Taylor Swift Returned To The ACM Awards To Perform "Betty" And, You Guys, It Was SO GOOD
She's still got it.
Look, I've been a hardcore Swiftie since 2006. I loved Taylor's seamless transition from country to pop, but every once in a while, I miss her roots.
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Taylor's first full pop album, 1989, was released in 2014, and since 2013, she has not performed on any major country awards show.
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She did, however, appear at the 2015 ACMs to accept the Milestone Award.
However, that all changed last night, when Taylor appeared at the Academy of Country Music Awards to perform "Betty," her most country song in years.
Taylor Swift / YouTube / Via youtube.com
This is her first live performance of the song.
Even though the song is new, the performance felt like a throwback in so many ways. Taylor actually styled herself for this performance, choosing a Stella McCartney sequined top reminiscent of her Fearless days.
Taylor Swift / YouTube / Via youtube.com, Bryan Bedder / Getty Images
The stripped, acoustic performance was STELLAR, reminding us all of Taylor's intrinsic talent when it comes to songwriting, singing, and guitar.
Taylor once again somehow blasts her already excellent recording out of the water and shows she’s just a consistently killer live act and by GOD I want this tour so bad #Betty𐂅 #ACMawards
Like the song, Taylor's performance of "Betty" was pure fun, poking fun at teenage love with a relatability and sincerity that fills you with nostalgia.
The cute little eyebrow raise on “you know that,” the almost imperceptible eye roll on “all your stupid friends,” the faux innocence on “I’m only 17” — thank you @taylorswift13, it was worth staying up until 3am for that joyous performance of #Betty𐂅 #ACM
Even REESE WITHERSPOON was impressed:
Stellar performance by @taylorswift13 .. love Betty & love TS! #ACMs 🥰 https://t.co/EQQdJYdnw7
If you'd like to watch the full performance, you can do so here:
View this video on YouTube
I gotta go play "Betty" on repeat, but I will leave you with this throwback photo from Taylor's first ACMs in 2006:
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A simpler time.