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Cardi B Responds to ‘Light Skin’ Label Criticism: ‘What Am I Supposed to Say?’

Cardi B has fired back at detractors who have been critical of her when it comes to labeling herself as a light-skinned woman. The Grammy-winning rapper got into a heated debate with fans on X earlier this week over the “light skin” label being used for people who are not Black, as she pointed out Dominicans have all different shades of people.

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“Dominicans are so diverse when it comes to skin color Dark, brown, tan, light, white,” she wrote on Wednesday (Sept. 4) in a series of tweets captured by Complex. “So what am I supposed to say when I’m describing my complexion….I’m Dominican skin?”

Cardi clapped back at another user: “What you saying is automatically invalid. The fact you use whites… WHITES IS A COLOR AND A RACE.. DOMINICANS ARE A NATIONALITY WITH PEOPLE that are different COLORS AND SHADES.. NOT A RACE.. Get your glitter hole out of here wit this fake rule you just came up wit.”

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She then brought out her dictionary and looked up the definition of “light skinned” and posted it in a since-deleted tweet. “The term light skin is adjective to describe skin complexion… it is not exclusvie to a single race,” Cardi continued. “I guess Jamaicans, Haitians and West Indians can’t say they got brown skin, light skin or dark skin because just like Dominicans they are also a nationality.. now move JAWS.”

Cardi B’s skin has been a topic of conversation in recent weeks as she faced allegations of bleaching, which she quickly shut down on X. She explained that her pregnancy has her just looking more pale than usual.

“Bleaching while pregnant?” Cardi asked. “Why must yall be so dumb? Actually NO! I’m pregnant I’m slightly anemic, this baby suckin all the energy off my body to the point I’m pale, eyes sunken, veins green ASF, can’t tan under the sun cause I get hot super fast and dizzy …. PLEASE STOP THINKIN WITH YOUR A–HOLE!”

Cardi is currently working in the studio on her long-awaited sophomore album. She has continued to tease the LP and even recently joked about it, laughingly comparing the studio to “Atlantic Records Correctional Facilities.”

It’s been more than six years since Invasion of Privacy‘s April 2018 release. The LP debuted atop the Billboard 200 and every song on the project is at least certified platinum.

Travis Kelce Is Content With Being Taylor Swift’s Arm Candy: ‘I Have Fun With It’

Travis Kelce is anything but down bad about being Taylor Swift‘s arm candy.

While speaking to CBS Mornings in a clip posted Thursday (Sept. 5), the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was all smiles when host Jamie Yuccas asked him how he feels about living in the glare of his superstar girlfriend’s spotlight. “It’s the life I chose, I guess,” he said. “I have fun with it. It comes with the territory of wanting to do fun activities like this.”

The interview was filmed on the set of Pepsi’s new Gladiator-themed commercial, which stars Kelce and fellow star NFL players Josh Allen, Justin Jefferson and Derrick Henry alongside Megan Thee Stallion. Speaking to Yuccas in his metallic gladiator uniform, the athlete also said that all of Swift’s songs are his favorites. “Literally, every single one,” he added. “If you see me at a concert, you’ll see me singing them all.”

And when confronted by Yuccas for apparently missing her wedding in Sydney while both Kelce and Swift were in town for the latter’s Eras Tour, the Ohio native said, “I blame that on Taylor. Vocal rest, vocal rest.”

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The clip arrives on the same day as the Chiefs’ first game of the new NFL season, which will kick off with Kelce and his teammates facing the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. Swift is currently on a break from her global Eras Tour, meaning fans will be looking to see if she makes an appearance at the stadium to support No. 87 come 8:20 p.m. ET.

Watch Kelce’s CBS Mornings interview below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=mn-YbhK04Ok&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

BLACKPINK’s ‘Kill This Love’ Video Hits 2 Billion YouTube Views

BLACKPINK have two billion reasons to celebrate this week after the video for their 2019 No. 41 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Kill This Love” became the K-pop girl group’s second visual to cross the double billion mark.

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“Kill This Love” now joins the quartet’s 2018 hit, “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” atop that lofty views mountaintop. The video for the stompy, electro-pop “Kill” finds the quartet — Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — backed by a towering wall of trumpets as the members cycle through a series of eye-popping set pieces, including giant swans and a room whose walls are packed with colorful, fake cereal boxes adorned with messages of love.

