daybreak

a guide to taylor swift’s openers

lead writer

The time has finally come. Taylor Swift has finally kicked off her “Eras” Tour, her first since 2018. If you recall her last tour, the “1989” Tour, Swift managed to surprise her crowd nearly every show with a guest appearance. However, this tour comes with no surprises, as she announced that nine different artists were tagging along with her to open throughout this run.

Each of these nine artists were selected by Swift herself, and most of them have worked together in some way in the past. Nine artists is a lot, so we decided to create a quick guide on each artist slated to open for this superstar. Continue reading to learn about each artist!

beabadoobee

beabadoobee (Bea Kristi) is a Filipino British singer/songwriter who began making music at just seventeen years old. She was propelled into stardom with “Moon Song,” which caught the attention of Dirty Hit Records and was signed in 2018. Since then, beabadoobee has opened for The 1975 on their “Music For Cars” Tour and Clairo on her “Immunity” Tour. Citing Nineties nostalgia and the folk infused soundtrack of Juno (2007) as some of her influences, Kristi has curated a diverse discography of soft rock and indie pop. Anyone lucky enough to see her open for Taylor should expect some full band renditions of hits like “She Plays Bass” intertwined with acoustic ballads such as “Coffee.”

beabadoobee songs to listen to:

Glue Song
Coffee
Last Day on Earth
the perfect pair

GAYLE

At just 18, Taylor Gayle Rutherford (better known as GAYLE) did not hesitate to establish herself as an artist. She was first discovered by former American Idol judge, producer, and music publisher Kara DioGuardi and was ultimately signed with Atlantic Records. GAYLE is best known for her breakout hit “abcdefu” in 2021, gaining notoriety from TikTok and charting worldwide, including #1 in the UK and Ireland, #3 on Billboard Hot 100, and earning herself a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. GAYLE has subsequently released several impressive singles and two EPs, her most recent release being the single, “Everybody Hates Me.”

In September of 2022, GAYLE and Taylor Swift met one another at the Nashville Songwriter Awards, where they were both awarded for their talented efforts in the industry. Despite her grimy, lo-fi pop-punk sound, GAYLE has credited Aretha Franklin, Maggie Rogers, Lorde, and Still Woozy as some of her musical influences. GAYLE is set to be the youngest out of the nine openers for this tour, and I can guarantee you she is not one to miss.

GAYLE songs to listen to:

abcdefu
indieedgycool
snow angels
ur just horny

girl in red

Marie Ringheim is a Norwegian singer/songwriter releasing music under the stage name “girl in red.” She gained popularity through Soundcloud in 2016 with her first single “i wanna be your girlfriend” and has gone on to release music via the Sony owned distributor, AWAL. The moniker ‘girl in red’ came from Ringheim seeing her first crush at a crowded music festival wearing a red jumper. This prompted Marie to text her, “girl in red.” Since then, she has received acclaim for her indie-pop releases exploring themes of queerness, romance and mental health.

Her song “we fell in love in october” was certified gold in the US, and she won three Norwegian Grammys for her debut album in 2021, If I Could Make It Go Quiet. Ringheim has cited Taylor Swift as one of her major influences, as well as tour mates Clairo and Conan Gray, who she has previously opened for.

girl in red songs to listen to:

we fell in love in october
girls
Serotonin
bad idea!

gracie abrams

With a soft voice and evocative vocals, Gracie Abrams swiftly shot to stardom as an indie-pop singer/songwriter. Abrams was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and is the daughter of film director J.J. Abrams and film/television producer Katie McGrath. From a young age, Abrams had a curiosity for music, and debuted her first single, “Mean It” in October of 2019. It wasn’t until the following year that she released her debut EP, Minor, through Interscope Records. Since then, Gracie Abrams has gracefully cultivated a following, headlining two tours of her own, opened for Olivia Rodrigo, released her first album Good Riddance, and will be embarking on her third headlining tour after performing as an opener for Taylor Swift. She has also received praise from artists such as Post Malone, Billie Eilish, and Phoebe Bridgers. Abrams will be a hard artist to miss, as she is slated to play the most shows out of all nine of the openers for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.

