Girls clad in cowboy boots and dresses, sparkly ensembles, curly blonde wigs, and even banana costumes, crowded into Minute Maid Park to see country-pop star Taylor Swift perform on her Speak Now world tour.
 

As an avid Taylor Swift fan, I was beyond excited to see her sing again (I had seen her live at the Houston Rodeo in 2009). I had now memorized ninety percent of her songs and was eager to belt them out without garnering strange looks from passersby. 

 

Although the Nov. 5 concert began at 7, Swift did not take the stage until approximately 8:20. It was worth the wait.

 

Swift opened with her single “Sparks Fly,” and after finishing the song, stood in genuine shock of the 42,000 screaming fans.

 

I was very impressed by her song choice. Swift performed the majority of songs from her most recent album, “Speak Now,” but also some of her earlier hits including, “Our Song,” a ukulele version of “Fearless,” “Fifteen,” “You Belong with Me” and “Love Story.”

 

I was most excited to hear her perform two of my personal favorites “Better than Revenge” and “Long Live," that, although on “Speak Now,” never dominated the charts or the radio.
 

Swift performed both on a large stage with elaborate backdrops located in the outfield, and sitting under a revolving tree near home plate.

In comparison to her rodeo performance, this one was far more entertaining, with multiple costume changes and a myriad of backup dancers. The stage itself contributed to the enjoyment of the concert with a large staircase that allowed Swift to act out her songs and pyrotechnics that illuminated the stadium. 
 

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was when Swift introduced rapper Nelly and harmonized with him to his hit “Just a Dream.”
 

Although some may criticize Swift for not having the strongest vocals or writing songs about the same topics, she makes up for her weaknesses in her sincerity and overall entertainment value.
 
One line from Swift's "Enchanted" summarizes the concert experience: "This night is sparkling / Don't you let it go / I'm wonderstruck."