On tour with Taylor Swift

Hoda Kotb Correspondent • Profile

Taylor Swift: You've heard her name. Now you'll see her up close and personal. The 19-year-old singing sensation sold more albums last year than Madonna, Miley Cyrus or The Jonas Brothers, becoming both pop's top seller, and country's hottest act.

Dateline is about to take you on tour with Taylor Swift, giving you an all access pass into this young star's life.

You will see private home videos, never before-seen photos. We will even take you inside her bedroom. From behind the scenes at her rehearsals, to backstage on the opening night of the sold-out tour, we are with Taylor every step of the way.

We first meet up with the star in Houston, Texas.  Her tour is still in the planning stages and rehearsals have yet to start -- but tonight, she'll perform at the Houston Rodeo for a crowd of more than 70,000.

March 20, 2009

Taylor Swift: This is the most giant room that I've ever played in. 

Grant, bandmate: It's gonna be loud.

Taylor Swift: This is actually happening right now. Wow. I've never seen that many people ever in one place. Just knowing that they all had ticket stubs in their pocket that said my name on them was the craziest feeling.

It's crazy alright. Even though the launch of her tour in Evansville, Indiana is still more than a month away, all 52 of her shows are sold out.

Hoda Kotb: Did you freak about how quickly they sold out?

Taylor Swift: I get a call that says, hey, guess what?  You sold the Staples Center out in two minutes.

Hoda Kotb: Can you believe it?

Taylor Swift: Are you kidding?

Louie Messina, tour promoter: It's been amazing. Madison Square Garden sells out in one minute. The Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2 minutes. Even just little towns - Lafayette, Louisiana, Greensboro, Arkansas- all 3, 5, 7 minutes sell-outs. Throughout my whole career, I've never seen anything like this. I said this to her as Bruce Springsteen was the voice of his generation, Taylor is the voice of her generation.

Still, headlining a major tour could be a huge gamble. Can a 19-year-old really pull it all off?

Video   Grab a smoothie with Taylor Taylor and her band mate, Liz, try their hands at a new juicer backstage. Dateline NBC

Scott Borchetta, President & Ceo, Big Machine Records: You have to be careful in this moment.  You're never bigger than the game.  The minute you think you're bigger than the game is the minute that you start to lose the game.

But Taylor Swift doesn't seem interested in the game. Even as her music races up the charts, she remains remarkably level-headed.

Taylor Swift: I'm never gonna feel like I'm on top of it, and at the height of what I know how to do. I don't think what demographic this is going to hit, or what format of radio is going to play this, I just write the song for the person that I'm writing the song to.

That's right. Unlike a lot of music's biggest idols, Taylor sings about her life, in songs that she writes. Maybe that's why her fans relate to her so well.

Crying fan: I'm really laughing right now. I'm just so emotional. OK, I'm so sorry.

Taylor Swift: Thank you so much.

Crying fan: You mean the world to me.

Or maybe it's because at heart she is still every bit a teenager...

Taylor Swift: I don't want to lose you slowly, Hanson! I've had an unwavering love for Hanson since I was 8. I thought I was gonna marry Taylor Hanson because we have the same name.

But how many teenagers headline major tours? And how many call the shots on all the performance details, right down to set design and musical melodies? For her tour, Taylor Swift is handling all of that herself.

Taylor Swift: Let's just see what it feels like to drop it out completely. I want it to be a three part harmony. Perfect, you guys.

With 29 days to go until kick-off night in Evansville, Dateline gets an exclusive look inside Taylor's open-call audition for back-up dancers.

March 25, 2009, Nashville, Tenn.

Taylor Swift: It's really hard to pick dancers because they're all so good. They all have these really special qualities about them, but we have it down to a group.

And with 6 dancers selected, it is finally time to rehearse.

Taylor Swift: I'm, like, shaking, I'm so excited.

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