Every once in a while we get a fun lil addition to the Eras Tour from Taylor Swift. From slightly changing the lyrics in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” to saying “Karma is the guy of the Chiefs” instead of "the screen" when Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce was in the house, the pop star is a fan of giving Swifties moments like these. However, during her first night in Sydney, Australia, the fans decided to pay her back by referencing a hilarious (and viral) moment from the 1989 Tour.
For context, when Taylor Swift sang “Blank Space” in Sydney, Australia, the crowd screamed the name of their city back at her, which you can see in the viral TikTok below:
@jyecarrigg5 ♬ original sound - jyecarrigg5
Clearly, the “Shake It Off” singer, her dancers and the crowd loved it, and the story behind why this “Sydney!” moment happened explains why.
The Origins Of The Sydney Chant
Taylor Swift typically releases professionally shot versions of her concerts (for example, you’ll be able to stream the Eras Tour with a Disney+ subscription starting March 15), and she filmed the 1989 Tour at her show in Sydney, Australia in 2015.
During the show, when Swift performed “Blank Space” – via a TikTok from taylorsloverxx – she wanted to do an “experiment” with the Australian crowd. She then banged on a metal bar with a golf club and started chanting “Sydney” between lyrics. As the song progressed she layered her vocals, and between each line of the song, the name of the city was repeated. For example, the back and forth went like this:
Swift singing: Boys only want love if it’s torture
Recording of Swift: Sydney!
Swift singing: Don’t say I didn’t, say I didn’t warn you
Recording of Swift: Sydney!
So, this unconventional moment from the tour resurfaced and began going viral the closer Swift got to performing in Australia this year, eventually leading to the fans doing this chant for the pop star during the Eras Tour.
Swifties Started Using The Sydney Chant On TikTok
Leading up to Taylor Swift’s shows in Sydney, Australia, Swifties started using the sound from the 1989 concert film on TikTok. For example, domcielak posted this:
@domcielak ♬ original sound - Sydney
Even the city of Sydney got in on the fun, posting this TikTok that now has over 1 million views on their official account:
@sydney ♬ original sound - Sydney
All this lore and anticipation eventually led to the fans screaming “Sydney” during “Blank Space” at the Eras Tour, and they were so loud and proud, that Taylor Swift herself acknowledged it during her concert.
That Led To Swifties Screaming Sydney In Sydney, And Taylor Swift Loved It
After Swift sang “Blank Space,” and the chant shown at the top of this story happened, the singer reacted to it. She’s made it clear that she’s super aware of what Swifties are saying online – I mean she literally gave the “22” hat to a TikToker who makes videos about her that she loves recently. So, she had a hunch the “Sydney” chant would happen. During the surprise song set she addressed what happened, saying (via a TikTok from Alright Hey):
By the way, do you know how cool it was when I was singing ‘Blank Space,’ and I was like ‘Boys only,’ wait can we just do it again? I’m like ‘Boys only want love if it’s torture.’ [Crowd screams Sydney!] Ahh! That was so cool when you did that, I was hoping you would, and you did. It was great.
It’s moments like this that make the Eras Tour special. From screaming “Taylor, you’ll be fine,” to “1, 2, 3…Let’s go bitch,” Swifites' traditions for these concerts are fun and very involved. This Sydney chant is just another lovely example.
As Taylor Swift continues to release new music and tour around the world, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on all the fun moments, like this one, in the Eras Tour. In the meantime, I’ll be singing “Blank Space,” with this added lyric for the foreseeable future.