Gracie Abrams songs to listen to:

Feels Like
Difficult
Best
I miss you, I’m sorry

haim

HAIM, meaning ‘life’ in Hebrew, is a sister trio that formed in 2007. Consisting of Este, Danielle and Alena Haim, the sister act have developed a unique sound, blending influences of rock, pop and r&b. HAIM were signed to Polydor Records in 2012, going on to release three albums and headline several tours. They have also been nominated for two Grammys and are known for their energetic live shows where their rock influences and musicality really take center stage. Over the years, they have been compared to bands like Fleetwood Mac and their tongue-in-cheek songwriting likened to Joni Mitchell.

HAIM have been involved in several of Taylor’s projects over the years, opening for her during her “1989” tour, as well as featuring in the star studded video for “Bejeweled” last year. Taylor also featured on their pop-folk hit “Gasoline.”

HAIM songs to listen to:

Now I’m In It
3 AM
Gasoline
The Wire

muna

L.A trio MUNA formed in 2013 and have since become revered in the world of contemporary pop. After releasing their first two albums under RCA Records, they were signed to independent label Saddest Factory Records in 2020, spearheaded by Phoebe Bridgers, who will also be opening for Taylor on the “Eras” tour. Their most recent self-titled album, MUNA, received critical acclaim for it’s bold synth-pop tracks, with songs like “What I Want” and “Anything But Me” revealing a fresh perspective on the group’s experiences in relationships.

Known for producing queer-pop ballads, MUNA have cited artists such as Robyn and Peaches as some of the band’s biggest influences. They have evolved into nothing short of queer icons and have woven themes of acceptance within sexuality and gender throughout their entire discography.

MUNA songs to listen to:

What I Want
Number One Fan
Runner’s High
Loudspeaker

owenn

Christian Owens, now better known as Owenn, is no stranger to the music industry, despite being the least known out of Taylor Swift’s openers. The New Jersey native has been choreographing for and performing alongside artists such as Beyonce, Rihanna, and Normami for years now. Swift fans may best recognize Owenn as the male counterpart in Swift’s music video for “Lover” or as a backup dancer during her “1989” and “Reputation” tours. Owenn made the decision to pursue a musical career with the help of Lil Nas X, where he choreographed several numbers for the “Long Live Montero” tour, as well as opening both nights of the rapper’s two final shows at Radio City Music Hall. Owenn’s music blends hints of smokey blues, sultry RnB, and shy influences of rock to create a sound so unique that Taylor Swift herself reportedly made a call to Republic Records to get him a record deal. His latest release was a 3-track EP titled Luv that constructs an exclusive sound that sets him apart from the rest of the openers.

OWENN songs to listen to:

Show Me
LUV
Rest of My Life
Baby Girl

paramore

Paramore are fast approaching the twenty year mark of their career as a band. Forming in 2004, the inspiration behind the name “Paramore” came from the maiden name of their original bass player’s mother. The band have released seven albums and received high amounts of critical acclaim over the years specializing in emo and pop-rock anthems with subtle shifts towards synth-pop in their more recent works. Paramore’s latest album, This Is Why, was their third to reach number one on the UK charts, and Hayley William’s fiery performances of the titular single generated a lot of buzz around the band’s return to the rock limelight this year.

Paramore have spoken about the inspirations behind their music, from Jimmy Eat World to Death Cab For Cutie, as well as mentioning that their favorite British bands heavily influenced the new record. I’m sure they will be making the live debut of some new tracks during their opening act for the Eras Tour, and you can listen to some of their classic hits like “All I Wanted” and “Running Out Of Time” on our playlist!

Paramore songs to listen to:

Running Out Of time
Misery Business
All I Wanted
Still Into You

Phoebe bridgers

After receiving an abundance of critical acclaim for her sophomore release, Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers has become a household name. She has also established herself as a frequent collaborator, working with artists such as The 1975, Connor Oberst, and Taylor Swift, as well as her ongoing supergroup, boygenius. Raised in Pasadena, California, Bridgers has played guitar since she was thirteen and was signed to the indie label Dead Oceans in 2017. She has gone on to release two widely successful albums, writing on topics surrounding mental health, predatory relationships and even the apocalypse.

Her biggest influences include Elliott Smith, Tom Waits and Taylor Swift. Bridgers made Swiftie history as the first woman to feature on one of Taylor’s tracks and sing an entire verse. The song “Nothing New” focuses on young women in the industry and how they are so often beaten down by the media, something Swift thought applied to both herself and Bridgers.

Phoebe Bridgers songs to listen to: