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Coordinates: 51°30′10″N 0°00′12″E / 51.5029°N 0.0032°E / 51.5029; 0.0032
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BornonJune8/sandbox/Archive19
Date25 February 2015
VenueThe O2 Arena[1]
3 Greenwich Peninsula
London, SE10
Coordinates51°30′10″N 0°00′12″E / 51.5029°N 0.0032°E / 51.5029; 0.0032
Length4 minutes
MusicianTaylor Swift
DancersGlenn Ball
Michael "Pressure" Buckingham
Chris "Crazy Popper" Childs
Skorpion Dancer
Sisco Gomez
Nicholas Marvel
Brooke Milliner
Wolfgang Mwanje
Shaun Niles
Breakz Samuels
Josh Wharmby
Chase Willoughby

On 25 February 2015, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift opened[2][3][4][5][6] up the 35th edition of the Brit Awards with a live performance[7] of her hit song[8][9][9][10] "Blank Space"[11][12][13] from her 1989[14] album.

Background

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Taylor Swift was among the first three performers to were announced for the 2015 Brit Awards on 16 December 2014.[15][16][17][18] The other two being Sam Smith[19] and Ed Sheeran.

On 23 February, Swift spoke to Kiss FM UK[20] about her upcoming Brit Award performance. Two days later, Swift surprised a fan[21] named Sinead Murray, who camped out the freezing cold for 20 hours just to catch a glimpse of her as she stopped by BBC Radio 1. Murray later told Buzzfeed[22] that Swift followed her on Tumblr a few months prior. So Murray herself, had been uploading pictures to show her there were lots of people there and that they were excited to see her.

When speaking to BBC Radio 1, Swift revealed that rehearsals had not gone to plan. She said "It's weird I'm your last guest because I am actually opening the show. I am changing into a performance outfit then back into this to watch the show. Rehearsals didn't go well at all, they accidentally started the music before I was on stage, so I was running out shouting 'I can show you." Tyce Diorio would serve as the choreographer[23] for Swift's performance[24] with many of the dancers being employed by Monsterz Crew[24] and Fiya House.[25]

The performance came shortly before its revealed that Swift had won the Brit Awards' prestigious International Female Solo Artist prize.[26][27][28] Swift in the process, beat out the likes of Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Sia, and St. Vincent. Swift was also presented[29] by Elle their the award for Woman of the Year ahead of her Brit Awards performance.

Performance

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For her performance, Swift wore[30] a tuxedo-style black blazer from KaufmanFranco's[31] fall 2014 collection, black satin shorts, fishnet stockings, black Christian Louboutin[32] ankle booties,[33][34] Lorraine Schwartz jewels, and a classic red-lip look.[35] Her male backup dancers meanwhile, sported starch-white suits[36] with black fedoras, which they used as props throughout.

Swift initially stood in front of seven front of seven silhouettes dancing behind wide, white screens.[37] The graphics on the screen behind them at the O2 Arena, mimicked Swift's moves. Later, Swift paraded across the stage while mimicking stage magic:[38] she simulated making someone's hat levitate; makes her dancers perform in slow motion after pushing them back; and she cracked the stage beneath her and yet glided across it unharmed.

Midway into the performance, Swift made her way down the stage's walkway. Soon, the stage began to shower with silver metallic confetti and flashing lights. Swift then made her way back to the front of the stage, now with just one male accompanying her. She closed her set with a playful shove towards her "male lead" as she sang, "I'll write your name".

Afterwards, Swift wrote on Twitter[39] "I had the best time opening the Brit Awards with this performance!! Honestly, just such an amazing night." When making note of a mysterious lime being on stage during her performance, Swift on Instagram said[40] "I'm still not sure why there was what appears to be a RANDOM LIME on the stage during my Brits performance."

Critical reception

[edit]

An average of 5.3 million people tuned in to the ceremony on ITV, according to overnight ratings – rising to 5.8 million when ITV+1 viewers are added in.

Chris Rogers of Hollywood Life said[41] that while Swift's performance was much tamer than her performance of "Blank Space" at the American Music Awards from the previous November, there was something really classy about her performance at the Brit Awards.

Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian noted[42] that for perhaps the first time in her career, Taylor Swift was introduced by a pair of Geordies (Ant & Dec[43]) and Marco Pierre White. Beaumont-Thomas added that the minimalist verses of "Blank Space" made for a rather tempered, non-bombastic opener. Swift according to Beaumont-Thomas, did a perfectly pleasant vocal performance held aloft by big backing vox and strummed guitars. Her dancers meanwhile, channel perhaps the greatest awards show routine of all time, which was Chris Brown’s MTV Video Music Awards routine in 2007.

Michelle McGahan of PopCrush said[44] that Swift's performance totally reminded her of old school Michael Jackson. McGahan added that while there were times she missed Taylor Swift gracing the stage with golden ringlets and her trusty acoustic guitar in hand, she loved this new era of Taylor Swift, which was filled with sleek dance moves and unexpected surprises. And while Swift didn't exactly moonwalk across the stage, McGahan still thought that she still nailed the black-and-white number.

