Mike Portnoy Performs Taylor Swift Hit as He Hears It for First Time

It’s hard to imagine that anyone hasn’t heard Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” by now, but count Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy among the few humans who’ve somehow avoided the ubiquitous song since its release a decade ago.

As part of Drumeo’s latest “For the First Time” segment, the legendary prog-metal drummer was tasked with playing along to the sugary pop hit as he listened to the song for the first time, making for some highly entertaining content.

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In previous editions of the Drumeo series, we’ve seen Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith taking on Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “The Kill,” The Police’s Stewart Copeland trying his hand at Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’,” and Portnoy himself figuring out Tool’s “Pneuma.”

In the new clip, Portnoy (who landed at No. 19 on our list of the 100 Best Drummers of All Time) genuinely doesn’t know which song it is as Drumeo host Brandon Toews plays him the Swift hit minus the drum track. After jamming along to the song on his initial listen, Portnoy asks, “What the hell was that?,” to which Toews responds, “You actually don’t know what that was?” Portnoy continues, “I have not the slightest clue. It sounds like something out of Disneyland in Japan or something.”

Toews teases Portnoy that he won’t let him know who it is until he’s done with the challenge. After breaking down and jamming along to the song a little further, Portnoy delivers his final take on “Shake It Off,” delivering a commendable rendition while adding a little more aggression to the mega-hit.

When finally told who it was, Portnoy exclaims, “Oh my God, that’s Taylor Swift? Like only the biggest artist on Earth! Wow … I had no idea. … My daughter is gonna get a kick out of this. … I’m sorry [Taylor], I f**kin’ totally ruined your song!”

Portnoy will be more in his wheelhouse playing his usual complex prog-metal time signatures when Dream Theater embark on their North American 40th anniversary tour in February (get tickets here). The outing, in support of their upcoming album Parasomnia, will mark Dream Theater’s first stateside run since Portnoy returned to the band in late 2023 following a 13-year absence.

Watch Mike Portnoy perform “Shake It Off” as he hears it for the first time in the video below.