The most recent crossover between pop culture and sports, and the spike in viewership and sales for the National Football League, is thanks to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
Swift is a singer, songwriter and global icon who is currently on break from her record-breaking Eras Tour. Kelce is a widely popular tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.
While many Swifites are new to football, many football fans are also new to the world of Taylor Swift and her history.
Rumors of their relationship have been swirling since July when Kelce attended her concert in Kansas City. He commented to his brother Jason Kelce, a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, on their “New Heights” podcast how he was disappointed that he was unable to meet Swift.
Kelce said he wanted to give her a friendship bracelet with his number on it, a reference to the phenomenon of making and trading friendship bracelets at the Eras Tour. This tradition stems from a lyric in her song “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” Swift sings “so, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it,” which fans turned into a tradition to trade beaded bracelets with each other at her shows.
Not only is Kelce the first athlete that Swift has been linked to, Kelce is her first American love interest since 2012. The contrast between Kelce and her previous boyfriends have made the dating rumors even more popular.
Swift has dated many public figures, including Harry Styles, Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston. She has a history of dating British men, and her longest known relationship was with British actor Joe Alwyn.
It is rumored that she and Alwyn dated from 2016 to 2023, and Swift released five albums during that time – “Lover” being the most notable release. The album included the song “London Boy” – a nod to her relationship.
Swift has admitted that her songs and albums are written about her life, which can often be connected to previous relationships and breakups. Her 2012 song “All Too Well” has been linked to her breakup with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.
Her 2014 song “Style” has been connected to her relationship with Harry Styles, and more. There have been many jokes about the album that could be released if she and Kelce break up, and what some of the lyrics could be.
While Swift has not publicly dated an athlete prior to these romance rumors with Kelce, there are many similarities that can be drawn between her fan base, Swifties and fans of the NFL.
Football players have their management teams, and so does Swift. She recorded her first six albums with Big Machine Records, under which her contract allowed them to own her work. When it refused to sell her work back to her, Swift started re-recording her albums, coining them “Taylor’s Version.” Swifties have widely supported the work Swift has done to own her music, which has caught on. After she attended her first NFL game, the official X account for the NFL briefly changed its bio to “NFL (Taylor’s Version).”
Swift has different outfits for her tours, similar to how football teams have a variety of uniform combinations that are worn throughout the season. Swift has multiple outfits that she wears for each section of The Eras Tour.
Variations include color, style of dress, the addition of fringe and more. There is not a clear pattern that explains why she wears certain ones on different nights, but fans have played a guessing game as to which variations will be seen on each night of the tour.
While football players have numbers, Swift also has a number that she is known for. Her birthday is Dec. 13, and she has made 13 a very popular number among her and her fans.
13 is her favorite number, and she is known to make the 13th a big day, such as the release of “The Eras Tour” movie on Oct. 13. On previous tours, Swift painted a 13 on her hand, a tradition that Swifties have continued when attending her concerts.
As Swift says in her 2008 song “Fifteen”: “In your life you’ll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team.” While these Travis Kelce dating rumors have taken the internet by storm, Swift and her successes have been introduced to a new crowd, and her already immense levels of popularity continue to grow.