John Walker of MTV News summed up Swift's performance by comparing[45] it to glitter-bombing minus the political context, where activists explode a buttload of glitter all over an opponent of same-sex marriage. This is in reference to Swift capping off the performance with an explosive downpour of glitter.[46] Walker added that Swift looked like some kind of terrifyingly alluring CEO whose definition of "casual Friday" translates to "no pants."

Mehera Bonner of Teen Vogue said[47] that Swift's performance was a sparkly explosion of girl power. More to the point, Bonner observed that Swift not only strutted around London's giant O2 Arena in what could only be described as a feminist power blazer, she finger-wagged at the audience and then danced (more like angry-stomped) in a rain of glittery confetti with a bunch of men in bowler hats.

95-106 Capital FM reacted to Swift's performance by asking questions[48] that ranged from how long was the catwalk that she utilized, to whether or not the dancer who appeared on camera with her during the final few months of her performance was the same man from the "Blank Space" music video, to what were the backing dancers wearing on their heads. For the record, Swift's love interest in the video was played by Sean O'Pry while the dancer in question's name is Glenn Ball.

Suzannah Ramsdale of Marie Claire said that Swift's performance was Cabaret-themed.[49] Ramsdale in particular noted that from her vantage point, Swift happily chatted with anyone who approached her and even took the selfies herself. Mark Sutherland[50] of Rolling Stone[51] also praised Swift by saying that her "brilliant opening performance seemingly channeling Cabaret" and it confirmed "her current queen of pop status".

Junkee's Courtney Fry wrote[52] that Swift opened the Brit Awards with a bunch of really talented backup dancers who popped and locked and breakdanced around her as she strutted across the stage with all the sass in the world.

Louise Bruton of headstuff.org considered[53] Swift's performance of "Blank Space" to be very tame. Bruton followed this up by saying that if Swift wanted to open up a show with some pow-pow, maybe she should've watched some Spice Girls videos for inspiration.

Creation.com called[54] Swift's opening set fantastic as she owned the stage with her slick, professional performance. Meanwhile, the monochrome[55] set with dancers in white suits and bowler hats was in the eyes of Creation, very dramatic.

Billboard's Richard Smikre called[56] the performance feisty with Smirke noting that Swift strutted down the runway while wearing a revealing trouser suit as bowler-hatted male dancers pirouetted in the background.

