I may be in the minority, but I liked Miranda's performance. It was refreshing to see someone give a more subdued performance after there was so much flash/hype built for the pop & rap performances.
She did seem very nervous, and it wasn't the best vocal, but she did well for it being her first time. Plus, a lot of people watching (and audience members) probably had their first introduction to Miranda last night, and that's an incredible amount of pressure.
Yes, she's had better performances, but she's not the first to let her nerves get the best of her. THTBM is one of my favorite songs, and I think it deserves all recognition, and I think Miranda took a risk in releasing such a song to otherwise stale country radio.
I've watched several interviews of Miranda talking about the meaning of the song, and she does show emotion/connection to it when discussing what it means to her. Sometimes it can probably be difficult to get through your first performance on the biggest all-genre awards show, while trying to get in character/mental state to be connected to a performance.
We all know how nervous/stiff our girl was on Idol; she's had plenty of time on all kinds of big stages, and she's grown so much. I think we will see a similar transition with Miranda.
I think she's proven be a good vocalist, and she's also a fantastic writer. Even though she's average, she doesn't have to use gimmicks/autotune to sell her talent. Not everyone is going to be a powerhouse vocalist, either. A lot of singers who write their own music are often fantastic writers, but have average voices (ever heard of a "songwriter voice?"). I think that's what Miranda has, but she does well with what she has, and her songwriting more than makes up for it.
Also, Miranda seems more comfortable performing upbeat songs; I would think the combo of inexperience/average vocals/nerves did her in.
But THTBM is a gorgeous song, and I was happy to see Miranda win. She seemed so humble in her acceptance speech, and she looked beautiful during her performance I thought. [/
PS- Tee, could you be anymore negative?? Seriously, cheer up!