'It was the end of an era, but the start of an age'
Spanning nearly two years – Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour broke new records, thrilled fans (known as Swifties) from across the globe and without a doubt left its mark on the music industry. From dressing up in incredible outfits to spending hours making colourful friendship bracelets, fans of all ages made memories at the popular concert tour.
Fans continue to follow Swift's career and are keen to see what her next era will be. But what is an era – and if you had to choose, which Taylor Swift era would you be?
Check out our quiz below to find out! Here, BBC Bitesize takes a look at what an era is, famous eras through time and how a number of them have inspired and been referenced in Taylor Swift’s incredible music catalogue.
What is an era and what are some of the most famous in history?
In everyday life, you’ll likely hear someone mention or reference a particular era, or even say something “marked the end of an era” or they are embarking on a “new era” themselves. But what is the definition of an era?
An era usually means a distinct period of time, marked or dominated by a prominent figure, community, or event. An era refers to memorable and important periods in history, from technology to literature, politics and more.
Through time, there have been many famous eras, which are still studied today – and while there are too many to mention, BBC Bitesize has lots of fun facts and resources for lots of them. For example, when it comes to the history of the British monarchy, the Elizabethan era refers to the rule of Elizabeth I, from 1558 to 1603, whereas the Victorian era refers to the rule of Queen Victoria, from 1837 to 1901.
Many classical music eras also span different centuries and were heavily influenced by different composers of those times. This includes the Baroque period, Classical period, the Romantic period and more.
There are so many more to mention – and you can explore BBC Bitesize to discover more.
Who is Taylor Swift and what are her eras?
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter who has been releasing chart-topping hits and inspiring generations of fans across the globe since the age of 14. Nearly 20 years on after her debut album, the legendary artist has delved into many different genres of music, from country to pop, folk and more and has 14 Grammy Awards under her belt.
Today, when you hear the word era – you're likely to think of Taylor Swift. Her most recent concert tour, The Eras Tour, broke records and became the highest-grossing music tour in history. When it comes to Taylor’s own eras – these refer to her 12 albums, which all have their own sound and style.
In chronological order, these are Taylor Swift (self-titled), Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, The Tortured Poets Department and The Life of a Showgirl.
Taylor also references eras in her own music. If you’re a fan of the Speak Now album, you’ll recognise the lyrics “it was the end of a decade, but the start of an age” from song Long Live – but during her last ever Eras Tour concert, Taylor surprised fans by changing the lyrics to “it was the end of an era, but the start of an age.”
What does Taylor's Version mean?
In recent years, you may have seen the words 'Taylor's Version' tied to projects from the star. But what does Taylor's Version actually mean?
If you see 'Taylor's Version' next to a song or album, this means Taylor Swift re-recorded the music and fully owns the rights to it. Taylor Swift began revisiting and re-recording her early music eras after music manager Scooter Braun bought Swift's former record label Big Machine in 2019 and with that the rights to her first six albums.
In May 2025, Swift announced that the long-running battle over the ownership of her masters had come to an end as she had reclaimed the rights to her music, now owning all the music she's ever made. In her 're-recording era,' Swift also released previously unreleased songs written during the time of her original albums.
How many songs and albums does Taylor Swift have?
Taylor Swift’s first song, Tim McGraw, was released on 19 June 2006 and over the past two decades, the star has written many songs featured on her main studio albums, re-recorded ‘Taylor’s Version’ albums and for other soundtracks and projects.
She has recorded roughly 250 songs – but it is hard to know for certain when it comes to unreleased vault tracks and other music she may be working on behind the scenes. Many of her officially released songs have been solo-written and co-written.
When it comes to albums, Swift has released a total of 16 – 12 original studio albums and four re-recorded ‘Taylor’s Version’ albums. In order of release, her albums include Taylor Swift (self-titled), Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), 1989 (Taylor’s Version), The Tortured Poets Department and The Life of a Showgirl.
Does Taylor Swift reference any other eras?
Throughout her career, Taylor Swift has told many stories through her music, as well as dropping some clues, cryptic messages and what fans have come to know as Easter eggs along the way. But if you listen more closely, you’ll spot the historic and literary eras that have inspired or been referenced in Taylor’s work.
There are many to mention, but one obvious example would be the inspiration of William Shakespeare – the famous playwright who wrote many legendary dramas and tragedies during the Elizabethan era. One of Taylor’s most famous songs, Love Story, from the Fearless album, is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but with a very different ending.