Other scenes find Rosé driving and crying through the night and the whole team doing a dance routine in a crumbling room while dressed in Lara Croft-style Tomb Raider outfits. The clip ends with all four dancing on the edge of danger while doing choreo in the jaws of a colossal bear trap.

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The group made history at the time of the song’s release when it became the highest-charting Hot 100 hit ever at that time by a K-pop girl group. In addition, at the time the visual scored the biggest music video debut in YouTube‘s history, notching 56.7 million views in its first 24 hours on its way to racking up more than 100 million views in less than three days.

The group’s members have been branching out this year, with Rosé unveiling her first campaign with PUMA and Lisa being named Louis Vuitton’s newest house ambassador, as well as landing her first acting gig in the upcoming third season of White Lotus and dropping her collab with Rosalía on the song “New Woman.”

Check out the “Kill This Love” video below.



Mark Ronson Named 2024 Music Advocacy Day Artist Ambassador: Read His Letter to Recording Academy Members

The Recording Academy is gearing up for Music Advocacy Day, its new name for District Advocate Day, which is set for Oct. 1 with Mark Ronson as this year’s Music Advocacy Day Artist Ambassador. A letter with Ronson’s signature was emailed Thursday (Sept. 5) to the Recording Academy’s 22,000 members, including voting, professional and GRAMMY U student members, urging them to join him in this nationwide rally.

“The music industry is changing faster than ever, and with those changes come challenges—whether it’s navigating the impact of artificial intelligence or tackling the issues surrounding live event ticketing,” Ronson wrote. “But these challenges are also our opportunities to shape the future of music.

“Music Advocacy Day is your unique opportunity as an Academy member to share your perspective on policies to prevent the misuse of A.I., protect your voice and likeness, and stop predatory ticketing practices to ensure we creators are getting equitably paid.”

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Ronson was in Washington, D.C., on May 1 for the Academy’s Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day, at which time he and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), among others.

“I saw firsthand the impact of sharing our stories with the people who represent us,” Ronson wrote in this letter. “Those conversations helped lead to meaningful outcomes on Capitol Hill, including the passage of the TICKET Act in the House, and the introduction of the NO FAKES Act in the Senate. Now, on Music Advocacy Day, we can build on the progress we’ve made and speak with our Congressional leaders at home in our local communities to ensure they hear our concerns.”

Recording Academy members can sign up for Music Advocacy Day by checking their inboxes for registration information or reaching out to their local chapter. But they don’t have much time to act. Registration closes on Friday (Sept. 6). The Academy notes that non-members can also participate by reaching out to their legislators through the Academy’s music advocacy action page.

Key issues that members of the Academy will address with legislators in their hometowns this year include:

Artificial Intelligence: Advocating for the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act, which is designed to protect Americans from fraudulent AI replicas.

Live Event Ticketing Reform: Advocating for the Fans First Act, legislation that safeguards artists and consumers from deceptive practices, provides transparency and restores integrity to the ticketing marketplace.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Music Advocacy Day, which the Academy calls the largest grassroots advocacy movement for music. On last year’s Music Advocacy Day, more than 1,700 Academy members engaged in nearly 100 meetings with lawmakers, according to the Academy.

Music Advocacy Day has helped achieve several legislative victories. Efforts from previous years have led to the enactment of the Music Modernization Act, which reformed music licensing for the streaming era, and the Save Our Stages Act, which provided needed financial support to music venues affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, advocacy efforts contributed to the passage of the CASE Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, further protecting music creators and consumers alike.

Ronson, 49, has won eight Grammys, including two awards for record of the year — one as producer of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and the other as artist and co-producer of his own megahit “Uptown Funk!,” featuring Bruno Mars. He also won an Oscar for co-writing the Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper hit “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.

Here’s the complete text of Ronson’s letter to Recording Academy members:

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my years in the studio, it’s that music has the power to move mountains. It’s more than just beats and lyrics; it’s the heartbeat of our culture. That’s why I’m reaching out to you today about something that’s close to my heart.

October 1st marks Music Advocacy Day, a day where we, as creators and members of the Recording Academy, come together across the country to make sure our voices are heard. The music industry is changing faster than ever, and with those changes come challenges—whether it’s navigating the impact of artificial intelligence or tackling the issues surrounding live event ticketing. But these challenges are also our opportunities to shape the future of music.

