Taylor Swift will be performing on a country stage once again on Wednesday, September 16, at the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards. In a world premiere performance at the Grand Ole Opry House, Swift will sing “Betty” off of her new album, Folklore.
The announcement came on Sunday as commercials for the upcoming award show aired on CBS during the NFL broadcast. The ACM Awards and Swift also took to social media to announce her momentous return. “Bout to show up at your party,” she wrote on her Instagram story along with a clip of the promotional video.
The news came as an exciting surprise to fans and country music lovers alike as the superstars return to the ACM stage is seven years in the making. Swift last performed on the show in 2013 alongside Tim McGraw and Keith Urban for a rendition of “Highway Don’t Care.” She later returned to the shows stage in 2015 to receive a Milestone Award, leaving her with an impressive nine ACM wins, including two Entertainer of the Year awards.
Since her 2013 performance, the singer-songwriter went full pop with releases like 1989, Reputation, and Lover, seemingly leaving her country roots behind. However, with her latest album release, Swift had a new song perfectly suitable for country radio.
“Betty” is one of three songs on the album that follows Swift’s penned love triangle for her characters, James and Betty. The song is from the boy’s point of view, realizing that Betty is the one he wants to be with after spending the summer with another girl.
The new track seems to be getting the full single treatment with an official radio release, upcoming TV performance, and even a merch line. The “showed up at your party” collection was launched on Swift’s website with three t-shirts centered on the “Betty” characters. Maybe a music video could be next? Let us know what you think @CelebMix on Twitter.