Correction: This article originally noted that Taylor Swift would be accompanied by Keith Urban on the Grammys stage. While that collaboration was implied by the phrasing in CBS’ initial press release, the network and Recording Academy have since been promoting the two performances as separate.
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Promotion for Sunday’s 56th Annual Grammy Awards telecast has relied on the catchphrase “Music Unleashes Us.”
CBS and The Recording Academy have, however, been careful not to unleash a detailed setlist for Sunday’s live broadcast. They have confirmed which artists will be appearing, but the two parties have been far less revealing about which songs those artists will be playing.
In some cases, common sense and context clues are worthy substitutes for official confirmation.
Knowledge that Daft Punk, Pharrell and Nile Rodgers will be performing together should be all one needs to surmise that he will hear “Get Lucky” this Sunday.
P!nk and Nate Ruess are performing together, and it would be an absolute shock if they refrained from performing their sole collaboration “Just Give Me a Reason” (which happens to be a Grammy nominee).
Insofar as she has a Song of the Year nominee in “Roar” and a red-hot new single in “Dark Horse,” Katy Perry will surely be playing at least one of those songs on the Grammys stage.
“Royals” (also up for Record of the Year) and “Team” form a similar duality for Lorde, thus signposting what the New Zealand singer-songwriter will perform Sunday.
Not all performances lend themselves to the application of context clues and common sense.
Exhibit A: Taylor Swift’s 2014 Grammys performance.
Lacking a buzzworthy new single or a specific song nominated in one of the night’s major categories, Taylor Swift has no obvious choice for a Grammys number.
Joining producers in their de facto covenant of secrecy, Swift has not yet revealed the identity of her song selection(s). She did, however, offer a teaser in an Instagram post Friday.
Featuring music’s biggest star singing while playing piano, the photo (below) also includes the caption, “Today at rehearsals for @Grammys. I’m trying to remember.. What was the song a lot of you were saying you wanted me to perform on the #Grammys?”
Whether Swift’s caption were intended as a cutesy hint or a legitimate fan poll, it instantly brought “All Too Well” to the center of speculation.
Upon learning that Swift would be performing at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this month, her passionate army of “Swifties” began voicing requests for her song selection. While all songs from the Grammy-nominated “Red” album–and even some selections from her previous releases–have garnered immense support, critical darling “All Too Well” has emerged as the clear fan favorite. It certainly fits the bill as a “song a lot of you were saying you wanted [Taylor] to perform.”
And if Swift were indeed asking fans to make a recommendation, the overwhelming reaction in favor of “All Too Well” should seal the deal.
Further support for the “All Too Well” theory comes from the reveal that Swift will accompany herself on piano. Swift’s piano-driven rendition of the song drew strong marks throughout the “Red” tour.
Irrefutably ambiguous, the Instagram photo is hardly confirmation that Swift will sing “All Too Well” at the Grammys. But even if it is tantamount to confirmation, it still offers no commentary on whether Swift will be performing a single song or a medley of hits.
