Label chief defends Swift’s Grammy performance
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — The head of Taylor Swift’s record label is fired up and ready to defend his superstar from people who are criticising her Grammy-night performance.
“This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artiste and writer and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance,” said Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta in a phone interview. “Borchetta first responded to the backlash in The Tennessean. Asked by The Associated Press why he felt the need to defend Swift, he said because the criticism was “just over the top”.
Swift rehearsed her performance and duet with Stevie Nicks two different times at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles in front of a crowd of people. Critics were nicer then. But on Sunday night’s Grammy show, Borchetta said Swift had a technical issue that made her worry about her performance.
As quickly as you could say Fearless, bloggers and media outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, pounced on Swift’s performance. The chatter at times overshadowed the four Grammys she won — including album of the year.