The first concert I ever went to was on Taylor Swift’s Fearless tour.

I was all of 7 years old and probably the most excited little ball of energy Intrust Bank Arena had ever seen.

My uncle bought tickets for my mom and I for Christmas in an attempt to win some favoritism over my dad’s side of the family, and it absolutely worked. I didn’t shut up about it for weeks and I listened to the CD so much that I eventually convinced him to buy a ticket for himself. 

I remember that April day in 2010 like it was yesterday. 

After four grueling months of waiting, I was practically bursting at the seams. I couldn’t contain my excitement the entire day and my jaw dropped when I saw the arena for the first time.

The three of us were about five rows from the top and, initially,  I was horrified. Before Taylor even made an appearance, I was ready to pack up and go home. I’m pretty sure I even cried, which is embarrassing to look back on. 

But once the music started, it was like all that fear had melted away. After a few songs, I was standing up and dancing and singing along to every lyric about love and heartbreak that I didn’t yet understand.

I burned a hole through their pockets at the merchandise table during intermission, ecstatically pointing at T-shirts and lanyards and posters on the wall.

By the end of the night, my little heart was overflowing with joy. 

The next day, I brought everything, including my ticket, to show-and-tell for my first grade class. 

My love for Taylor Swift dwindled as I got older and didn’t resurface until the release of sister albums Folklore and Evermore in 2020; however, it was fully restored with the announcement of the Fearless (Taylor’s version) release on April 9. 

The songs I knew and loved at age 7 are being re-released for my 18-year-old self to dance and cry to with a full understanding and my own interpretation. It invokes not only a wave of nostalgia but a new appreciation for Swift as an artist. 

Love Story (Taylor’s Version) debuted on Valentine’s weekend and though the differences between the original and re-recording may seem minimal, there’s a distinguishable maturity in her voice and the new separation of instrumentals sets the tone for the rest of the album. 

On April 9, I’ll be doing the same thing I was probably doing that day 11 years ago — jamming out to Taylor Swift.