Taylor Swift Entertains Another Side of the World
It's not her first time playing Down Under. But it is the first time Taylor Swift has played arenas in Australia. And sold them out. So how'd she do? She was, according to Australia's Courier-Mail, a "vastly entertaining spectacle" and a "stunning young woman singing simple, catchy songs of romantic yearning and angst." The newspaper reported that at her show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre the sea of roughly 11,000 fans, mostly young girls in cowboy hats and boots, lapped it up. It sounds just like one of her shows here in the States, right down to the marching band uniform she opens the concert with (on "You Belong With Me") and the fiddle and banjo solos she throws in the mix to keep things country. This is exactly the kind of entertaining Taylor Swift does so well, no matter what side of the world she's on.
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S says:
She entertains but too bad she can’t sing.
It’s amazing that Carrie Underwood sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl and not one word was mentioned but Taylor sings catchy songs to young girls in cowboy hats and boots and Alison can’t post about it fast enough.
I’ll bet Alison already has a blog written about Taylor’s performance in the movie Valentine’s Day. Well Alison, before you write that blog about the movie you should hear what one person wrote about her performance. I got this off of the Rotten Tomatoes web site. “Also present is Taylor Swift, even though she’s not an actress and proves the point with a regrettable female Napoleon Dynamite act. The movie isn’t awful, and nor is it an award winner, unless you count Swift’s frontrunner status to add a worst supporting actress Razzie to her shelf full of Grammys.” I wonder if Scott Borchetta will defend her bad acting?
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trink says:
“vastly entertaining spectacle” and a “stunning young woman singing simple, catchy songs of romantic yearning and angst.” Is exactly what this world needs more of in times of all this hatred going around. GOOO TAYLOR!!!!!
straitfan1 says:
no offense or anything trink..because taylor is a good girl…but if taylor swift is country and is so great..how come she hasn’t been inducted to be a grand ol opry member
Poindexter says:
I hope she stays in Australia for good, they can keep her.
But even if that happens, I’m sure Ms. Bonaquro will give us updates and reviews of every move Swift makes, right down to each flip of the hair.
How about a mention of each strain to hit - and miss - all those ‘flat’ or off-key notes?
That would take too long.
Sugarland Express says:
That’s our CMA ‘Entertainer of The Year’ Gooooooooo Taylor.
S says:
Taylor was named EOTY. What a slap in the face to REAL talent.
moopowerx says:
Straitfan: Taylor has shown any interest in joining the Opry. She may someday.
moopowerx says:
Oops Taylor Hasn’t
Always Right says:
I’m still waiting for Alison’s response about the Grammy performance.
S says:
It doesn’t matter if Taylor has an interest in joining the Grand Ole Opry or not (even though I’m sure it’s always been HER DREAM). She has to be asked to join.
rosyz says:
I am not a TS fan but she is popular with the very very young crowd as you noticed in the blog. They dont really care if she can sing or not. Allison likes her because her daughters adore her and she is always biased.
Jen says:
Woohoo! How does this girl keep selling out EVERY arena she plays in? I’m so happy for her. I’m glad that haters/critics haven’t affected her fanbase one bit. Her album Fearless is #7 on the the Billboard charts after over 1.5 years. That album is unstoppable. She is unstoppable. Haters can’t bring her down. You can criticize all you want on the internet and blogs. But where it really matters, the real world, she is still ruling. She is selling out concerts and selling a lot of records too. I can’t wait for her new album, wonder if it can top Fearless. Her fan base tripled over the past year so I wouldn’t be surprised!!
John says:
I think our countrys musics FOUR TIME GRAMMY WINNER is awsome and I can’t wait till her next album comes out and she does it all over again!!!!!
bkbs says:
NOT ONE WORD ABOUT HER SINGING, ALL ABOUT THE BANJO AND FIDDLE PLAYING AND HOW YOUNG AND ROMATIC SHE IS, LET’S GET OVER THE FLUFF AND DOWN TO THREE WORDS, SHE CAN’T SING.
D Trotter says:
Will Swift make it into the Opry? Time will tell. There was a time when musicians couldn’t even play drums at the Opry, or an electric guitar.
Does Taylor even care? Hard to say. She says she writes each song the way she feels it, without trying to make it appeal to any specific demographic or to adhere to some rigid genre sound. To paraphrase Mr. Brooks, the proper category for Ms Swift’s songs is: “Taylor-Music”.
