Austin Woman reviews Taylor Swift’s only performance of 2016
Two words: Super pro. Those words describe Taylor Swift as a performer, as witnessed at this weekend’s concert—her only one of 2016—at Circuit of the Americas as part of Formula 1 weekend.
With 80,000 people in attendance, Swift had to go big, and she sure did. With flawless cat eyes and red lipstick, Swift vamped across the stage in a black-sequined romper and matching booties, looking radiant and happy as she began her hour-long set with “New Romantics.”
Three super-high-definition, giant video screens made even the farthest-out seats feel drawn in, especially as Swift stared directly into the camera, undoubtedly making each audience member feel like she was staring sweetly and seductively at them.
Swift’s movements were big, and she commanded the stage, interspersing her performance with anecdotes and stories throughout the evening. At one point, she requested listeners to “Let go of anything that is stressing us out tonight.” Midway through the set, Swift took out her acoustic guitar for a few hits, beginning with “You Belong With Me,” and enlisted the help of the audience to sing it with her, claiming she had a cold.
A nice surprise came when Swift sat down at a rhinestone-encrusted grand piano and covered the Calvin Harris and Rihanna hit “This is What You Came for,” a song Swift is actually responsible for writing. It was the first time she had ever performed the song live and it was phenomenal.
Her grand finale of “Shake it Off” included a spectacular fireworks display. With a perfectly well-rounded and extremely entertaining show, Swift proved she has clearly risen to the top echelon of superstar level, all while maintaining an unrivaled sense of innocence and likeability.