Shimmering Swift: Taylor Shems' Surprise Debut at Intramurals

The DDOSCians remember it all too well.

Taylor Swift is one of the most well-known singers and an idol in pop culture from then and up to these days.
Taylor has swallowed the music industry by storm. She is famed for writing ear-splendid, body and jaw-
moving music. Her influence in the music industry as a whole became widely known and binds different
cultures as one. Swift is notable for her widespread popularity and her domination of music charts.

Hence, we cannot deny the fact that her enthusiastic fans love to impersonate and mimic her. The New
Bataan’s Swifties and non-fans alike pose not an exception to this.

A 20-year-old student from Davao de Oro State College (DDOSC) became a craze as they gobbled the stage by
replicating the "music industry" icon, Taylor Swift, during their school’s intramurals held at the municipal
gymnasium of New Bataan, Davao de Oro.

On November 15, 2023—James Anthony Abrasado, opportunely known as “Taylor Shems,” set the crowd
ablaze with up-to-the-eye laughter and left them enchanted by his joyous and splendid performance as he
brought Taylor Swift’s concert “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” right to our hometown, New Bataan, Davao de
Oro.

Swift's direct influence on music has inspired many wannabes like Shems, who aim to bring positive vibes and
to shake everyone's mood. “I was very nervous because it was my first time, and as a first-timer, I felt self-
doubt if I could actually make it,” Abrasado said.

Like the iconic Pop queen herself, James often sees himself like a mirrorball. Considering the fact that Shems
is a first-timer, like the same song, she tried everything to get people laughing at her. Though she doesn’t
know why, she was a believer, and all she did was “try, try, try”.

According to them, the plan was actually for another notorious impersonator, Taylor Sheesh, to bring forth a
glorious comedic ploy, but due to lack of connection and budget, Abrasado was convinced by their peers to
be the one to impersonate. Through that, they brought their own gimmick of The Eras Tour through a
flamboyant parody.

Approximately 1000 students were left shaken with Shems’ iconic and joyous performance, from simply
imitating Swift's powerful persona to lip-syncing the magical and poetic lyrics of the music industry’s timeless
hits. Their ground-shaking powerful performance later on led to many opportunities: “After my performance,
everyone flooded my messenger saying that it somehow helped them to forget their problems, and someone
even offered me to perform in their community as well,” Abrasado said.

In the end, she has bejeweled the crowd. Even after all the hype, Abarasado still embodies the performer in
him throughout, making him a comedic asset of the institution and his peers. Indeed, every time he walks the
room, he can still “make the whole place shimmer,” and DDOSC will remember it all too well.