CHICAGO – This Friday isn’t just any Friday; it’s Friday the 13th. But fear not, for Swifties have been counting down to this day with eager anticipation. “The Eras Tour,” a cinematic capture of Taylor Swift’s sold-out stadium tour, is set to premiere in theaters this October 13th, much to the delight of fans who missed out on concert tickets.
The film’s release date is no fluke, and movie buffs might recall it was originally set for David Gordon Green’s “The Exorcist: Believer.” Yet, Swift’s undeniable pull shifted that date, eliciting a playful tweet from Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions.
For the uninitiated, 13 isn’t just a number for Taylor; it’s her magic charm. Born on December 13, she’s frequently encountered the number in serendipitous ways throughout her career. From her Twitter handle, @taylorswift13, to her debut album going platinum in 13 weeks, the number’s recurrence is uncanny. In “The Lucky One,” the word “lucky” is uttered 13 times. Her 10th album, “Midnights,” was released in a date mathematically summing up to 13 and even featured a track, “Mastermind,” which peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The fixation extends to her music videos too, like the 13 clouds in “ME!” or the 13 gems on her sunglasses in “You Need to Calm Down.” More recently, on August 1, 2023, her song “August” achieved 5.13 million Spotify streams. Notably, after including the four re-recorded albums, her 13th was “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
With such a storied history with the number 13, it’s evident that releasing “The Eras Tour” on October 13, 2023, is just another chapter in Taylor’s love affair with her lucky number.
