Taylor Swift
Wembley Stadium

LONDON'S seen a week of superstars stalking stages — Katy Perry, Beyonce and Jay-Z among them — and next up was Taylor Swift on her Reputation tour.

The question was, could she live up to that title? The answer was a great big yes.

Swift's 20-number set combines chart toppers, costume changes, fireworks, fountains, and performances on three different stages, as well as a very special guest who goes down a storm.

She opens with Ready For It and the audience certainly are, with the electropop beat bringing them immediately to their feet.

The next two numbers get a similar response and what's noticeable is how quickly Swift connects to her public and not just via the music. By sharing anecdotes and shout-outs she makes the vast space seem intimate and brings the audience into her world.

The band and dancers alongside are tight and the following 90 minutes are the kind of spectacle you'd expect, but all given a Taylor twist.

After belting through Don't Blame Me, Swift takes it down a gear. Sitting behind a grand piano, she gives thanks to the hundreds of on-tour and stadium staff working behind the scenes before launching into power ballad Long Live that gets a rapt reception.

Then Swift goes one better. Introducing the next number she confesses that she's doing a song she's never played before and keys the opening bars of Robbie Williams's Angels. And then he's there, singing live with her, and the audience jump up and resolutely join in. It's a simple but sweet moment, an example of music's emotional charge and it helps make the night that extra bit special.

After rapturous applause, they're both gone, before Swift returns for a three-song encore. It's been two hours of energetic action, bright lights, fireworks and fun but with a personal connection that makes Swift like a big sister taking us all out to a party.

And what a party it was.