Maybe you and I are alike. Perhaps you don’t get why Taylor Swift is so popular with her ardent admirers. Enthusiasts of Taylor Swift, dubbed “Swifties,” are devoted to the musician and never let up.

These are the people who came in large numbers on Friday to wait all day to get special merchandise. Arriving far in advance of the 4:30 p.m. doors was the bulk of the mostly female throng, decked up in everything from customized sequin-adorned jackets to cowboy boots.

The atmosphere was electric in the lead-up to the event as excitement for it kept growing. Lines for elevators, bathrooms, merchandise, refreshments, and admission twisted and turned among the throng.

The Swifties hesitantly struck up conversations with their neighbors and exchanged friendship bracelets—a trend that was resurrected by Taylor Swift’s song “You’re On Your Own, Kid.”

I became increasingly aware of Taylor Swift’s status as a cultural figure during the event. Not even her detractors can dispute how many of her songs have achieved commercial success.

The longevity of Taylor’s cultural relevance is astounding. The 33-year-old singer revealed to the crowd that she started performing at the age of 12.

In 2006, Taylor came out with her debut album. You might also recall that in 2009, Kanye West cut off Taylor’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video for the song “You Belong with Me.”

As the years have gone by, Taylor has solidified her position as the leading pop performer of her generation and grown into one of the all-time best-selling musicians. Her transition from country music to mainstream may be her greatest achievement, though, as it’s a feat that few musicians ever do.

Gracie Abrams, the first of the two opening acts, introduced a new and profound energy that set the tone for Taylor. Following a short interval, the crowd was electrified by the rock group HAIM, dubbed “my best friends and the best band of all time” by Taylor.

I attended my first Taylor Swift performance, and I now feel like I understand why she has such a devoted following of fans.

Taylor does a fantastic job at making each person feel unique. Her genuineness shines through more than that of any other live performer I’ve seen. Taylor seems to embrace her strangeness, in contrast to most celebrities who seek to shape their public image.

Taylor felt “normal” despite minor imperfections that other performers might have covered up. The crowd seemed to connect with her sincere and honest manner, from her response when her hair got stuck in her lips to her nibbling on her fingernails.

Taylor revealed to the crowd that she had the idea for the “Eras Tour” while the epidemic was going on back home. She stated that she wanted to put out as many records as she could because she was unable to tour. Then, Taylor possessed a large repertoire of songs that she had yet to perform.

The answer? Make a presentation that veers between genres, costumes, and styles while chronicling Taylor’s professional and personal life. Like the record and stage of Taylor’s life they depict, each era featured a unique dance, costume, and set design. For Taylor, I believe I counted at least ten different costume changes.

For the most part of her performance, Taylor concentrated on the albums that she has released after her 2018 “Reputation Tour.” There was ample opportunity to play timeless tunes such as “Love Story,” “22,” and “Shake It Off.”

The crews alternated between hiding and dressing to match Taylor, who was dancing with two groups of dancers.

The contrast between the performance’s size and grandeur and its intimate feel is maybe what most impressed me.

In front of 72,000 yelling fans, Taylor gave an almost three and a half hour performance of 45 songs. Fans who were inside the building presumably didn’t care that some of the audience was seated in uncomfortable nosebleed seats with obstructed stages and strange angles.

Even more admirers, lamenting a lost chance to attend the concert, flocked in large groups outside the stadium within hearing distance to listen to the background music of the performance.

Nevertheless, it seems as though Taylor is singing specifically for you.

You get the impression that Taylor is your close buddy. As you may have observed, she informed the audience, “my songs are extremely biographical.”

The lighting was also designed to be very personal. Each fan in attendance received a wristband that changed color at different intervals throughout the performance. The audience was flooded with eye-catching light displays as a result of the wristbands communicating with adjacent devices. Observing your own wrist illumination created a sense of community and included you in the performance.

And Taylor skillfully blended her eras together into a seamless performance for the duration of the concert. It was personal and unvarnished. The real Taylor Swift feels like a friend to me now.

I now see why us fans are so fervent. Taylor and the rest of us share a personal relationship, as do we.