Taylor Swift Eras Tour Movie's Bonus Songs Explained

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour is now available to rent on Digital, providing fans a whole new opportunity to experience Swift's record-breaking concert movie. The film showcases Swift's currently-ongoing Eras Tour, which has become a once-in-a-generation phenomenon since beginning in March of 2023. While the Eras Tour movie made headlines in October for cutting a few songs from the main setlist, there are a few offered in the Digital version — but with a catch. The Digital rental of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour includes three bonus performances that were not featured in the theatrical version: "Long Live" from Speak Now (Taylor's Version), "Wildest Dreams" from 1989 (Taylor's Version), and "The Archer" from Lover.

The caveat is that none of these bonus songs are included where they play in the actual setlist, with "The Archer" at the end of the Lover set, "Long Live" at the end of the Speak Now set, and "Wildest Dreams" midway through the 1989 set. Instead, the performances are tacked on to the end of the film, so the transitions of the theatrical cut are not affected.

Why Are Songs Cut From the Eras Tour Movie?

"Long Live", "Wildest Dreams", and "The Archer" are just some of several songs that were not included in the theatrical cut of the Eras Tour movie, with folklore's "cardigan" and evermore's "no body, no crime" also left off. The film also does not feature four acoustic surprise songs that were performed over the three nights the movie was filmed — "I Can See You" from Speak Now (Taylor's Version), "Maroon" from Midnights, "You Are in Love" from 1989, and "Death By a Thousand Cuts" from Lover.

There are a number of reasons why these songs could have been removed from the Eras Tour movie — maybe to keep the film shorter so it could accommodate more showtimes while in theaters, or maybe to remove some slower-paced songs. Either way, the Digital edition now gives fans a slightly-more-comprehensive glimpse at what the actual concert entails.

Is Taylor Swift Directing a Movie?

In addition to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, it was announced in late 2022 that Swift will direct a feature film for Searchlight Pictures. The currently-untitled film is based on a script written by Swift, but additional details have not been made public amid Swift's busy schedule, as well as the recent Hollywood strikes.

"Taylor has not consulted me about upcoming directing projects, but I think she has the makings of a hell of a director," Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy revealed in a recent interview. "Taylor, the depth of her vision for how she wants a creative piece to be, whether it's a lyric, a melody, a bridge, a concert tour, a video — it's profound. It's profoundly vivid and she has the strength of her convictions. Spielberg was on the set of a movie he produced that I directed, called 'Real Steel,' and I said to him, 'How do you know it's the right shot?' His answer was, 'The way you see it, that makes it right.' I feel like that's something Taylor Swift has figured out really well, because that's about trusting your instinct."

What do you think of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour adding extra songs on VOD? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!