Entertainment

7 Predictions For T. Swift's Billboard Performance

by James Tison

Amazing news for Taylor Swift fans, which is obviously everyone, right? The world will have reason to rejoice when Taylor Swift performs "Bad Blood" at the Billboard Music Awards on May 17th and releases the song's music video AT THE SAME TIME! After her knockout performances at the AMAs and VMAs this past year, the possibilities for what could come next are brain tickling. For those of you who don't remember — and, seriously, who are you? — Swift knocked it out of the stadium at those award shows with her lavish and joyful performances, which gives her a pretty high bar to meet in her BMAs performance.

At the 2014 Video Music Awards, Swift's "Shake It Off" performance made the song catchier than previously thought possible. She went full on Great Gatsby, surrounded herself with a million tuxedoed dancers, and incorporated a lot of infectiously joyful shoulder brushing (some say too much, I SAY NOT ENOUGH).

While we were still shaking the starlight out of our eyes from that, Swift brought "Blank Space" to the American Music Awards. With Broadway-level lighting and set design, she surrounded herself with 8 million tuxedoed dancers whom she then dated and murdered one-by-one. It was basically a four minute short play. She brought a whole new level of greatness to the song with the kind of kinetic, lavishly-produced live performance that we usually see from Madonna or Gaga. (She pulled a "Gagonna," if you will.)

What can we expect from her Billboard performance? "Bad Blood" has a beat, but it's considerably lower key than "Blank Space" or "Shake It Off." Will Swift continue with the pattern of epic production levels? Will she strip down a little and show off her musical chops? Will the entire performance occur under water? Here are our guesses at what we can expect from Taylor Swift's Billboard performance of "Bad Blood."

1. Shoulder Shaking

I know it's a different song, but I'm not done watching her shake things off. Are you? I didn't think so. Anyway, it's not like bad blood is something you want to keep around. Get rid of it, Taylor! And what better way to get rid of it than to shake it off?

2. Massive Sets And Epic Design

I want "Bad Blood" to make Les Miserables look subtle.

3. Taylor Swift Throwing Men Around The Stage With What Looks Like Magic

There's something extremely satisfying about watching Swift toss men around like used tissues; cathartic, even. Also, explosions.

4. Taylor Swift Pretending To Be Insane

She obviously loves doing it, we obviously love seeing her do it, I don't see what the problem is. Also, more explosions.

5. Goofy Joke In The Middle Of It

The girl likes being goofy. It's part of why we love her. Hell, maybe we'll see some goofy explosions.

6. Lorde

This is unadulterated wish-making and rumor-mongering. I just want it to happen so badly. "Bad Blood" as a duet with Lorde? Heaven would open just so the angels could hear the two sing together.

7. Wild Card: Taylor Swift Forgoes The "Gagonna," Aims For Lana Del Rey

I know, I know... "Stop trying to make 'Gagonna' happen." Hear me out! "Bad Blood" has a simple melody at the heart of it and rather somber lyrics (at least as far as Swift's canon is concerned). More so than the other two songs, "Bad Blood" could actually give her the opportunity to strip everything down, whip out a guitar, and remind anyone who's still hating that she's got some real chops behind the production.

Images: Giphy (7)