In this time of industry transformation, I am honored to serve as this year’s Music Advocacy Day Artist Ambassador and work alongside you to inspire a positive impact on our community. Earlier this year, I had the chance to speak with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. during GRAMMYs on the Hill, and I saw firsthand the impact of sharing our stories with the people who represent us. Those conversations helped lead to meaningful outcomes on Capitol Hill, including the passage of the TICKET Act in the House, and the introduction of the NO FAKES Act in the Senate. Now, on Music Advocacy Day, we can build on the progress we’ve made and speak with our Congressional leaders at home in our local communities to ensure they hear our concerns.

Music Advocacy Day is your unique opportunity as an Academy member to share your perspective on policies to prevent the misuse of A.I., protect your voice and likeness, and stop predatory ticketing practices to ensure we creators are getting equitably paid. On this day, you’re representing the millions of artists and producers – your peers – that need safeguards and protection. The Recording Academy will be with you every step of the way to provide resources and guidance.

I know how busy life gets, but this is a moment where our voices can truly make a difference. If you haven’t signed up for Music Advocacy Day yet, I urge you to do so. We’re a community of innovators and pioneers, and together, we can protect human creativity for generations to come.

Looking forward to championing the cause with you,

Mark Ronson”

Travis Scott’s ‘Days Before Rodeo’ Debuts at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

Travis Scott rounds up his fourth consecutive No. 1 project on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as Days Before Rodeo debuts atop the list dated Sept. 7. The mixtape, which received its first commercial and wide streaming release for its 10th anniversary, opens with 361,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the tracking week of Aug. 23-29, according to Luminate.

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Of Days Before Rodeo’s starting total, 331,000 units come through album sales, giving the mixtape the best sales week for any R&B/hip-hop title (either that has appeared on or is eligible for Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums) in more than seven years, since Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. sold 353,000 copies in its debut week of April 14-20, 2017. It also rewriters Scott’s personal best sales week for an album, eclipsing Astroworld, which opened with 270,000 copies in 2018.

The sales avalanche was aided by eight different editions of the Days Before Rodeo digital album, six of which were exclusively sold through Scott’s official webstore. Besides the standard 12-song version, the seven variants contained assorted bonus tracks, such as previously unreleased and teased studio cuts and chopped and screwed remixes of the album’s songs. All variants sold via Scott’s webstore were priced at $4.99, while versions available in the iTunes Store were also available for $4.99 at the end of the tracking week.

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Thanks to its six-figure arrival, Days Before Rodeo launches at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart.

Streaming activity contributes 30,000 units to Days Before Rodeo’s first-week sum, which represents 40.6 million official on-demand streams of the 12 songs on the album’s streaming edition. Track-equivalent albums comprise a negligible amount of activity.



With Days Before Rodeo, Scott lands his fourth straight chart-topper on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The streak began with 2016’s Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, a one-week leader, and continued with ASTROWORLD (five weeks, 2018) and Utopia (seven weeks, 2023). Of his five appearances, only Rodeo missed the top spot – debuting and peaking at No. 2 in 2015.

Days Before Rodeo was first released as a free mixtape on Aug. 18, 2014, and the 12-track set received its first commercial and official streaming release for its 10th anniversary, on Aug. 23. The night before the release, Scott celebrated with a concert at The Masquerade in Atlanta, where he performed 10 of the project’s songs among other tracks.

Elsewhere, Days Before Rodeo begins at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart, where it becomes Scott’s fifth champ – the entirety of his charting releases.

Seven Days Before Rodeo tracks reach the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, led by “Drugs You Should Try It” at No. 13. Here’s a full review of the cuts:

  • No. 13, “Drugs You Should Try It”
  • No. 26, “Mamacita,” featuring Young Thug & Rich Homie Quan
  • No. 28, “Skyfall,” featuring Young Thug
  • No. 36, “Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer”
  • No. 38, “Don’t Play,” featuring Big Sean + The 1975
  • No. 39, “Quintana Pt. 2”
  • No. 46, “Backyard”

Beyond his new additions, Scott appears on two more tunes on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs this week: “Parking Lot,” his collaboration with Mustard, slides 21-23 after previously getting to a No. 17 best, while prior No. 2 hit “Type Shit” with Future, Metro Boomin and Playboi Carti slips 15-16.

Jay Wheeler & Zhamira Zambrano Welcome Their First Baby: See the Photos

Jay Wheeler and Zhamira Zambrano are first-time parents! The couple announced the exciting news in a joint post on Wednesday (Sept. 4).

“Welcome princess, we love you with our life,” reads the caption, which accompanies two adorable photos in which the newborn’s tiny feet and hands are shown.

