Taylor Swift shared a deeply personal story ahead of her powerful performance of “Clean” on the Reputation Stadium Tour. The American hitmaker began the solo piano piece by sharing the story of her courtroom battle that took place a year prior. She told the crowd, “I was there for a sexual assault case, and this day a year ago was the day that the jury decided in my favor and said that they believe me.”
This sent up a huge cheer from the crowd. Swift then spoke about the importance of being believed and how much it mattered that people in her circle believed her at the time. It was clear that telling the story left her very emotional, but she strove forward and began a beautiful solo piano performance of “Clean.” We always love a good Taylor Swift performance here at The Music Man, and this live cut is surely one of her most important performances.
Swift’s performance of “Clean” was captured in Tampa, Florida, as part of Miss Americana, which was the first official documentary about her career. Below the video, fans praised Swift’s braveness in sharing her story, adding comments such as “Continuing to give people strength and hope just by speaking her truth” and “She’s so strong and such an amazing woman. She didn’t deserve this. We will love her and always be there for her.”
The solo piano performances are always some of our favorite Taylor Swift numbers here at The Music Man. Lucky for us, the Pennsylvania-born star treated fans to a number of solo piano pieces on the Reputation tour. Another one of the highlights from the tour is her piano version of “Long Live” from her third studio album Speak Now.
Swift released “Clean” on October 27, 2014, as part of her fifth studio album, 1989. Swift co-wrote and co-produced the song with English electropop singer Imogen Heap. Although it was not released as one of the album’s seven singles, critics selected “Clean” as one of the album highlights and, as time went on, one of the greatest songs in her discography. The studio version of “Clean” significantly differs from her live solo piano arrangement, as it implements elements of synthpop and folk into the arrangement. Several notable artists have covered “Clean,” including Ryan Adams, Kelly Clarkson, and Sara Bareilles. Clarkson’s take on the song on The Kelly Clarkson Show drew particular notice, with critics praising her emotional delivery.
If you would like to see more from this incredible artist, you can follow Taylor Swift on her Facebook and Instagram for more updates and behind-the-scenes content.