Even pop star Taylor Swift, known for going big on stage with celebrity friends like Ed Sheeran, Beck, Mary J. Blige, and many others during her arena tours, occasionally likes to perform stripped-down acoustic sets.
In between Australian dates this week, Swift took some time from her busy touring schedule to showcase hits like Shake It Off, Wildest Dreams, Out of the Woods, and Blank Space with just her voice and a guitar for Nova 96.9, as reported by MTV News. And it looks like she was just as happy playing to an intimate crowd as to stadium audiences of 50,000-plus.
During the performance, she also described the inspiration for Wildest Dreams. “I was like, ’Love just ends, it’s not a question of will we break up, it’s when will we break up,’” said Swift via MTV News. “It was one of those days. But you know, I got a good song out of it.”
One of the biggest (and most opinionated) pop artists, Swift has made a point to stay in touch with fans. Before debuting her fifth studio record 1989 last year, she held “secret” record listening parties for select fans in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Rhode Island. “You guys have been individually hand-picked — by mostly me,” said Swift at her listening party in Los Angeles (according to the LA Times). “I’m obsessed with Twitter and Instagram and Tumblr. Why I wanted to have you here at this secret session is to play the entire new album for you.”
Swift wraps up her 85-date tour supporting 1989, the best-selling record of 2014, tomorrow in Melbourne, Australia. As of September, The 1989 World Tour had grossed a cool $130 million. She may sometimes step off the podium to meet with fans, but she also knows how to run a business.
