Congratulations to Taylor Swift and her fans! Together, Team Swifties topped 15 other country music fanbases to finish on top at the end of the first-ever Taste of Country Bowl. Nearly three quarters of a million fans voted during the month-long competition which had nail-biting finishes in each round.
Fans of Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood now have extra incentive to begin a 'Get Out and Vote' campaign for the 2013 Taste of Country Bowl. By sharing the message below, you could win a $100 gift card to iTunes, where you can buy the latest from either of the genre's hottest singers, or just about anyone else who's recorded music ... ever. The prize is not just limited to fans of the two Taste of Country Bowl finalists.
After nearly half a million votes, some smack talking and an unprecedented three-way matchup, the two singers with arguably the biggest followings in country music will face off in the finals of the 2013 Taste of Country Bowl. The week-long vote to decide which singer and her fans are best begins right now, with Team Taylor Swift battling Team Carrie Underwood.
January 22, 2013 Carrie Underwood and Eric Church both cruised to relatively easy wins over their respective competitors in Round 2 of the 2013 Taste of Country Bowl -- both artists won by over five percentage points after voting was tallied. This week, two very different fanbases will clash to determine who gets a spot in the finals.
The most hotly-contested round of the 2013 Taste of Country Bowl ended Sunday evening (Jan. 20), with Scotty McCreery sitting just ahead of Brantley Gilbert. Close inspection of the voting revealed some discrepancies however, and as a result, these Semi-Finals will put forth an unprecedented three-way challenge in the name of fairness. McCreery, Gilbert and Taylor Swift -- who topped Lady Antebellum during Round 2 voting -- will face off to see which team can move forward into the final round.
Almost a quarter of a million votes were cast during Round 2 of the 2013 Taste of Country Bowl. All four matchups came down to the final day, with one being decided by a close margin, and another producing two winners. The Semi-Finals promise to be just as contested, with just six days for each team to prove that they're best in country music.
The Round 2 matchup between Brantley Gilbert and Scotty McCreery may break the internet. The two artists have very different fanbases -- both willing to stand up and be counted again and again. If this Taste of Country Bowl pairing was a real football game, each play would fall in the "three yards and a cloud of dust" variety. Who can score the winning touchdown?
Blake Shelton's Round 1 win over Kenny Chesney was one of the closest matchups early in the inaugural Taste of Country Bowl, but the 'Sure Be Cool if You Did' singer ultimately took the win with over 63 percent of the vote. Comparatively, Eric Church and his Church Choir were on cruise control after staking an early lead against Jason Aldean. Will his fans be slow to vote after having the luxury of an easier contest?
Team Carrie Underwood and Team Brad Paisley both took 65 percent of the vote in their respective round one Taste of Country Bowl matchups. It was two methodical, routine wins for the CMA co-hosts. Nothing about their Round 2 pairing will be predictable, however, as both have a legion of fans ready to prove they're the best in country music.
The path to the Taste of Country Bowl Quarterfinals couldn't be any more different for Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and their respective fanbases. Swifties clawed their way back from a several thousand vote deficit to top Hunter Hayes. Lady Antebellum fans led Toby Keith's loyalists from the very beginning, lasting through a late surge from the competition. What does this mean for the quarterfinal matchup?
