Hey, at least she’s self-aware.
Ever since pop superstar Taylor Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and frequently appearing at his games, we’ve seen all kinds of complaints from NFL fans on social media who are sick of hearing about her during football games or seeing the camera cut to her after big plays from her boyfriend.
Now, an analysis of the NFL broadcasts found that Swift was actually only shown for an average of about 45 seconds per game, and during Super Bowl LIX between the Chiefs and the Eagles back in February she was only on screen once for a total of seven seconds. But with the NFL understandably embracing her presence at games and hoping to capitalize on the young, female audience that she brings to the sport, it’s no wonder that some of the traditional NFL fans are feeling Swift fatigue.
And as it turns out, even Taylor herself is well aware of the complaints.
The global megastar set the internet on fire earlier this week when it was teased that she would be appearing on the New Heights podcast, which is hosted by her boyfriend along with his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
And not long after the appearance was announced, Taylor used the podcast to break some of her own news, announcing her upcoming album The Life Of A Showgirl.
The podcast doesn’t drop until 7 PM eastern tonight, but in a new teaser Taylor joked about the “male sports fans” who are sick of seeing her on their screens:
“As we all know, you guys have a lot of male sports fans that listen to your podcast. And I think we all know that if there’s one thing that male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens, it’s more of me.”
Yeah, that should fire up the folks who are already complaining about having to see her too much. But props to Taylor for being able to laugh about the criticism.
Swift wrapped up her massive Eras Tour back in December 2024 after 149 shows on five continents over nearly two years. The shows were full-scale productions, featuring a computerized stage that ran nearly the entire length of the stadiums, multiple moving platforms and sets, and three-hour performances that spanned the entirety of her nearly two-decade long career.
To train for the performances, Swift revealed that she would perform the entire 3-hour set while running on a treadmill, and regardless of what you think about Swift or her music, it’s pretty impressive how much training and energy she puts into her shows.
Enough to impress even her NFL superstar athlete boyfriend.
Swift has, of course, been dating Kelce since 2023, and has been a frequent guest at his football games (including their most recent loss in Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles).
But Kelce also made it to several shows on her Eras Tour, including making a special appearance on stage with her during a show in London.
@concertbecca FULL TRAVIS VIDEO!!!! OH MY GOD!! #taylorswift #taylornation #erastour #erastourwembley #traviskelce #taylorandtravis #ttpd #thetorturedpoetsdepartment #icandoitwithabrokenheart #wembley #erastourwembley #wembleyn3
And he got to see firsthand just how much work it is to perform on her level every night.
During a recent interview with GQ, Kelce had high praise for his significant other:
“I hadn’t experienced somebody in the same shoes as me, having a partner who understands the scrutiny, understands the ups and downs of being in front of millions. That was very relatable, seeing how exhausted she would get after shows.”
And he says that he considers Swift an athlete like himself, even if she would never admit that:
“She may not think of herself as an athlete. She will never tell anyone that she is an athlete. But I’ve seen what she goes through. I’ve seen the amount of work that she puts on her body, and it’s mind-blowing.”
Kelce also points out that the conditions she performs in – standing on a hot, lighted screen the entire time, often outdoors – doesn’t make it easy:
“To go out on a stage, on a computer, essentially, for three hours. The floor is literally—I’ve seen underneath that thing. It is a football-field-sized computer. You take that into Singapore, where it is scorching hot, and all of a sudden you’re feeling the fumes from the computer and you’re feeling the fumes from the sun and you’re doing a show for three hours with a lot of energy, bringing it every single song.
That is arguably more exhausting than how much I put in on a Sunday, and she’s doing it three, four, five days in a row.”
Seems like they’ll have a lot to talk about during her podcast debut.
