The rap song took on a much softer sound coming from Swift despite the country singer’s “Yo!” exclamation in the beginning of the act. During the song Swift strums her guitar and half-raps, half-sings the lyrics, skipping the profanity and urgency with which the original version is performed.
In the video recording of Swift’s “Lose Yourself” performance, the crowd audibly cheers her on after she asks her audience to “please sing loudly ok?” After only the first verse and one refrain of the song, Swift transitions into another musical number.
Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem, is widely recognized for his intense rapping style and explicit lyrical content. Despite his controversial records, the artist has received 13 Grammy Awards during his career, and has sold more than 36.6 million albums in the U.S. alone.
“Lose Yourself” was written and produced by Mathers in 2002, and the hit was featured on the soundtrack to the movie “8 Mile.” The mid-tempo hip-hop track incorporates the struggles musicians face in rap industry, and earned Mathers an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, the track is the most successful yet of Eminem’s musical career.
In addition to Eminem songs, country music starlet Taylor Swift has also been known to cover songs of fellow artists such as Uncle Kracker, Mumford & Sons, and Bon Jovi. Swift has been performing since she was 12 and on top of writing her own songs, on stage she often plays guitar while singing.
