[foonlesse]

As someone who plays the piano, yes, she's definitely got limitations as a player. From what I've heard from her so far, she's only got a few tricks up her sleeve, and she goes back to the same musical motifs again and again and again, no matter which song she's playing. But I'm okay with it. Her energy, singing talent, and charisma more than make up for it, and her acoustic performances are therefore delightful. I love that she plays the piano; and she doesn't just say in interviews that she plays it, but she actually plays it on national TV and at her huge, sold-out shows! As someone said upthread, it sets her apart from the other pop stars.

And I think it's a really gutsy thing to do, considering what's expected of that type of performer. The first time I saw her live and she brought out the piano, I was STUNNED. I mean, I'd heard acoustic Poker Face before and knew she played, but I never dreamed she'd stop a high-energy pop/dance show halfway through and break out an acoustic set like that. And to play a new song, too! To play Poker Face, which everyone knows in any form, was one thing. But then to play Future Love, which nobody knew at the time... so so so awesome. What other pop star would play a song nobody knows or recognizes, let alone solo on the piano? People usually go to such shows to hear the hits.