Yes, Taylor Swift probably thought she won Album of the Year last night. I can tell you why there’s a video clip (see below) of Taylor a little surprised she hadn’t won when Daft Punk was called to the stage.
At Clive Davis’s party on Saturday night I happened to be standing near Taylor during a dinner break. We’d been talking. Several top record execs and a couple of artists came by to say they’d voted for her Red album. They were quite emphatic. Taylor was surprised by their intensity. I really think it was the first time she’d considered the possibility. One really famous guy told her: “You’ve got it.”
The process of winners’ names being called out at awards shows is crazy enough at places like the Oscars. The video response is controlled. But in the Staples Center, it’s like the circus. Poor Taylor. I felt bad for her when she was surprised again. But she probably got over it within seconds.