• Taylor Swift was honored at the 2019 American Music Awards as artist of the decade.
  • She kicked off her performance, which featured a medley of her hits, with “The Man” – a song from her most recent album that she wrote about sexism and double standards.
  • Fans also noticed that she wore a white shirt, which resembled a prison uniform, emblazoned with all of her previous album titles.
  • Swift only owns and controls the rights to her most recent album, “Lover,” while her six previous albums were sold to a man that she has publicly condemned, Scooter Braun.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Taylor Swift kicked off her performance at the 2019 American Music Awards with a strong statement.

The singer-songwriter was honored at the ceremony as artist of the decade. She sang a medley of her most popular hits – including “Love Story,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “Shake It Off” – but kicked off her performance with a relatively obscure song from her most recent album, “The Man.”

“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man / And I’m so sick of them coming at me again / ‘Cause if I was a man, then I’d be the man,” she sings in the chorus.

https://twitter.com/brielarsondawg/status/1198809371490365447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The addition to the performance is notable, considering "The Man" isn't a single, nor is it a top 10 hit like the other songs in her medley.

Fans are thrilled that she included it, however, considering the public drama she's had in the weeks prior to her AMAs appearance.

Swift released a statement via social media on Thursday, November 14, accusing Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun of impeding her performance at the AMAs, as well as a Netflix documentary about her life that's reportedly been in the works for years.

Borchetta founded Swift's former label Big Machine Records, which owns the masters of Swift's songs recorded before she made the switch to Universal Music Group last year. Braun acquired Big Machine Records earlier this year, along with a back catalog of Swift's music - an acquisition she vehemently opposed and spoke out against.

According to Swift, the two men had previously refused to let her perform her old music on TV or license it for the documentary - unless Swift agreed not to re-record versions of her songs and to "stop talking" about Borchetta and Braun.

"I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate," she wrote. "The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you'll be punished."

The label subsequently announced that Swift would be allowed to perform whatever songs she chose.

Fans also noticed that Swift took the stage for her AMAs performance wearing a white shirt, perhaps intended to look like a prison uniform, with the titles of her first six albums emblazoned on it - save for her most recent album, "Lover," which she owns the full rights to.

https://twitter.com/gagasyuyi/status/1198806121085046785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Swift paid tribute to artists that came before her and thanked her fans in her acceptance speech.