Taylor Swift closed out a cruel summer with a rainbow-infused performance at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.
The singer made her triumphant return to the VMAs stage opening the 36th annual ceremony on Monday night in her first major televised performance following the release of her seventh studio album, “Lover.”
Swift took the stage at the top of the award show to perform back-to-back numbers from the album, kicking off the ceremony with her pride anthem “You Need To Calm Down” alongside BFF Todrick Hall and a bevy of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars.
She then blessed the crowd with a world-premiere performance of the album’s titular track, trading in the theatrics for an acoustic moment.
The pop star has been absent from the VMAs stage since performing “Bad Blood” alongside Nicki Minaj at the 2015 ceremony, where she walked away with the Moonman trophy for Video of The Year and a slew of other awards.
After a shutout at last year’s ceremony, the singer is heading into the night as the most nominated artist alongside Ariana Grande, with 12 nods across major categories ― the most she’s ever received in a single year ― for her music videos “You Need To Calm Down” and “Me!”
The performance caps off a week of high-profile public engagements for the typically private pop star, who gave nary a single interview during the promotion of her last album, “Reputation.”
After covering the September issue of Vogue, Swift has made the TV rounds, first speaking with “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts before a sold-out Central Park show. Days later, her she sat down with “CBS Good Morning” for a revealing profile that touched on the inspirations behind the new album, her ongoing clash with megaproducer Scooter Braun and a rare look inside her private life.
And if you haven’t tired of her yet, Swift is also set to be the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” with “Fleabag” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge serving as host in October.