Taylor Swift made a highly anticipated appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night, December 10, marking her first return to the show since 2021. Her visit was characterized by a playful TikTok video with the host, discussions about her extensive music catalog, and heartfelt reflections on personal and professional milestones, as well as insights into her approach to career longevity and mentorship.

One of the highlights of her appearance was an adorable TikTok video created backstage with Stephen Colbert. The clip commenced with a close-up of Swift, sporting a signature red lip and a fuzzy winter jacket, vibing to the humming introduction of her 2008 Fearless album track, “Hey Stephen.” As the camera zoomed out, it revealed Colbert, who enthusiastically lip-synced the song's opening word, “Yeah.” Swift, breaking her straight face, then offered a big, goofy smile and mouthed, “Hey, Stephen!” The country-pop song, though never released as a single, achieved a No. 94 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 during Fearless’s debut week. This wasn't the first time Colbert had playfully engaged with the song; during a virtual appearance in 2021, he jokingly questioned if he was the inspiration behind the unrequited-love anthem. Swift, with her characteristic wit, quipped that it was about author Stephen King, praising his works. However, she has previously confirmed that the titular love interest was actually Stephen Barker Liles from the country duo Love and Theft, who opened for her in 2008, a detail even spelled out in the Fearless liner notes.

During the show, Colbert challenged Swift to name her top five songs from her vast catalog, a task that proved daunting even for the superstar. She expressed the immense pressure, stating, “This is so much pressure,” and requested