Let me lay out the scene for you. It’s New Orleans, the big easy, no stranger to fun and good music. It’s the NFL Kickoff event, a heavily sponsored party before the Saints square off against the Vikings. Pressure is high, and timing is crucial. Taylor Swift is going up on stage to perform live. There can be no mistakes, which means that if there is a mistake it will go out on national television.
And it did. Taylor’s mike was barely audible. Paul’s mike was also messed up and higher, as you can hear as he joins in. I’m not sure how was the sound coming through on site, but on the TV broadcast it was a mess for Taylor’s first live TV performance of Mine. Taylor seemed to be going through a tunnel.
You Belong With Me was considerably better, but the canned echo was still audible on Taylor’s mike. The volume on it was marginally better, but not perfect.
The Fearless One is not to blame here, but she will be. She’s the face to the combined results of her performance. She’ll brave it, as she does always. I don’t blame her though. But I will put blame on the sound crew. Critics were already debating on whether Taylor Swift was the proper choice for a major sports event. That might be true or not, but bad sound production doesn’t mean bad performer. It will reflect on the Fearless One regardless on how much I’d like to prevent it.
Don’t brace yourself for the good bye though. I am a loyal fan. I never want to see her hurt (every little bump I’ll try to swerve) but if there’s something to be fix it doesn’t help to hide it. Taylor would rule in a Fearless Tour concert because she had control over her entire production, but as a participant in a show like this she had to relinquish control to other parties, and that’s when these things happen. I’m pretty sure the Fearless One is on it. And I’m still with the blonde with the guitar who bakes cookies at night and calls it a party.
Yes, she did look stunning. I purposely left this for last so nobody can say we Swifties only concentrate on her looks.
Coming up this weekend, is the much hyped MTV 2010 Video Music Awards, with Taylor up for the Female Video of the Year award. Yes, it the same one. Yes, the rapper whose name I can’t recall is also going. Yes, I want her to wear her boots with spurs if she gets up there.
(Sources: NBC, Zap2it.com)
The Swift Agency 