How Taylor Swift Turned Her Big reputation Into an Unforgettable Tour
When Taylor Swift first announced her reputation tour, music fans knew it was going to be special.
Not only was it her fifth concert tour in support of her massively successful albums. But this time, these shows were going to be bigger than ever before. Weâre talking stadium big.
As the sun set at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona on May 8, more than 59,000 screaming Swifties would be treated to the reputation tour for the very first time. And no, they werenât disappointed.
With opening acts Charli XCX and Camila Cabello, Taylor wanted her show to be memorable from beginning to end. And spoiler alert: She made it happen night after night.
From surprise guestsâhello Selena Gomez and Tim McGrawâto impromptu speeches, Taylor kept fans on their toes through every stop.
And despite all the traveling and rehearsing, she also made time to pay it forward by meeting with deserving fans and giving them unforgettable experiences.
As the reputation world tour comes to an end today in Japan, we decided to compile just some of the many memorable moments from the past several months in our gallery below.
From Opener to Show Stopper
During her first night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Taylor Swift surprised fans with Shawn Mendes. The two performed âThereâs Nothing Holdinâ Me Backâ together. âIt was awesome to be back and be with her,â Shawn later shared with E! Newsâ Jason Kennedy on Live From the Red Carpet. âItâs a very different thing to be brought out, special guest from opening. Unreal, man. I wish you could experience what it feels like.â
Talk about a stud. When performing at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 21, Taylor Swift performed her entire set in the pouring rain. âFULL RAIN SHOW,â she later wrote on Instagram. âLast night we all danced together for 2 hours in the pouring rainâwho knows what the Jersey skies will bring us tonight but weâre *ready for it*.â
Selena Gomez joined Taylor Swift for a duet of âHands to Myselfâ during her second Rose Bowl concert. âI want to say thank you to my best friend of about 12 years, almost 13. And the reason why she has been one of my best friends is because this person has never, ever judged a single decision Iâve made,â Selena shared. âSheâs always met me where Iâve been. Sheâs encouraged me when Iâve had nothing to be encouraged about. And I donât know if I would be as strong as I am if I didnât have you and your family because you changed my life.â
One year after Taylor Swift was granted a symbolic $1 in her assault and battery countersuit against radio DJ David Mueller, the singer addressed the incident at a stop in Tampa. âThis exact day a year ago, I was not playing a sold-out stadium in Tampa. I was in a courtroom in Denver, ColoradoâŠand this day a year ago was the day that the jury decided in my favor and said that they believed me,â she told the crowd who held up $1 bills. âI just wanted to say Iâm sorry to anyone who ever wasnât believed because I donât know what turn my like would have taken if people didnât believe me when I said that something had happened to me. So, I guess I just wanted to say that we have so, so, so much further to go, and Iâm so grateful to you guys for being there for me during what was a really, really horrible part of my life.â
Before performing in Houston, Taylor Swift met Jacob Hill, an 8-year-old boy with autism who received a service dog thanks to the singerâs $10,000 donation. Jacob, his service dog Reid, and family were able to watch the show from the front row.
Can we get a hallelujah? Can we we get an Amen! Maren Morris headed to Dallas and sang âThe Middleâ with Taylor Swift.
When kicking off her tour, Taylor Swift alluded to the recent headlines involving her and Kimye. âYou might be wondering why there are so many snakes everywhere, huh?â she asked, referring to her stage dĂ©cor. âA couple of years ago, someone called me a snake on social media and it caught on. Then a lot of people were calling me a lot of things on social media and I went through some really low times for a while because of it. I went through some times when I didnât know if I was going to get to do this anymore. I guess this means 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 doesnât have to defeat you. It can strengthen you instead.â
And you thought Taylor Swift forgot about her country roots! The singer invited Tim McGraw and Faith Hill to sing her debut single âTim McGrawâ in Nashville. Spoiler alert: The crowd loved it.
There was a special man in the audience when it was time to kick off the reputation tour. On opening night in Arizona, Taylor Swift dedicated âGorgeousâ to boyfriend Joe Alwyn and pointed to him in the VIP area.
Thereâs love in the air at Taylor Swiftâs concerts. âThey walk into the meet and greet and he says, âWe met 5 years ago at the Red tourâ and thenâŠ.â Taylor shared on Instagram when reliving a surprise proposal. Spoiler alert: She said yes!
While performing in Dallas, Sugarland and Taylor Swift enjoyed their first-ever live performance of their collaboration, âBabe.â
Taylor Swift honored the late Aretha Franklin by holding a moment of silence for the Queen of Soul during her Detroit concert. âShe did so much for music. She did so much for womenâs rights. She did so much for civil rights,â Taylor shared. âWords could never ever describe how many things she did in her lifetime that made our world a better place. And this is her home.â
Before Taylor Swift took to the stage, Charli XCX and Camila Cabello proved opening acts should never be missed. And yes, concertgoers loved when everyone reunited for âShake It Offâ night after night.
Lena Dunham is just one of the many stars who has mad love for Taylor Swift. That respect likely only grew when the âShake It Offâ singer provided a significant number of tickets to law enforcement after a fellow officer was killed in the line of duty. âThere were enough to send every police officer, firefighter and extended family to the concert, and then some,â Mayor Robert Hedlund told The Patriot Ledger. âThe gesture was absolutely generous, significant and appreciated.â
No bad blood here, folks! Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift reunited backstage at the reputation tour stop in Nashville. And yes, Karlie was able to watch the concert from a VIP section.
When Taylor Swift performed at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, Gigi Hadid was on-hand to sing and dance her heart out from beginning to end. The supermodel was also sitting by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds who were extra impressed with the song âGorgeous.â Donât you know? Their daughter is heard on the intro!
We know you deserve some rest, Taylor. But can you promise to come back soon?
ts1989fanatic could not have said it better myself