Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2017 18:31:51 GMT
The whims of teenagers are, as we know, fickle. Semi-controversial social-media star Jake Paul (whose fans are known as “Jake Paulers”) received significantly more applause than the artist whom he was introducing (“Issues” singer Julia Michaels). Kids are sold on Charlie Puth (whose aesthetic—plain t-shirt and “Oh, I guess I’m performing at Madison Square Garden?” expression—could be characterized as Bedhead Chic) and they are into Camilla Cabello (who made a Sponge Bob joke between her appealing pop songs). They went wild for a Riverdale commercial that played during a break between sets. They still like anyone associated with One Direction; they’re less sure about new boyband Why Don’t We. And they are still extremely enthused about Taylor Swift.
Yes, Swift was the headliner of the evening. The entire night seemed a preamble of sorts for her set—Swift’s “. . . . Ready For It?” played during every single break, all night long—and she was introduced, in a somewhat surreal touch, by Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise. (Suri’s delivery of the words “Taylor Swift” was perhaps the most buzzed-about moment of the evening.) Swift was, as usual, methodical and impressive in her execution. Her production values and star power are on a different plane from the rest of the performers—and, generally, from most everyone else in pop right now. The crowd was never hypnotized more than during “Blank Space,” which Swift performs like a winking Michelin-starred chef offering up his or her signature dish: I know how good this is. Swift—who has done minimal press in the roll-out for new album reputation—did not converse much with the audience, as she has been known to on previous tours. Instead, she let the songs do the speaking. In her loosest moment, she brought out Ed Sheeran for a spirited rendition of reputation track “End Game,” which seems primed to be the next single off her album. (Sheeran was curiously the first performer of the night, finishing his brief set at about 7:20pm, more than four hours before Swift took the stage.)
Swift was preceded by the Chainsmokers, who, for whatever else one might be inclined to say about them, do have an appealing confidence on stage, reminiscent of the cachet of a sophomore in high school who has just dated a senior for a few months. One has the sense they get flooded with “that was sick, man!!!” texts after any given show. Before embarking on their hit “Paris,” Chainsmoker Drew (not to be confused with Chainsmoker Alex), explained, “I’m going to sing a song named after a city in France.”
