- Taylor Swift performed at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday before taking home the award for the artist of the decade.
- She opened her medley with "The Man," a song about sexism, while wearing a white button-up shirt emblazoned with the names of her albums.
- Swift's shirt resembled a prison uniform, and was likely a nod to her ongoing feud with Big Machine Records, her former label that owns the master recordings of nearly her entire catalog.
- Her statement shirt was one of numerous outfits Swift wore throughout the night.
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Taylor Swift let her outfit speak for itself during the opening of her performance at the American Music Awards on Sunday.
Swift received the artist of the decade award at the Los Angeles, California, event, and preceded her acceptance speech with a medley of her biggest hits. She first performed "The Man," off her 2019 album "Lover," which includes lyrics about double standards and sexism against women.
While performing the song, Swift donned a white button-up shirt emblazoned with the names of her previous six albums: "Taylor Swift,""Fearless,""Speak Now,""Red,""1989," and "Reputation."
The font used for each album name is similar to that typically used on prison uniforms. Swift was likely using her shirt as a metaphor for her ongoing feud with Big Machine Records, her former label that owns the master recordings of nearly her entire catalog.
Swift previously released a statement saying she was unsure if she'd be able to perform a medley of her hits at the 2019 American Music Awards, claiming that her former label was preventing her from doing so. Though the two parties publicly disagreed on the matter, Swift ended up singing lines from six of her songs.
"Lover," which Swift owns the masters of, was not featured on the shirt.
Swift wasn't the only one to wear the prison-like shirt. A group of children also joined the musician on stage wearing matching ensembles.
Many fans believe Swift was implying that future generations should be able to own the work they create.
Though she later changed into a sparkling leotard and pink cape, Swift's initial sentiment was echoed throughout her performance. For example, she moved to a gold piano covered in the names of her albums at the end of her performance.
Earlier in the night, Swift walked the AMAs red carpet in a sleeveless green dress covered in sparkles. Her gown was custom-made by Julien Macdonald, and featured a thigh-high slit that revealed her tall black boots.
Her shoes were designed by Casadei, and retail for $1,565.
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