Look what we made them do. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist).
You know the old saying goes, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?” Well, that seems fairly apt when it comes to the Taylor Swift countrified cover that three members of CMT’s Next Women Of Country debuted today. After infamously pivoting from her country roots on, well, honestly first on Red, and then with the full-blown confetti-pop of 1989, Swift’s latest album, Reputation couldn’t be farther from Nashville’s golden country roots, even when those roots veer toward radio pop. But that doesn’t mean that up and coming women in the genre don’t have their eye affixed to her every-moving star, after all, Big Machine Records still is one of the biggest and most influential country labels in the industry.
This helps contextualize the performance that Kalie Shorr, Lindsay Ell and Kelleigh Bannen gave of the pop hit for CMT’s annual event. After all, honoring one of the biggest contemporary female stars that country ever produced goes beyond genre, right? Either way, Shorr, Ell, and Bannen made the song their own, spiking it with delicious harmonies and some guitar work that deftly moves it right back over into rootsy territory. Odds are this one will get the Taylor co-sign, it hews close to the rebellious energy she first channeled while putting their own touch on it. Watch above.
