There’s a moment during Taylor Swift’s three-hour Eras Tour show where, after performing Champagne Problems from the album Evermore, the singer steps out from behind the piano to accept the rapturous applause of the audience. It’s not an entirely organic response: it seems written into the tightly plotted runtime, Swift eking out the moment with bashful smiles and looks of surprise. But, having seen the show three times in person myself, I can say it’s still remarkable to hear tens of thousands of people scream and clap for minutes on end.

The longest of these standing ovations took place during one of Swift’s six shows at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in August last year. It lasted almost eight minutes. “I’m going to spend several decades trying to figure out words for how that just made me feel,” Swift told the crowd. “I’ve completely lost control over my brain.”

New Statesman