The Puerto Rican artist and Venezuelan emerging act first announced they were expecting their first child on June 13 via a collaboration post on Instagram. “Bienvenida,” read the caption alongside four images of the couple embracing each other lovingly.

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To coincide with the news, Zambrano also released a single called “Bienvenida,” with a music video that documented her pregnancy. “My life is about to change in a couple more months,” she croons sweetly against a slow pop ballad.

Wheeler and Zambrano tied the knot in December, and that same month dropped their second collaborative effort, “Extrañándote,” following “Dícelo” in 2022. The former earned Zambrano her first top 10 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart and Wheeler his third. They also performed the song at the 2024 Latin American Music Awards this April.

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Zambrano will be participating in the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, joining previously announced artists such as J Balvin, Alejandro Sanz, Peso Pluma, Maria Becerra and Gloria Estefan, to name a few.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Billboard Latin Music Week — the “most important week in Latin music” — will take place Oct. 14-18 at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Tickets are already available for purchase here.

See Wheeler and Zambrano’s baby announcement below:

Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson’s ‘Symphony’ Leads TikTok Billboard Top 50 for Second Week

The top two of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart remains the same, with Clean Bandit’s “Symphony” and Surf Curse’s “Disco” at Nos. 1 and 2, while Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” nears the top by jumping 9-3 on the ranking dated Sept. 7.

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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Symphony,” which features Zara Larsson, logs a second week at No. 1 after debuting at the top of the Aug. 31 tally. That’s as streams of the 2017 track continue to rise, accruing 1.5 million official U.S. streams in the week ending Aug. 29, up 84%, according to Luminate. (The song reached No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in 2017.)

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As mentioned in the article announcing the Aug. 31-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50, “Symphony” is driven on TikTok by a trend using a meme featuring colorful dolphins, often with captions that go against the lively photos and videos and take a darker tone. Larsson herself eventually used the meme in the background during one of her concerts as a nod to the trend.

Surf Curse’s “Disco” remains at No. 2 via a two-person trend, begetting yet another rise in streams to 2.8 million in the week ending Aug. 29 (up 67%).

Carpenter’s “Taste” sports a big gain at No. 3, up from its No. 9 debut Aug. 31 that occurred despite just three days of tracking following its Aug. 23 release. With a full week of data, it rises to No. 3, concurrent with its No. 2 debut on the Billboard Hot 100, as previously reported.

“Taste” benefits from a feature in which users can create a custom frame by using the song, as well as lip-synch clips and content reposting the song’s music video.

Overall, Carpenter sports three appearances on the latest TikTok Billboard Top 50. “Bed Chem” debuts at No. 18, while “Please Please Please,” which peaked at No. 2 in June, ranks at No. 36.

“Die With a Smile,” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, and Alphaville’s “Forever Young” round out the top five, both reaching the region for the first time. The former, which debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and currently appears at No. 6 on the multimetric survey, is largely driven by romance-themed uploads (homecoming proposals, edits of popular TV shows and movies, lip-synchs, etc.). “Forever Young,” No. 65 on the Hot 100 in 1988, is similarly buoyed by fictional character edits, plus clips reminiscing about the passage of time.

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

Charli XCX & Troye Sivan Say Pop Is in Good Hands With Chappell Roan: ‘This Is Not an Anomaly’

Brat summer may be over, but Charli XCX and Troye Sivan both agree that the future of pop music is in good hands.

In a new cover story with i-D, Charli and Troye broke down their respective careers and friendship, while teasing what’s to come from their highly anticipated fall tour. During the conversation, the pair was asked about the state of the pop genre — and both said that artists such as themselves and Chappell Roan were helping keep pop music fun.

“I think it’s a really interesting time in pop music, where [being] niche is being rewarded in a way that we haven’t seen for a while,” Charli said. “It feels like there’s this new wave of artists with different ambitions and cultural touchpoints who are really thriving in mainstream culture. And I think that’s myself, that’s Troye, that’s Chappell [Roan].”

Most of those cultural touchpoints, she explained, are inherently queer, marking a watershed moment for LGBTQ representation in mainstream music. “When I think about the three of us, that’s a lot of music that either is inherently a part of queer culture or is very much inspired by it and that’s super cool,” she said. “You have so many artists being outwardly gay and talking about drag culture. It’s cool that this is not an anomaly anymore.”