One thing that we know about Taylor is she doesn’t let bullies — whether they be Jr. HS “mean girls” or pathetic Cyber-Bullies — get in the way of her dreams.
rosyz says:
TS is an adult; she is not 17 anymore. She can make her own choice. Apparently, her mom does not like him either and warned him to stay out but we`ll see if it works. If they like each other who cares. But then I am not a fan.
D Trotter says:
bkbs, there’s plenty about Taylor’s singing being written down under. Here’s excerpts of THE AUSTRALIAN’s review of the Brisbane show:
“If Swift was cowed by recent criticism, it was not apparent during her 2-hour, high-energy performance. Her voice was not flawless (hindered by an often over-loud backing band and occasional microphone failures) but it was STRONG AND TRUE.
“Swift appeared to revel in swinging between a Country twang and a rocker’s bellow, and was unafraid to perch on a stool and sing stripped-back ballads with her acoustic guitar. Most appealing is the STRENGTH OF EMOTION that runs through her self-penned songs. When she sings … it’s BELIEVABLE. Swift is the anti-Britney; innocent, wholesome and intelligent; even cynics cannot help but be wooed bu her wide-eyed charm.
“She seems utterly at home in an arena … she bounds across the enormous stage … she genuinely seems to enjoy her fans up-close. After every song, the booming applause and screams threaten to continue endlessly.”
Want to check it yourself? Just google the videos for “Taylor Swift/ Brisbane 2010″ — unlike most most concert YouTube videos, these are quite listenable. Most interesting to me were “Two Is Better Than One”, where (minus Boys Like Girls) Taylor sang BOTH DUET PARTS (beautifully), and “Today Was a Fairytale, where (only days after her Grammy performance) she came out and did the ENTIRE SONG and sounded wonderful! You Tube comments were overwhelmingly positive:
“She’s really great live”.
“This is the real Taylor Swift!”
“She has an amazing voice! She must just get nervous at award shows.”
She is confident and not nervous at all,unlike at the Grammy’s. She sang it beautifully here.”
“This was amazing and flawless”.
“She makes me smile!”
“She fills my heart with happiness.”
Katie says:
Again, if people don’t like Taylor Swift, why bother reading articles about her? And by commenting, you’re just generating more attention on her and perpetuating the interest.
But I’m a fan, so I don’t mind.
I still want to see her live, I don’t expect her part in Valentine’s Day to be amazing though I’m sure it’ll be cute, and I’m excited for her to release more new music. I know she’s not the greatest singer, but she popped up when I hated most other female singers around my age, and I’m always going to sing along when I hear her on the radio.
eugenesgirl says:
People get over your self. I’m 40 something and I love Taylor. So it’s not just kids who love her. You should be ashamed of yourselves. If all you can do is complain you must not have a life. I don’t. I’m a stay at home mother with kids and cats and a puppy. As for her winning awards she deserved them. She sold more albums, concert tickets, (and in record time)not to mention her on songs. If you don’t like her turn the mute button. She was bullied in school and she is still bullied by the bunch of you. She is the sweetest person. Maybe she doesn’t live up to your standards, and by the sound of it no one could. By the way when you break all her records then maybe someone will be nicer to you than you are of her. Just because you think she can’t sing doesn’t mean everybody thinks the same thing. By the way I will through you a bone Miss Carrie Underwood sang the national anthem at the super bowl.
eugenesgirl says:
People get over your self. I’m 40 something and I love Taylor. So it’s not just kids who love her. You should be ashamed of yourselves. If all you can do is complain you must not have a life. I don’t. I’m a stay at home mother with kids and cats and a puppy. As for her winning awards she deserved them. She sold more albums, concert tickets, (and in record time)not to mention her on songs. If you don’t like her turn the mute button. She was bullied in school and she is still bullied by the bunch of you. She is the sweetest person. Maybe she doesn’t live up to your standards, and by the sound of it no one could. By the way when you break all her records then maybe someone will be nicer to you than you are of her. Just because you think she can’t sing doesn’t mean everybody thinks the same thing. By the way I will throw you a bone Miss Carrie Underwood sang the national anthem at the super bowl.
countryiscool says:
Heaven help us all if she is ever asked to sing the acapella version of the national anthem.
Redmaz says:
Now? Who said Americana fans complain about Pop Country?
realcountry says:
To become an Opry member, you have to have an element of traditionalism in your music; basically some way that connects you to Country music’s past. While Taylor is an entertaining performer, she simply doesn’t have that connection, and if she continues to tread the line between Pop and Country, I do not see an Opry induction in the near future.
mary roberts says:
i heard her new cd was going to be called cupcake is this true?