Caroline Ellis of Her Campus already considered[57] Taylor Swift to be a show stealer and that her "Blank Space" performance in the first ten minutes was no disappointment. Between Swift utilizing her dancers, the stage space, and the lengthy catwalk to strut[58] while glitter cannons went off around her to close her performance and officially kick off the show, Ellis said that Swift's performance was a hard one to beat.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Ultimate Recap Of 2015's BRIT Awards". The O2. December 16, 2015.
  2. ^ Cope, Rebecca (February 25, 2020). "Brit Awards 2015: The Winners". Harper Bazaar.
  3. ^ "VIDEO: Taylor Swift Performs 'Blank Space' at BRIT AWARDS". Broadway World. February 28, 2015.
  4. ^ "Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith rule 2015 BRIT Awards". Toronto Sun. February 25, 2015.
  5. ^ Power, Ed (February 26, 2015). "BRIT Awards 2015 TV review: 'With Madonna's tumble the ceremony beat Kanye at the Grammys and Travolta at the Oscars'". Independent.ie.
  6. ^ Myers, Justin (February 20, 2019). "BRIT Awards 2015: The full list of winners and nominees". Official Charts.
  7. ^ "Taylor Swift: Blank Space, performing live at the Brit Awards 2015". Virgin Radio. February 25, 2015.
  8. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  9. ^ a b "BRIT Award winners see huge album sales surge". Official Charts Company. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  11. ^ "A dragon dress and Hillary Clinton hair". Lainey Gossip. February 26, 2015.
  12. ^ Stelmach, Sandra (February 26, 2015). "PHOTOS: Taylor Swift Performs "Blank Space" At 2015 Brit Awards!". TeenInfo.net.
  13. ^ "Brit Awards 2015: Sheeran and Smith share the honours". Irish Times. February 26, 2015.
  14. ^ "Top 5 BRIT Awards 2015 Performances: From Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space' To Ed Sheeran's 'Bloodstream'". Travelers Today. March 1, 2015.
  15. ^ "Brits 2015: Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to perform". BBC Newsbeat. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  16. ^ "Taylor Swift and Sam Smith to appear at Brit awards". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Madonna to perform at 2015 Brit awards". The Guardian. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  18. ^ "Brit Awards: as it happened". The Daily Telegraph. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  19. ^ Day, Laurence (December 16, 2014). "Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and more to play BRIT Awards 2015". The Line of Best Fit.
  20. ^ "Taylor Swift Chats her 2015 Brit Award Performance". Beautiful Ballad. February 23, 2015.
  21. ^ "Sam Smith, Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran Win Big at Brit Awards; Madonna Takes a Tumble During Her Performance". ABC News Radio Online.
  22. ^ Woodward, Ellie (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Tracked Down A Fan Who'd Been Camping For 20 Hours To Meet Her". Buzzfeed.
  23. ^ "Tyce Diorio: Celebrity Choreographer". Tyce Diorio Online.
  24. ^ a b "Celebrity Choreographer » Taylor Swift Brit Awards - Tyce Diorio". Tyce Diorio Online.
  25. ^ "Fiya House is a world-renowned collective of dance artists based in London, and has been a positive and consistent presence in the UK Popping Community since 2012". Fiya House.
  26. ^ "The BRITS 2015". The O2. February 26, 2015.
  27. ^ "BRIT Awards 2015 Winners List - Full List Of This Year's Awards". Capital (Global Radio). 26 February 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  28. ^ Ungerman, Alex (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Clearly Had the Best Night Ever at the Brit Awards". ET Online.
  29. ^ Vincent, Alice (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift voted Elle's Woman of the Year". The Telegraph.
  30. ^ "Blank Space" - 2015 BRIT Awards - February 25, 2015". Taylor Swift Style. February 25, 2015.
  31. ^ "#TaylorSwift opened the 35th Annual #BRITAwards #BRITs2015 performing #BlankSpace wearing #KAUFMANFRANCO!". Facebook. February 25, 2015.
  32. ^ De Guia, Anne (February 26, 2015). "Taylor Swift's 3 BRIT Awards Looks: Red Dragon, Feet and Legs". Your Next Shoes.
  33. ^ Marquez, Miriam (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Brit Awards February 25, 2015". Star Style.
  34. ^ Earnshaw, Jessica (February 26, 2016). "BRIT Awards 2015: Taylor Swift wows in dramatic dragon gown before opening the show". Express.
  35. ^ Lee, Ashley (February 25, 2015). "Brit Awards 2015: Taylor Swift Touts Her "Blank Space"". Yahoo!.
  36. ^ "Taylor Swift's Dragon Dress, "Blank Space" Performance, and First BRIT Award!". Just Random Things. February 26, 2015.
  37. ^ Lee, Ashley (February 25, 2015). "Brit Awards 2015: Taylor Swift Performs "Blank Space" (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  38. ^ "Watch Taylor Swift Perform Actual Magic During Her "Blank Space" Performance at the BRIT Awards". Seventeen. February 26, 2015.
  39. ^ "The Brit Awards Discussion Thread - Taylor to perform "Blank Space"!". FOTP. February 26, 2015.
  40. ^ Roschke, Ryan (March 5, 2015). "The 1 Thing You Didn't Notice About This Taylor Swift Performance". Pop Sugar.
  41. ^ Rogers, Chris (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Flawlessly Performs 'BlankSpace' At BRIT Awards". Hollywood Life.
  42. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (February 25, 2015). "Beaumont-Thomas". The Guardian.
  43. ^ Beirne, Margo (February 26, 2015). "2015 BRIT Awards: Performances". Ticketmaster.
  44. ^ McGahan, Michelle (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Performs 'Blank Space' at 2015 BRIT Awards". PopCrush.
  45. ^ Walker, John (February 25, 2015). "TAYLOR SWIFT JUST GLITTER-BOMBED THE BRITS WITH HER 'BLANK SPACE' PERFORMANCE". MTV.
  46. ^ "2015 Brit Awards". E! Online. February 25, 2015.
  47. ^ Bonner, Mehera (February 25, 2015). "Taylor Swift Performed "Blank Space" at the Brit Awards and Made It Rain Glitter". Teen Vogue.
  48. ^ "The 6 MOST-ASKED Questions During Taylor Swift's BRITs 2015 'Blank Space' Performance Revealed!". Capital FM. February 26, 2015.
  49. ^ Ramsdale, Suzannah (February 26, 2015). "Brit Awards 2015: 8 Must-Talk About Moments". Marie Claire.
  50. ^ Sutherland, Mark (February 26, 2015). "BRIT Awards 2015: 5 Essential Moments From a Night of Flamethrowers and Falls". Rolling Stone.
  51. ^ "Brit Awards 2015: the best and worst bits". The Week. February 26, 2015.
  52. ^ Fry, Courtney (February 26, 2015). "Madonna Fell Down The Stairs (And Other Things That Happened At The 2015 Brit Awards)". Junkee.
  53. ^ Bruton, Louise (February 26, 2015). "Brit Awards 2015: Same Old, Same Old…". headstuff.org.
  54. ^ "BRIT Awards 2015". Creation.com. February 26, 2015.
  55. ^ Griffiths, Hassen, Sarah Jane, Genevieve (February 25, 2015). "Brit Awards 2015: As it happened". BBC.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  56. ^ Smikre, Richard (February 25, 2015). "Brit Awards 2015: Ed Sheeran & Sam Smith Win Big, But Madonna & Kanye West Steal the Show". Billboard.
  57. ^ Ellis, Caroline (February 28, 2015). "BRIT Awards 2015 - Review". Her Campus.
  58. ^ "The Brit Awards 2015 as they happen - live updates!". MTV. February 25, 2015.
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