Taylor Swift doesn’t mind wearing her heart on her sleeve.
The pop icon kicked off her Artist of the Decade performance at Sunday’s 2019 AMAs clad in a white men’s button-down shirt printed with the titles of her first six albums, the master rights to which are owned by Big Machine Label Group, which Scooter Braun purchased from Scott Borchetta last year.
Tellingly, “Speak Now” was emblazoned across the front of the top in bold black font, while “Fearless” adorned the back.
Joined onstage by a group of young girls in matching shirts, 29-year-old Swift belted out her gender-swapping track “The Man” (lyrics include “I’d be a fearless leader, I’d be an alpha type / When everyone believes ya, what’s that like?”), which some believed to be directed at Braun and Borchetta.
In the days leading up to the AMAs, the “Lover” hitmaker claimed on social media that the two execs had blocked her from using songs from her back catalog during her much-anticipated performance. Braun and Borchetta denied Swift’s claims.
Last week, the two sides seemed to reach an agreement, with Big Machine releasing a statement that gave Swift the green light to perform her older material.
Indeed, the star’s AMAs set included a number of her past hits. After shedding her statement-making shirt to reveal a sparkling gold bodysuit, she launched into “Love Story,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off,” with Halsey and Camila Cabello joining her onstage for the latter.
Swift closed out her set at the piano, adding a sweeping pink and gold cape to her ensemble before playing “Lover.”
She refrained from addressing her conflict with Braun and Borchetta during her several acceptance speeches throughout the night, instead thanking her new label, Universal Music Group, as well as her longtime fans.
“All any of the artists in this room want is to create something that will last,” Swift said. “And all that matters to me is the memories that I have had with you, the fans … Thank you for being the reason I am on this stage.”
