“She has been rehearsing nonstop and perfecting everything. She can’t stop talking about it. It’s so fun to see her this happy and excited,” says a source
She’s back!
Taylor Swift returned to the stage Tuesday night at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to kick off her mᴀssive Reputation Stadium Tour.
Camila Cabello and Charli XCX opened for Swift, who performed a total of 24 hits throughout the night. Her set list included nearly all the songs off her latest album reputation and fan favorites like “All Too Well” off her Red album and “Shake It Off” and “Style” off her 1989 album.
As teased by the Grammy winner, 28, over the last couple weeks, she had plenty of costume changes and surprises in store for her loyal Swifties.
“Taylor couldn’t be more excited about the tour. She has been rehearsing nonstop and perfecting everything. She can’t stop talking about it. It’s so fun to see her this happy and excited,” a source close to the entertainer tells PEOPLE exclusively, adding that Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn will be attending shows when he can. (The actor was spotted by fans in the crowd, and Swift reportedly pointed at him while singing her hit “Gorgeous.”)
“The team that she hired for the tour is equally excited. It’s the best to work for Taylor. She is demanding and wants everyone to give 100 percent, but she is also very appreciative and takes amazing care of her team,” adds the source. “The tour will be a really fun experience for everyone.”
A record-breaking 59,157 fans made up the audience, and many excitedly shared pH๏τos and snippets of the superstar on stage:
Swift also opened up about the “low” point in her life “a couple of years ago” before singing “Long Live” and alluded to her feud with Kim Kardashian West, who leaked a phone call between the singer and her husband Kanye West in 2016.
“A couple of years ago, someone called me a snake on social media and it caught on. And then a lot of people called me a lot of names on social media,” Swift told her audience. “And I went through some really low times for a while because of it. I went through some times when I didn’t know if I was gonna get to do this anymore and I guess the snakes … I wanted to send a message to you guys that if someone uses name calling to bully you on social media and even if a lot of people jump on board with it, that doesn’t have to beat you. It can strengthen you instead.”
Hours before kicking off her first show, Swift revealed a surprising gift from fellow pop star Katy Perry, whom she’s had a complicated relationship with over the last several years.
“Hey Old Friend — I’ve been doing some reflecting on past miscommunications and hurt feelings between us,” Perry, 33, wrote in the partially obscured letter, in which she also wrote she was “deeply sorry” and wanted to “clear the air.” The note was accompanied by an olive branch.
And on Tuesday morning, Swift’s close friend and fellow singer Kelsea Ballerini shared a sweet message on her Instagram account wishing her good luck.
“Happy tour kickoff to my friend that is equally as inviting, warm, and entertaining drinking wine on the couch as she is on stage,” Ballerini, 24, captioned a seemingly recent image of her with Swift, barefoot on a sofa sipping vino. “That being said, I can’t wait to come fangirl and get inspired. Potentially with a sign. Potentially also with some kind of snake apparel. Go get em, sister.”
Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tourwill see her play dates across North America, Europe and Oceania through November.
