The anticipated performance is finally here!
After weeks of anticipation, Taylor Swift took the stage at the 2019 American Music Awards on Sunday.
The 29-year-old singer, the recipient of the Artist of the Decade Award, performed a medley of her past and present hits at Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live.
Swift's performance came a week and a half after she called out Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta of her old label, Big Machine Records, claiming they were blocking her from performing her older hits at the awards show. Everything besides Swift's new album, Lover, was recorded with Big Machine. Last Monday, Big Machine released a statement revealing that they had come to an agreement to allow Swift to perform her music.
In an apparent message about the drama, Swift opened her performance in a white oversized shirt decorated with the titles of her old albums, including Fearless, Red and Speak Now. She then performed "The Man," before singing "Love Story," "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "Blank Space." Camila Cabello and Halsey joined Swift for "Shake It Off," before Misty Copeland emerged to dance to Swift's "Lover."
Swift claimed on Nov. 14 that Braun and Borchetta were preventing her from singing her old songs at the AMAs, as well as hindering the release of a Netflix documentary about her. "Right now, my performance at the AMAs, the Netflix documentary and any other recorded events I'm planning to play until November 2020 are a question mark," she wrote in part.
Back-and-forth statements from both sides followed, including one in which Big Machine said Swift's narrative "does not exist" and alleged that they "do not have the right to keep her from performing live anywhere." Celebs took sides, with Selena Gomez writing an #IStandWithTaylor message, and Justin Bieber coming out in support of Braun, his manager.
On Monday, Big Machine Label Group released a statement insisting that they and "Dick Clark Productions have come to terms on a licensing agreement that approves their artists’ performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms. This includes the upcoming American Music Awards performance."
However, shortly after that statement's release, Dick Clark Productions told ET in a statement that, "At no time did Dick Clark Productions agree to, create, authorize or distribute a statement in partnership with Big Machine Label Group regarding Taylor Swift’s performance at the 2019 American Music Awards. Any final agreement on this matter needs to be made directly with Taylor Swift’s management team."
See more on the drama in the video below.
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