I've received some comments regarding my previous post about the VMA performance. Some were good and constructive, some looked like they were written by an angry seven-year-old. So I would like to clarify some things.

No, I did not like last night's performance. And some people seem to believe that just because I don't like something Taylor did, it immediately means that:

- I don't like the song. False, I really like Shake It Off. It's a fun, catchy song with a good message meant to make you dance. It serves its purpose. And the music video makes it even better.

- I'm worried about the new album and think it's going to be bad because it's pop. No, I still believe Taylor is a great songwriter above everything else. Shake It Off might not be lyrically strong, but We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and 22 weren't either, and that album didn't let me down.

- I have a problem with Taylor going pop. No, I don't. I believe that Taylor reached the point where she had accomplished everything she could have accomplished in within the country genre. And at that point, she had three paths to choose from. 1) She could have kept doing the same thing over and over again, playing it safe and keeping the songs right on the line between country and pop, putting out the same albums she has in the past, and she would've done just fine because she's found a formula that works. 2) She could have done some acoustic/stripped album that focused on her strongest attribute, her lyrics; but she's 24, she has the world at her feet, did anybody really think she would go down that path at this point in time? Of course not. 3) So she chose the riskiest path instead and decided to go pop, leaving behind the genre that made her who she is. That's a bold move. But she did it because that's what she wanted to do. Because she wanted to evolve and try something different. Because she truly believes these new songs are worth it. And hell, I'm not opposed to that at all! I'm really looking forward to what she has in store for us in these next couple of years.

- I don't understand it's hard to dance and sing at the same time. Oh, I do understand. But that doesn't mean I'm going to appreciate a performance where the singer is hiding behind a digital track. I've seen plenty of people being like "Oh but Britney and Nicky and blabla lip sync all the time and it's fine, everybody does it". That's the lamest excuse ever. Just because everybody does it doesn't mean it's fine, or good. They're singers, singing is they're fucking job; I would never pay a dime to see a show where all the "singer" does is dance around the stage with dancers and cool pyro. I know Taylor wasn't lip syncing, the song was just double tracked and all that good stuff. But for someone with so many resources and availability, she should have been able to figure out a way of doing some decent singing during that performance. Even if that meant less choreographed dancing. Also, I stand by my previous statement that her vocals last night were simply not on point.

-  I think the tour and the rest of her performances will suck. I really hope not. I know this was her first performance and she will figure things out eventually. I actually believe that the song will sound much better when she performs it with a full band, and she's gonna do great at the iHeartRadio Music Festival.

- I suck because I criticize her and don't support her and I don't like her anymore so I should leave this fandom immediately. I do support her and I do like her, I wouldn't have this blog if I didn't. But that doesn't mean I'm going to like everything she does, and I'm not going to praise something I thought was not good. I'm not going to close my eyes and be fed whatever and say it's the best thing in the world simply because it's Taylor.

Long story short: 

Not really.

Way too many male dancers doing the exact same thing, dressed the exact same way. Which I’m sure was done on purpose, but it got on my nerves after a while.

Too over-choreographed, no room for any of the spontaneous dancing this song asks for.

The vocals were simply not good. You couldn’t even hear her over the backup singers during the chorus.

The only thing I liked was the “jumping” part, and even that loses its magic after you watch it a couple times.

This song is supposed to be about being yourself and living your life without letting the bad things people say get to you. But unlike in the music video, none of that came across in the performance. Too many distracting things happening on stage and nothing that represented the actual message of the song.

I'M CONTENT