Taylor Swift is known for keeping concertgoers on their toes, frequently surprising fans with guest performances - having recently been joined onstage by model pals Gigi Hadid and Martha Hunt, and Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds. But the surprise guests at the 1989 show in Pittsburgh on Saturday were particularly special, as they brought the 25-year-old back to her country roots. She was joined onstage by country group Little Big Town, and together they sang the group's single Pontoon.
She famously hopped over to the pop genre for her record-breaking 1989 album this year, but Taylor rose to fame with her chart-topping country singles. The star was recently honored with the 50th Anniversary Milestone Award at the American Country Music Awards for her accomplishments in the genre, such as her eight previous ACM wins and being the youngest to ever take home the entertainer of the year award, collecting it at just 21.
For the performance Taylor showed off her toned midriff and $40m pins in a coordinating, bedazzled white crop top ensemble. The hitmaker coupled the sparkling costume with a pair of daring, black thigh-high boots, and of course sported her signature red lipstick. As she was joined onstage by the country group, Taylor danced and sang along to the upbeat, summery single, while backup dancers carrying inner tubes and dressed in bathing suits flooded the stage.
Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" was one of the young summer's breakout pop hits -- and that was before Taylor Swift got hold of it. On Saturday night (June 6), Platten joined Swift and her pal Kelsea Ballerini backstage at Swift's concert in Pittsburgh to perform a bit of "Fight Song" for an Instagram video:
In the video, which has nearly 1 million likes on Instagram, Swift is shown pounding on a coffee table as Platten helps warble the triumphant chorus of "Fight Song." The self-confidence anthem sounds like Swift's early country-pop oeuvre, and with Swift accompanying Platten in the clip, "Fight Song" sounds even more like a mainstream smash.
"Fight Song" has peaked at No. 28 on the Hot 100 chart, and slipped to No. 36 on last week's tally. Will Swift's co-sign help the song bound up the chart? Time will tell. Swift will continue her 1989 stadium tour with Vance Joy, while Platten is currently on tour with Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri as part of their The Girls Night Out, Boy Can Come Too trek.
Taylor Swift is remembering to have some serious fun while on her 1989 World Tour.
Over the weekend, Little Big Town joined her onstage for her show in Pittsburgh, and Swift also uploaded a video to her Instagram of the group singing "Girl Crush" backstage with her -- while Swift helpfully danced along, of course.
"When Little Big Town is singing Girl Crush in your dressing room, there is no other option but interpretive dance," Swift captioned the below video.
Taylor Swift has been regularly surprising 1989 world tour concertgoers with special guests, and her Friday show in Philadelphia was no exception. The singer, 25, was joined onstage by actress Mariska Hargitay and model pal Cara Delevingne during her stop at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.
Both Hargitay, 51, and Delevingne, 22, were featured in the star-studded and action-packed music video for Swift's single "Bad Blood." "Couldn't even contain my happiness because @caradelevingne and @therealmariskahargitay surprised the crowd tonight," Swift captioned an Instagram photo of the three posing onstage during the show.
The stars danced and sang alongside Swift while she performed her hit single "Style." "Justice and Mother Chucker at #1989TourPhilly," said of another photo of the trio, referencing the women's "Bad Blood" alter-egos.
Taylor Swift sang to a stadium of 55,000 people Saturday night, turning Heinz Field into her living room and making you feel like you were invited to her special party. Swift's 1989 World Tour was her third stadium show in Pittsburgh, and she performed tracks on her latest album along with rocked-out remixes of favorites from earlier records. Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes opened, with each supplying great vocals. Joy worked the crowd with his hits “Riptide” and “Mess Is Mine.”
What makes Swift's music so magnetic to so many was on full display Saturday. Mostly women, from young girls to moms, filled the crowd, giddy for their story to intersect with Swift's for one night. She personalized the show, telling fans what inspired her songs and asking them to sing along and dance to them with her. Audience members had rubber wrist bands that lit and blinked to her beats, extending the stage to the corners of the stadium. The show was equal parts music and theater. Each one told a story, as Swift, and her trove of men, lit up, and danced out them out on stage.
Early, on, she reminded fans where she came from. They remembered. “I was born in Pennsylvania in 1989,” she said to cheers. “I remember 10 years ago singing the national anthem in this stadium for a Steelers game.” She opened the show with “Welcome to New York,” then slid into “New Romantics,” a bonus track on her 1989 album.
Swift performed and spoke to fans like they were on the couch with her. She thanked them several times for coming over and hanging out. This night, this party, she told the crowd, was its own kind of special. She wove songs like “Bad Blood” and “All You Had To Do Was Stay” together with fireside-chat interludes, telling her audience how she got inspiration for her songs. She gave them a bit of history about their meaning and relayed the messages of empowerment, perseverance and hope. She hopes they glean from them: “You are not someone else's opinion of you. ... You are wiser because you make mistakes.”