On her most recent album, The Life of a Showgirl, another example would be the lead single, The Fate of Ophelia. The song contains numerous references to the Hamlet character, both through its lyrics and music video, but offers a fresh twist in the tale.
From the same album, the famous line “something wicked this way comes,” from Macbeth also features in the song Cancelled!. And Swifties will also recognise the play on the words “all’s well that ends well” in songs All Too Well (10-minute version) and Lover, which is a nod to the Shakespeare play of the same name.
When it comes to the Victorian era, Taylor also pays tribute Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s book, Alice in Wonderland. On the 1989 album, her bonus track, Wonderland, tells the story of getting lost in a “wonderland” after falling “down a rabbit hole” and mentions a “Cheshire Cat smile.”
During the Edwardian period, famous children’s book Peter Pan was written by J.M. Barrie. In the song Cardigan, from the Folklore album, Taylor names two of the main characters in the lyric “tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy.”
Taylor has also been inspired by the Romantic era in English literature in her Folklore bonus track The Lakes, which was inspired by The Lake District. The song includes a pun on William’s Wordsworth’s name in the lyric “I’ve come too far to watch some name-dropping sleaze tell me what are my words worth.”
Taylor’s lyrics also make even more historic references, back to the Classical period in Ancient Greece. In her song So High School, from The Tortured Poets Department, she names Greek philosopher Aristotle.
Over her 12 album eras so far – these are just a handful to include. But if you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, there's no doubt you’ll spot many more.
Which Taylor Swift era are you?
What was the Eras Tour and when did it take place?
The Eras Tour was a concert tour that celebrated Taylor Swift’s musical careerover two decades. In the spectacular performances that lasted more than three hours and saw dozens of songs performed, Taylor showcased her various album eras through different sections of the show, musically and visually.
The Eras Tour began in Arizona, USA, in March 2023 and concluded in Vancouver, Canada in December 2024. Over 10 million tickets were sold, and the tour had 149 shows spanning five continents.
But The Eras Tour was more than just a celebration of Taylor’s music – it also saw fans create a community and their own traditions for the show. This included wearing outfits inspired by Taylor’s different eras and making and swapping friendship bracelets – which was inspired by a lyric from song You’re On Your Own Kid.
Where can I watch The Eras Tour?
If you didn’t see The Eras Tour in real time, there’s no need to worry. Back in 2023, a full-concert movie hit cinemas around the world and later came to Disney+, called The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version).
But now, Swifties will be thrilled to know a new full-concert film is coming to the streaming service on 12 December 2025. The Eras Tour: The Final Show was captured in Vancouver, Canada, during the final show of the epic tour on December 8, 2024.
The film features the entire Eras Tour setlist – including songs from the album The Tortured Poets Department, which was added to the tour after its release. On Disney+, it is rated 14+, meaning some scenes may be unsuitable for viewers under 14.
Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the record-breaking tour, a six-episode docuseries called The End of an Era also came to Disney+ at the end of 2025. Famous faces featured in the docuseries include Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter.
What will be Taylor Swift's next era?
Taylor Swift has arguably given the word 'eras' a whole new meaning when it comes to the music industry. But what will be her next era?
In 2026, following much speculation, it was revealed that an original song by Swift called I Knew It, I Knew You, will be featured on the soundtrack for the highly anticipated Toy Story 5. The film hits UK cinemas on 19 June 2026 - exactly 20 years to the day that Swift's first single, Tim McGraw, was released on 19 June 2006.
Some fans have speculated online that the star could announce a re-recording of her debut album, Taylor Swift, on the back of this. However the singer-songwriter has yet to confirm this is true, or announce any new album on the horizon - so fans will have to wait and see!
Will Taylor Swift release Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) and Reputation (Taylor's Version)
in 2025, Taylor Swift officially confirmed that she bought back the master rights to all of her early music. But what about the re-recordings of her debut album, Taylor Swift and her 2017 album Reputation?
In a letter to fans following the news, Swift admitted she had already completely re-recorded her entire self-titled debut album. As for Reputation, Swift said she hadn't "even re-recorded a quarter of it," but that that the unreleased "vault" songs could be released in the future when the time is right.
Swift previously wrote: "Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about."
This article was written in December 2025 and updated in June 2026
