Aug 042011
 

We hate to admit it, but Taylor Swift performs surprisingly solid. Her Coldplay cover was pretty good; her Mumford & Sons cover was excellent. Her latest cover is a little more off-the-cuff, but worth watching for the unexpected source material: Eminem.

At her recent show in Detroit, Swift paid homage to the local hero with “Lose Yourself.” Yes, her performance strips the song of every ounce of its gritty, urban brilliance. To be fair, though, Em did the same thing first with those Chrysler commercials. Her “rapping,” as it were, is better than you might expect, but the chorus turns the hard-lived drama into a Sing Along with Mitch-style campfire number. Still, it’s hard to be too cynical when you hear the audience’s enthusiasm. Check it out below, along with her less-interesting cover of other Michigan native Uncle Kracker.

Taylor Swift – Lose Yourself (Eminem cover)

Check out more Taylor Swift on her website.

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  One Response to “Taylor Swift Strips Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” of All Grit and Meaning”

Comments (1)
  1. I really enjoyed this cover… I think what’s important here is Taylor’s sense of humor. She kind of does this with a nod and a wink at her audience, so I feel like whether you enjoy it will depend on how seriously you take Eminem… is his music the brilliant poetry of a tortured soul, or is he just a good rapper with a keen ear for pop hooks? I’m in the latter camp, so I don’t take any offense to what Taylor’s doing.

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