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Sivan agreed with the “360” singer’s assessment, adding that part of what makes Roan and Charli’s successes over the last few months so interesting is the fact that both of them are making the same kind of music they’ve been making. “It’s not like you guys have changed your approach. It doesn’t feel like you’re actively striving to get the masses or anything like that,” he explained. “To me, it comes across as the most authentic, real vulnerable version of you and that’s the one that’s connected.”

The duo is currently preparing for the upcoming North American Sweat Tour, which kicks off in Detroit on Saturday, Sept. 14. During the pair’s conversation, Charli gave fans a small tease of what to expect from the live show: “The staging is f–king crazy. I mean, not to hype it up too much, but it’s great.”

This Is Going to Ruin the Tour: How Has the Justin Timberlake Tour Done So Far?

Despite his high-profile arrest for a DUI on June 18 on Long Island, Justin Timberlake didn’t see much impact on the ticket sales for his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which is on track to gross more than $250 million over 87 dates, according to Billboard Boxscore data.

The estimated sales figure means each concert has generated about $2.8 million so far, before the tour stopped reported grosses when it crossed over into Europe, where he is playing 27 dates across Poland, Germany, Belgium, the U.K., the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and France. While there’s not much data on how European tickets are selling, there’s no indication that sales have fallen off. In fact, in the months leading up to it, there were plenty of signs that Forget Tomorrow was one of the strongest selling tours of Timberlake’s career.

In the immediate aftermath of Timberlake’s arrest — which produced the singer’s reported response, “This is going to ruin the tour,” which became a viral meme — prices on secondary sites for some of his shows did drop, in some cases to as low as $20 per ticket. But those drops were likely publicity stunts by resellers trying to drive traffic to their websites. Prices on the secondary market have since recovered: His Sept. 4 concert in Hamburg, Germany is selling for slightly over face value, with some floor tickets selling for 250 euros ($277), about 25% higher than face value for those seats.

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Prices get even higher on the secondary market in the U.S. when the tour returns in October, starting Oct. 6 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. While there are a handful of tickets listed below $75, the majority are marked up significantly, with lower bowl tickets selling for double the face value at more than $250 each and floor seats moving for over $400.

Even as the tour moves into softer markets like Orlando, Fla., and Milwaukee, prices on secondary resellers are holding strong and going for three to four times face value. By the time the Forget Tomorrow World Tour ends on Dec. 20 in St. Louis, it will very likely rank as one of the top 10 tours of the year and be remembered as one of Timberlake’s most profitable runs.

Travis Kelce’s Reps Slam ‘Entirely False’ PR Plan for Taylor Swift Breakup, Considering Legal Action 

The rumors are terrible and cruel, but honey … this one isn’t true. An alleged media plan outlining Travis Kelce‘s supposed publicity strategy in the event of a breakup with Taylor Swift has sent fans spiraling this week, but according to the football player’s reps, the whole thing is fake news — and they’re considering taking legal action against whoever made it up.  

In a statement shared with E! News Thursday (Sept. 5), Kelce’s reps at Full Scope Public Relations wholly denied that the papers circulating online — which bear the agency’s logo at the top and the title “Comprehensive Media Plan for Travis Kelce’s Public Relations Following Breakup with Taylor Swift” — have any validity.  

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“These documents are entirely false and fabricated and were not created, issued, or authorized by this agency,” the spokesperson wrote. “We have engaged our legal team to initiate proceedings against the individuals or entities responsible for the unlawful and injurious forgery of documents.” 

Billboard has reached out to Full Scope and Swift’s team for comment. 

The statement from the athlete’s reps comes just ahead of his first Kansas City Chiefs game this season, which kicks off Thursday (Sept. 5). Kelce and his teammates will face off against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium, where all eyes will be on the box suites to see if the “Anti-Hero” singer — who’s currently on break from her global Eras Tour — is in the building to support her boyfriend.  

By all accounts, the couple is going as strong as ever — and so is Swift’s interest in the NFL. According to Kelce, as well as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the pop superstar has a new hobby of drawing up plays for the team to use on the field, though the tight end notes that she’s “a little biased” and tends to only make up on-field strategies for him.  

“She had just been so open to learning the game,” Kelce added on The Rich Eisen Show Sept. 3. “I think what makes her so good in her profession is that she’s so detailed in every aspect of it, from the words to her music and even the releases and the music videos and everything. She’s just so detailed and a part of it, that I think she was just curious about the profession.”