That Taylor Swift girl! Not only is she, well, the winner of the primo award (Album of the Year) at yesterday's Grammys, she's also a bona fide hip chick.
I know what you're thinking: Taylor's much-talked-about duet with Stevie Nicks last night, right? Well, yes. That pairing was a particularly inspired moment of the evening. But, Taylor's hipness goes deeper than that. Check out this fun little story behind her performance.
Some of you may be familiar with Butch Walker, who is a singer-songwriter and producer who has worked with a staggering range of artists including Avril Lavigne, Pink, Lindsay Lohan, Katy Perry, Sevendust, Weezer, Pete Yorn, and many others. Additionally, he's a prolific solo artist with a very active fanbase. In short, he's a pretty cool dude.
This past November, after announcing a series of shows at Los Angeles's Hotel Cafe, Butch asked fans via his Twitter page to suggest cover songs for his shows. The fans responded--and the number-one request was Taylor's "You Belong With Me."
Butch obliged, played the cover at his first show--then later that night, he decided to do a little "Tayloring," as he put it. He recorded a rollicking banjolin-based version of the song, plus filmed a making-of video, which he posted on his Youtube channel.
As viral sensations tend to do, the cover tune and video spread like wildfire, resulting in Taylor herself catching wind of them. She tweeted a link with high praise for Butch's rendition: "I'm losing my MIND listening to it! Blown away!"
Fast-forward to the Grammys. It's time for Taylor Swift's much-anticipated performance. OMG, she's being joined on stage by Stevie Nicks! Gasp! But wait...wait...let's get over Stevie for a minute. Who's that guy standing stage right next to Taylor, on the funny-looking banjo thing?
Well, it's none other than Butch Walker!
Folks in the know were delighted by this under-the-radar gesture, including Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who tweeted, "My personal favorite moment of the Grammys last night was Butch Walker on stage with Taylor Swift."
I told you Taylor was hip, right?
Check out Butch and Taylor on stage together, plus Butch's original viral video, below. You can also get Butch's cover on iTunes; click here for it. (He's also coming out with a new record later this month, which you can preorder at his site.)
As always, be sure to: