Eras show was a bad experience for Taylor Swift fans; read how
You’ve spent hundreds of dollars on a ticket and fought the weather to see your favourite singer perform in what should be a memorable evening.
But three hours and more than 40 songs later, you realise you can’t recall anything.
Many Taylor Swift fans claim to have “post-concert amnesia,” which seems nearly ridiculous.
According to psychologists, emotions and time may be at the root of the phenomenon.
Taylor Swift fans, or Swifties as they prefer to be called, have flocked to social media in recent days to express their shame for not being able to recall important moments from the Eras tour, ranging from out-of-body experiences to entering a dream-like condition.
Amnesia is a significant condition that refers to losing memories, experiences, and information.
However, Dr Michelle Phillips, a senior lecturer in music psychology at the Royal Northern College of Music, believes that post-concert forgetfulness is not as frightening as it sounds.
It is uncommon for fans to have no recollection of attending a concert.
“It’s possible to be one of the things they remember attending for the rest of their lives,” Dr Phillips says.
“It’s just that they remember some aspects of the event but not others.”
So, whether you like to focus on your beloved artist’s dance movements or simply enjoy being at a show with your loved ones, people pay attention to whatever is significant to them – and store memories of these things rather than the music.
The ancient adage “time flies when you’re having fun” is a good way to assume post-concert amnesia.
According to Dr Phillips, when fans are delighted and involved in a moment, it can feel as though “time has suddenly passed”, and they haven’t properly comprehended everything they’ve just seen, heard, and felt.
The days of artists performing on an empty stage with only their mics and an instrument are long gone.
Fans are treated to mind-blowing shows these days, with strobe lights, gigantic props, and more costume changes than you can count – it’s no surprise that you won’t recall everything you’ve experienced after having to comprehend so much.
On May 11, Anushka Sri attended a performance by Suga from the Korean K-pop group BTS in Los Angeles.
She claims that most concerts she attends contain “elements of surprise all the time,” as well as intense light movement and fireworks, which she believes “causes memory loss.”
Anushka believes she can recall “one or two moments” from the concert but not the entire set since “it’s just hazy.”
Dr Helen Prior, the senior lecturer at the University of Hull, is interested in seeing if some of Taylor Swift’s fans’ forgotten memories and feelings may be recalled when they listen to her songs afterwards.
Music is a skill that can transport you back to a certain point in your life, whether it’s listening to your first wedding song or playing your break-up hymn on repeat.
So, for Swifties who are afraid of forgetting parts of the show, listening to the set list again may bring all those memories flooding back.
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