. After signing with Fueled By Ramen and Atlantic Records in 2005, they released their debut album All We Know Is Falling that same year. Their breakthrough album would be their 2007 release, Riot!, and the band would go down in history as one of the most influential rock bands of the 21st century. The fact that the band is fronted by Hayley Williams is also what makes it influential, as rarely do rock bands with women at the front make it as far as they did in the early 2000s. Their most recent venture is a soon-to-be-released album called This Is Why, set to be released in February 2023. Taylor Swift and Paramore have a long history together, with videos of them performing together going back to 2011, with Hayley being a friend of Taylor. It’s no shock to anyone that Paramore would perform with Taylor, and they will only be performing on the Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona for two nights only. You don’t want to miss it!
Phoebe Bridgers
Finally, we come to Phoebe Bridgers, someone who has been an influence to multiple people on this list. Phoebe Bridgers is an American indie singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer from Pasadena, California. Originally a member of Sloppy Jane, Einstein’s Dirty Secret, and many other bands, Phoebe branched out on her own for a solo career in the mid-2010s. In 2015, Phoebe would release her debut single “Killer,” on her debut album in 2017 called Stranger in the Alps with the record label Dead Oceans. Another notable queer artist on this list, Phoebe identifies as bisexual and is possibly one of the most influential queer indie artists of the past decade. Her music often explores themes of anxiety, depression, trauma, and death, and is often applauded for her straightforward, dry, and witty delivery, her musical influences being Elliot Smith, Avril Lavigne, Bright Eyes, the Beatles, and more. Her most recent venture would be her 2020 album, Punisher, which got her a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Phoebe has already collaborated with Taylor on the song “Nothing New,” which was a song From The Vault on Red (Taylor’s Version), and as previously mentioned, the two are known to be friends. It’s no shock she was invited on tour with Taylor, and you can catch her on the Eras Tour on the East Coast stretch.
Be sure to follow Taylor Swift and Taylor Nation on Twitter for updates on the Eras Tour and more. Here’s an Instagram post from Taylor Nation with all the tour dates with a key on who will be playing and when.
View this post on Instagram
