‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ 2015: Taylor Swift performs ‘Shake It Off,’ ‘Welcome to New York’

Every year, “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” has a headliner who is considered in many ways the biggest star of the past year, and there was little question in 2014 that Taylor Swift reigned supreme. “1989” was the biggest album of the year, and she had a variety of hits in between “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.”

Before she eventually performed “Shake It Off,” Swift started things off with a performance of “Welcome to New York,” a very appropriate song given the setting.

To us, the biggest surprise about Swift’s set was seeing her bare so much skin given that it was below freezing in the Big Apple. Talk about commitment! Also, we hope that she had a giant vat of hot cocoa for when she was through onstage.

So what comes next for Swift in 2015? Probably a whole lot of touring, given that she is one of the most profitable touring artists on the planet. We also figure that there will be another single or two from her album while she is on the road. It’s a chance for her to see her fans, and continue down the road she has been on ever since she was a teenager.

Overall, this was a fun performance. Was it vocally perfect? No, but anyone who is harsh about that tonight is just a New Year’s Eve scrooge. Given the conditions, we cannot remember the last time we’ve ever been blown away by anyone’s vocals in Times Square.

What did you think about Taylor’s performances tonight, especially given the weather / the crowd / all of the other distractions? Now is the time to share what you think in the comments!