Lady Gaga assured fans that she was feeling "more pain-free" than she has "in ages" as she kicked off The Chromatica Ball world tour in Germany over the weekend.
The Poker Face singer's world tour was originally scheduled to open in 2020 to support her album Chromatica but was postponed twice due to the pandemic and finally opened at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf on Sunday.
In an Instagram video recorded backstage at the arena before the show, Gaga, who suffers from the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia, explained that she felt grateful to feel pain-free for the performance.
"I want to really thank you for sticking it out with me and loving me through all the different iterations of my artistry as well as me as a person," she told viewers. "I feel more clear today than I have in a long time and more pain-free than I have in ages. Being free of pain onstage is a real healing experience because I'm able to dance and sing and enjoy the audience and enjoy the show and really tell a story."
The Oscar-winning star admitted she was "nervous" but "excited" for the opening night as it was her first tour since 2018 and she vowed to thank her fans for their support by throwing her all into every show.
On Saturday, Gaga admitted on Twitter that she once thought her chronic pain would prevent her from touring again.
"There was a time I thought I'd never be on stage again. I was so sad I couldn't even dream anything but a painful nightmare. I've overcome my nightmare with love, support, trust, truth, bravery, talent and dedication. I am so grateful," she tweeted.
During the show, Gaga debuted a number of songs from her 2020 album, including Sour Candy, Free Woman and 911, performed Shallow and Always Remember Us This Way from her movie A Star Is Born, and closed the show with Hold My Hand from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack.
The Chromatica Ball tour continues in Stockholm, Sweden on Thursday and concludes in Miami, Florida in September.
