Taylor Swift has a nearly unmatched raft of megahits to her name, and she proved it with a show-stopping live medley at the American Music Awards. Tay Tay alone was already enough to be the main event, but she also brought in pals Halsey and Camila Cabello to really rock the house with her dancefloor anthem “Shake it Off”.
Swift opened the set with slivers of her songs “The Man”, “Love Story”, “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Blank Space”, followed by “Shake it Off” just after the six-minute mark. Swift and Halsey sang the lead in the first verse, then Cabello took the pre-chorus and all three stars sang the chorus together.
Swift and her friends displayed plenty of attitude during the dance break in the bridge, and then exhibited some serious vocal firepower as they vamped over the final chorus together. It’s rare to see that much star power together on one stage, and the audience absolutely loved it and sang along to every word.
Swift then changed pace and took to the piano to play her ballad “Lover”, which was beautifully accentuated with a romantic dance performed by a skilled ballet couple. Swift played the duet after being named the Artist of the Decade by the American Music Awards, and her epic performance definitely proved how accurate the accolade was. Another unforgettable live collaboration from Swift came in the form of a duet on “ME!” with Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie at the Billboard Music Awards.
Swift gave her acceptance speech for the Artist of the Decade award at the 2019 awards after her medley. Carole King presented the award to Swift, and the latter spoke about how much of an honor it was to receive the award from King. She said King’s music taught her how music can transcend many phases in people’s lives.
Swift continued, saying, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that all that anyone in this room wants, is to create something that will last, whatever it is in life. And the fact that this is an award that celebrates a decade of hard work, art and of fun and memories – all that matters to me is the memories that I’ve had with you guys, with you the fans, over the years.” She then thanked and credited her fans for enabling her to reach that point in her career.
The event was also significant for Swift as she picked up six American Music Awards on the night, taking her total to 29. This made her the most decorated artist in the history of the event, as it surpassed Michael Jackson’s record of 24 awards. Swift has continued to extend her lead in the years since, and she now has 40 American Music Awards to her name.
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