14695 says:
it’s amazing that the “hate on taylor” mob makes its way even into this forum. this neurotic obsession as at once pathetic and boring. no, supporters of swift aren’t on anyone’s payroll, untalented, or less-intelligent than the “haters.” for the record, swift’s national anthem performances have been “a cappella” and just fine. the “daily news” (i believe) suggested that underwood’s national anthem was off-key, too. and daltry’s performance was “interesting,” to say the least. lest we forget, many of the critics of swift are also those who have problems with country music, specifically, and its audiences, in general; and i’m tired of the insulting, patronising tone of those that cluck their tongues in all-knowing judgement over someone they know little of and whom they don’t care for anyway. the bashing has become brainless fashion.
mary roberts says:
how come some times when you post something it says you have already duplicated when that is not so. do you just pick and choose what you won’t?
Tanya says:
I was at Taylors SOld out concert in Sydney and was amazed at the warmth she was able to generate from the audience and the genuine joy she found in performing. I am 34 and really like her spin on country music, she has certainly brought country music back into the mainstream with the Australian younger generation too. Well done and looking forward to more.
WHO CARES??????? says:
Please keep her over in sydney!!!! She is a joke to country music and nashville!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
D Trotter says:
Are the haters BORN with some inherent inability to follow a topic? Do they feel topics are irrelevant?
Let’s see, Alison blogs about Taylor’s live shows in Australia. The very first comment is from “S”, who promptly whines that poor Carrie didn’t get enough attention for singing the anthem at the Super Bowl.
(Note: The Superbowl and Carrie were NOT in Australia).
Then “S” digresses from “S”’s own point, discussing a blog that doesn’t exist yet but maybe might someday (about the “Valentine’s Day” movie), just so he can toss in a bad review about Taylor’s acting(!!!) in a fluffy cameo role. (Note:The movie was not not filmed in Australia.)
Up next, “Straitfan”, the ever-active “S” and “realcountry” have a side discussion about Taylor’s unlikely inclusion into the Opry (which has not yet re-located to AUSTRALIA).
“Poindexter” and “Aways Right” and “bkbs” still want to berate Tasylor’s singing and Grammy performance some more (the Grammy’s weren’t in Australia); “countyiscool” wants to quip about the National Anthem (NOT the Australian one); “Redmaz” pops up to talk Americana and pop; “S” returns to claim Alison is paid by Scott Borchetta, and finally “Who Cares” screams she is a joke to country music.(In Australia though she is huge).
If all these haters were magically assembled (maybe a “Haters Assemble!” call??) into one room, there would be all these totally unrelated conversations going on, non-stop non sequitur, nobody listening to anybody else. Tower of BABBLE.
Def Leppard Music » Blog Archive » Taylor Swift and Def Leppard? says:
[...] Taylor Swift Entertains Another Side of the World | CMT Blog [...]
timcun says:
mary roberts … I always have a problem posting on the blogs. If I click the Submit button to post my comment but notice it’s not there, I click the back button on my browser and click the Submit button again. The only problem is that I have to change the message at least one character or I get a message that “I’ve already said that.” Usually I just add another period to the end of my last sentence before submitting the comment again. You can always tell how many times I’ve tried to post the message by how many periods are at the end of my last sentence……
fantasia says:
or you can copy, exit the forum and come back and paste that works too
Redmaz says:
To realcountry, you seemed to be confused as to what Pop music is. Pop is not an individual genre of music. Pop consists of many genres of music including country, like Taylor Swift. The Opry includes many Pop singers. Actually most all of them are Pop acts. If they let Trace Adkins, and Carrie Underwood in, I’m sure they’ll let any Pop act in who is as popular as Swift. It generates money for the Opry, and that’s the bottom line.
Robin says:
You make me laught D Trotter. Thanks for the giggle today. Nothing else for me to add here - I’m not in Australia today.
D Trotter says:
Hey Robin! Nice to have some communication!
Mezzagical says:
D Trotter, you are hilarious!! and its so true, the conversation was so confusing to follow…
I don’t get it… did any of the negative comments come from people who saw her at one of her Australia concerts? because i’d like to know which one they were at.. because Sydney and Adelaide were AWESOME… like i mean 10 min scream fest… in between each song lol
Guest says:
Yo realcountry-Please I beg you point out to me where it says anywhere that to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry you need a “traditional” feel to your music. I know where…IT Doesnt.
I do know it says that u need to make a commitment to the Opry to be considered and it also says that, ultimatly u need a connection with the fans and the last I checked Taylor has that so come off of your high horse ok