We're all lovers of this Taylor Swift era. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best performances of “Lover” songs Taylor Swift has given us.
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00:00 "You're my, my, my, my, my, my lover."
00:08 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the best performances of
00:13 lover songs Taylor Swift has given us. We're including mashups and medleys with tunes from
00:18 other albums, but unfortunately we have to exclude errors to our content due to lack
00:23 of quality footage.
00:24 "Our songs, our films, united we stand, our country, 'cause it was a lawless land."
00:29 10. You Need to Calm Down and Lover - 36th MTV Video Music Awards
00:46 Folks at the 2019 VMAs were lucky enough to see Taylor Swift perform live. To make an
00:51 already exciting occasion unforgettable, the star performed not one but two songs off her
00:56 seventh studio album. She kicks things off with "You Need to Calm Down," bringing infectious
01:01 energy and so much fun to the ceremony.
01:03 "We all got crowds, you need to calm down. You need to calm down."
01:13 This is followed by a romantic rendition of "Lover" that never fails to make us swoon.
01:18 Something about the way "Ballad" and "Pop Banger" each get a moment to shine on the
01:22 VMA stage makes each individual number sparkle a little more.
01:33 After all, T-Swift always knows how to put on a show.
01:39 9. London Boy - BBC Radio 1
01:53 Swifties know that Taylor gave us many memorable performances when she stopped by BBC's Live
01:57 Lounge in 2019. There are plenty of songs to choose from from that concert, including
02:02 a gorgeous take on "The Archer."
02:09 Still, we gotta give this spot to the Brits.
02:21 This version of "London Boy" is a little more pared down than the original release, but
02:25 the stripped-back production calls more attention to Swift and her background singer's vocals,
02:30 and the result is magnificent.
02:40 The whole thing is crisp and on point, making for a harmonious performance we won't soon
02:45 forget.
02:46 8. False God - Saturday Night Live
02:58 Taylor Swift loves a good surprise. After all, the "Eras" tour has made waves thanks
03:02 to those surprise songs, has it not? But the star has been surprising us long before the
03:07 tour of a lifetime.
03:15 In 2019, she was the musical guest on an episode of Saturday Night Live to promote the "Lover"
03:20 album. She sang the titular number that night in a gorgeous performance, we might add. But
03:25 her other song choice knocked us out. She brought "False God," one of her vibier, sexier
03:37 tracks to life. It isn't a single, and she doesn't perform it live too often, but this
03:42 made us wish she would.
03:51 7. Me - Brendan Urie - Panic! At The Disco
03:56 Ok, so we know what you're thinking. "Me" isn't necessarily one of Swift's most beloved
04:08 songs. But we have to give props where they're due, and you can't deny that her performance
04:14 of it at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards is out of this world. The whole thing starts
04:19 off with a bang with a literal marching band taking hold of the percussion section. The
04:24 rainbow pastel set design and costuming for their part look amazing. Most importantly,
04:37 the singer sounds incredible, and genuinely looks like she's having a blast. It's a lively,
04:43 fun showing from start to finish, and we challenge anyone watching not to smile.
04:51 6. The Man, Lover, and Death By A Thousand Cuts - NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
05:08 What's the only thing better than an NPR Tiny Desk Concert? A Taylor Swift NPR Tiny Desk
05:13 Concert, of course. She made our wishes come true with just that for the first time in
05:26 2019, and most of the tunes she chose were from Lover. The concert is just Swift and
05:31 her instruments, making the affair feel beautifully intimate. Her run of The Man, Lover, and Death
05:42 By A Thousand Cuts show off her vocals and playing chops, and we're still in awe. The
05:53 other songs she sang flawlessly, you ask? Well, that was all too well. Not from the
06:04 Lover era, but you know, we get it.
