Country music isn’t completely in the past for Taylor Swift! The 30-year-old hit up Nashville’s legendary Grand Ole Opry for a performance at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sept. 16. She sang the song “Betty” from her July 2020 album, Folklore, and absolutely stole the show!
This was the very first time that fans got to see Taylor perform a song from Folklore, which was a surprise album that she released just hours after announcing that it was coming in July. Before the show, Taylor posed outside the Grand Ole Opry in a pair of high-waisted brown pants, along with a sparkling, long-sleeved red shirt. As always, she looked amazing — and, it turns out that she did her own hair, makeup and styling!
Taylor’s last appearance at the ACM Awards was in 2015. She received the Milestone Award at the show, despite the fact that the ceremony took place after Taylor officially transitioned from country to pop music. She’s always maintained her connection to Nashville, though — she’s penned songs for Little Big Town and Sugarland since then — and it almost feels like she’s never left the country music community!
Meanwhile, Taylor’s last actual performance at the ACM Awards was back in 2013, where she sang her hit, “Red,” and then teamed up with Tim McGraw and Keith Urban to perform “Highway Don’t Care.” Tay is certainly no stranger to the award show, though. In addition to nabbing the Milestone Award, she’s also won Entertainer of the Year twice, New Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (Fearless) and Video of the Year (“Highway Don’t Care”) over the years.
With Folklore, Taylor has proven her versatility as an artist. As a whole, the album falls under the ‘alternative’ category, but several songs still have a pop-vibe, and “Betty” brings country into the mix. For the most part, Tay has kept a super low profile amidst the coronavirus quarantine, so seeing her onstage again was definitely a welcome relief for fans!
Other stars who performed at the ACMs included Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert and many more. The event, which was initially scheduled for April but got postponed due to coronavirus, was hosted by reigning Entertainer of the Year, Keith Urban.