Z100 Became T100, Playing Taylor Swift Blocks for Her MetLife Stadium Shows
Spotlighting what radio does best – connecting with what’s most important to local audiences – top 40 powerhouse Z100 New York dubbed itself “T100” in honor of Taylor Swift’s shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., May 26-28.
From Friday through Sunday, Z100 T100 played supersized blocks of Swift’s music, targeting all listeners, but especially those lucky enough to have a ticket to the latest stops in her ongoing juggernaut The Eras Tour.
The iHeartMedia-owned station programmed its longest sets of Swift’s songs all three days in the hours when concertgoers would likely be in their cars to and from the venue (and surely helped ease any potential traffic-related frustrations for those on their way in).
The special programming follows the chain’s similar offerings on top 40 outlets in markets where The Eras Tour previously touched down. On May 19-21, WKXS Boston went all-Swift from 11 p.m. to almost 3 a.m. each night, as Swift played three shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. For Swift’s May 5-7 concerts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, WRVW played blocks of her songs before and after, as did WWPW Atlanta – along with Cumulus Media’s pop station WWWQ – in celebration of Swift’s April 28-30 shows at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
When The Eras Tour kicked off March 17-18 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (aka, Swift City, ERAzona), iHeartMedia’s KZZP Phoenix began soundtracking the trek with Swift sets before and after the first concert.
Below is a look at Z/T100’s playlist starting at both 5 and 11 p.m. Saturday, May 27, according to Mediabase, which provides Luminate data for Billboard’s airplay charts. Tracks ranged from those on Swift’s first, self-titled album, in 2006, through her latest, Midnights, in 2022. Included were remixes as well as songs, such as “Bejeweled,” from Midnights, that have not been formally promoted to pop radio.
Here’s the station beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday:
- 5:01 p.m., “Welcome to New York,” from 2014
- 5:04, “Lavender Haze,” 2022
- 5:08, “Delicate,” 2017
- 5:12, “Teardrops on My Guitar,” 2006
- 5:15, “Cardigan,” 2020
- 5:19, “22 (Taylor’s Version),” 2021
- 5:24, “Anti-Hero,” 2022
- 5:27, “You Need To Calm Down,” 2019
- 5:30, “Mean,” 2010
- 5:34, “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” 2021
- 5:39, “Cruel Summer,” 2019
- 5:43, “Willow,” 2020
- 6:02, “You Need To Calm Down,” 2019
- 6:04, “Delicate,” 2017
- 6:08, “Me!,” feat. Brendon Urie, 2019
- 6:10, “Anti-Hero,” 2022
… and the station as of 11 p.m. Saturday, through after, fittingly, midnight:
- 11:01 p.m., “The Man,” 2019
- 11:05, “Karma,” 2022
- 11:08, “Teardrops on My Guitar,” 2006
- 11:12, “You Need To Calm Down,” 2019
- 11:14, “Lavender Haze,” 2022
- 11:18, “The 1,” 2020
- 11:34, “Ready for It?,” 2017
- 11:38, “Shake It Off,” 2014
- 11:42, “Bejeweled,” 2022
- 11:45, “Wildest Dreams,” 2014
- 11:50, “Anti-Hero,” 2022
- 11:53, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor’s Version),” 2021
- 11:57, “Cruel Summer,” 2019
- 12:01 a.m., “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” 2021
- 12:07, “Anti-Hero,” 2022
- 12:29, “Shake It Off,” 2014
- 12:44, “You Belong With Me (Taylor’s Version),” 2021
- 12:46, “Delicate,” 2017
- 12:50, “You Need To Calm Down,” 2019
- 12:52, “Lavender Haze,” 2022
- 12:56, “Me!,” 2019
- 1:02, “You Need To Calm Down,” 2019
- 1:05, “Bad Blood,” 2014
Meanwhile, multiple tri-state radio stations were talking up Swift’s latest shows throughout the weekend, with numerous news reports Friday morning reinforcing that “Taylor-gating” at MetLife Stadium would not be allowed for those without tickets.
Z100/T100/WHTZ reports to Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, where, on the latest list, dated June 3, Swift’s latest single, “Karma,” from Midnights, becomes her 21st top 10. It jumps 12-9, up 13% (naturally) in plays May 19-25.
Gary Trust
Billboard
