Taylor Swift wowed the audience last Saturday night,  April 20, at the packed Tampa Bay Times Forum with amazing special effects, dancers, constumes, and hit songs.  Fans screamed out the lyrics to their favorite songs and enthusiastically waved handmade posters and letters.  Ed Sheeran opened for Swift on her 2013 Red Tour.

Ed Sheeran, a British artist known for his hit song The A- Team, engaged the crowd with his flawless voice and upbeat stage presence.  Sheeran concluded his performance by asking the audience to hold up any lights they had, making the Forum a breathtaking sea of lights.  Sheeran later joined Swift for a duet of their song Everything Has Changed.

Swift followed Sheeran with a dramatic entrance behind a red curtain.  Taylor brilliantly incorporated her album title throughout the show with red lipstick, outfits, lights, shoes, scenery, and special effects.  Not only did Swift sing favorites off of her new album, including 22, Red, I Knew You Were Trouble, and phenomenally concluding with We R Never Getting Back Together, the artist performed her classic songs from previous albums, such as Our Song, Love Story, You Belong With Me, and Mean. 

Between most songs, Swift explained the meanings behind her songs and provided catchy introductions before she began.  Swift dazzled the crowd with a variety of beautiful outfits, multiple uses of the stage, dancing, and special effects with drum show, fog, confetti, and much more.  Swift even surprised the audience by crowd surfing onto another stage in the back and later riding in a suspended platform back to the stage.

Swift’s finale of We R Never Getting Back Together mirrored her opening performance at the Grammys with a circus theme. Swift sported a sparkly ringleader coat, a contrast from her previous costumes.  The concert ended with confetti flying through the air, sparks, and lights that gave the performance a dazzling effect.

Junior Priscilla Vasquez loves Taylor Swift and had a fantastic time at the concert.  “It was my first Taylor Swift concert and it was amazing!  I had so much fun and it is a night I will remember for a really long time.”