06:07 5. Cornelia Street - City of Lover It's always a treat when we get to hear just
06:19 how strong Taylor Swift's vocals are. The City of Lover concert in Paris put them on
06:23 full display, with her rendition of Cornelia Street always stopping us dead in our tracks.
06:38 We have to catch our breath listening to her in her guitar, because the raw emotion shining
06:42 through is truly a sight to behold. In the past, Swift has said that Cornelia Street
06:47 is deeply important to her. You can really hear that in this performance, as she paints
07:03 a vivid picture of a love one hopes to never lose.
07:09 4. Lover - BBC Radio 1 The first two singles off of the Lover album
07:23 were big pop numbers. "Me" and "You Need to Calm Down" are both really high-energy
07:28 songs and we love them, but the third single, "Lover," took things in a different, enthralling
07:34 direction. It's a gorgeously written ballad, and watching Swift perform it in BBC Radio
07:47 1's Live Lounge, you can tell how much it means to her. It's a true blue love song,
08:00 and everything about this version, from the patter of the guitars to the sound of her
08:03 voice, suits it beautifully. It's light, soft, and utterly majestic.
08:12 3. Soon You'll Get Better - One World, Together at Home
08:27 This one proves that you don't need over-the-top production values to deliver a great performance.
08:32 At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Global Citizen Organization held
08:37 a virtual benefit concert. Many famous artists participated, including Taylor Swift. Swift
08:50 didn't perform one of her big hits, but rather opted to sing a quieter number called "Soon
08:54 You'll Get Better." It's specifically about her mother's experience with cancer, but its
08:59 heart could easily be applied to people hurting in the early days of the pandemic. Swift only
09:12 needs her voice, vulnerability, and piano to drive us to tears.
09:20 2. Medley - 47th Annual American Music Awards
09:33 When you're being named "Artist of the Decade," you've got to come out with a bang. That's
09:37 exactly what Taylor did at the 2019 AMAs. The star basically foreshadowed the Eras Tour,
09:43 initially wearing an iconic white top with her album names plastered all over. She performed
09:48 several songs from various eras as part of a huge medley, but we want to focus on two
09:53 Lover songs specifically. She starts the musical montage off in determined fashion with "The
10:02 Man." The drums hit hard and the dance moves hit harder, pumping us up. The performance
10:12 ultimately ends with a gorgeous rendition of "Lover," performed on the piano and accompanied
10:17 by incredibly talented dancers Misty Copeland and Craig Hall. Talk about range!
10:29 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:33 1. Daylight - City of Lover We'd step into the daylight with this performance
10:37 any day.
10:45 2. The Archer - Taylor Swift - Lover's Lounge Live
10:49 The first live performance of this song more than delivered.
10:58 The Man - City of Lover We love an acoustic version of a pop hit.
11:07 You Need To Calm Down - Jingle Bell Ball Don't you dare step on her crown.
11:19 You Need To Calm Down - Prime Day Concert Keep calm with this banger of a performance.
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11:45 1. Death By A Thousand Cuts - City of Lover Not all of Taylor Swift's songs are born out
11:56 of personal experience. In fact, the 2019 film Someone Great inspired her to write Death
12:01 By A Thousand Cuts. Of course, we love the studio version of the tune, with its twinkling
12:06 whimsical production. But there's something about her City of Lover performance that really
12:10 gets us every time. Maybe it's hearing Swift with her guitar backing her up and bolstering
12:21 her every word. Maybe it's the strength of her vocals. Maybe it's how excited the crowd
12:26 gets before she even opens her mouth to sing the first notes. It's probably a mix of all
12:31 that and more. But one thing's for sure, this version of Death By A Thousand Cuts is magical.
12:44 If you think you know any other Lover-era live bangers, let us know in the comments
12:49 below.
12:50 "He sends me these lists that are like, very nice, like ranking my songs, which that's
12:57 really nice of people to do. I really love that people do that and I find it really nice
13:01 and I'm grateful that people care enough to rank my songs."
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13:14 [music]