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Taylor Swift and Sophie Turner had their latest girls’ night out Sunday (Oct. 1), this time at the Chiefs-Jets game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Joined by a group of the pop star’s close friends, the pair was cheering on Swift’s rumored romantic interest Travis Kelce in a box suite alongside Ryan Reynolds, Blake […]
The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to New York this weekend, and who better to soundtrack their expedition than the West Village’s own Taylor Swift? In a new NBC television commercial the pop star’s ode to NYC “Welcome to New York” was used as background pump-up music for a series of clips promoting the Kansas […]
Taylor Swift is getting tight with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce‘s teammates. During a press conference Wednesday (Sept. 27), Patrick Mahomes revealed that he got to meet the pop star at the team’s game-day afterparty over the weekend, noting that Kelce’s rumored new love interest is “really cool.”
The party in question was reportedly hosted at Prime Social in Kansas City soon after the Chiefs triumphed over the Bears on Sunday, a matchup at Arrowhead Stadium notably attended by Swift. The singer, who was seen cheering Kelce on alongside his mother, Donna, left for the celebration with #87 at her side after the game.
“She’s really cool, good people,” Mahomes recalled.
Shortly before the party, the quarterback had told reporters that he hoped to meet Swift eventually, saying she was “a tremendous singer, tremendous at everything she does.” “I haven’t got to meet her, but I guess if she ends up being with Travis, then I will probably get to meet her at some point,” he said in a postgame interview Sunday. “She seems like a good person. Hopefully, I get to meet her one day.”
Now that he has brushed shoulders with Swift, though, Mahomes says he doesn’t plan on sharing any more about the Grammy winner in the future. “But like Trav said, man, I’m going to let them have their privacy and just keep it moving,” he added Wednesday.
The sentiment echoes Kelce’s own remarks on his recent New Heights podcast episode, in which he told his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, that he’ll be drawing the curtain on his relationship with Swift from now on. “It is my personal life and I want to respect both of our lives,” he said before joking, “She’s not in the media as much as I am, doing this show every single week … I’m enjoying life, and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend.”
Watch Patrick Mahomes recall meeting Taylor Swift below:
Brothers Jason and Travis Kelce just shared their first New Heights podcast episode since Taylor Swift made headlines with her Kansas City Chiefs game visit over the weekend — and of course, they had to talk about it.
After conceding that the siblings had, up until now, been steering clear of the subject on the show “out of respect” for Travis’ personal life, the Chiefs tight end joked, “Yeah, my personal life that’s not so personal. I did this to myself, Jason!” He also noted on the episode — which dropped Wednesday (Sept. 27) — that he’s under a brighter spotlight now following Swift’s visit to Kansas City. “I’m on a roller coaster, man!” he said. “I’m noticing a few things — paparazzi outside my house, s–t like that.”
“Shoutout to Taylor for pulling up!” he continued. “That was pretty ballsy. That was pretty ballsy, yeah. I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her, the friends and family — she looked amazing. Everybody was talking about her in great light and on top of that, the day went perfect for Chiefs fans, of course.”
In case you somehow missed it, the “Anti-Hero” singer was the guest of honor — at Travis’ invitation — at Sunday’s Chiefs-Bears game at Arrowhead Stadium, where she was captured cheering on Travis’ team and talking excitedly with the Kelces’ mother, Donna. Afterward, she left the stadium with the younger Kelce in his convertible, something that has fans more convinced than ever that a romance has sprung up between the two stars after weeks of speculation.
“To see the slow-motion chest bumps, to see the high-fives with Mom, to see how Chiefs Kingdom was all excited that she was there,” Travis added. “It was definitely a game I’ll remember, that’s for d–n sure. Then we just slid off in the getaway car at the end. Took my Chevelle to the game.”
Unfortunately for Travlor shippers, it doesn’t seem like the Kansas City player has any plans to share more about his connection with Swift, whom he first admitted to having a crush on after failing to slip her his phone number at an Eras Tour concert in May. “It is my personal life and I want to respect both of our lives,” he told his brother before joking, “She’s not in the media as much as I am, doing this show every single week … I’m enjoying life, and I sure as hell enjoyed this weekend.”
“Everything moving forward, I think me talking about sports … is kinda where I keep it,” he added.
Travis and Jason did, however, take some time to answer some basic football questions sent in by Swifties who, in light of recent events, have taken a new interest in the NFL. The two also reacted to some of the most newsworthy comments made about the public interest caused by Swift’s attendance Sunday, including Patriots manager Bill Belichick joking that the musician might just turn into the “biggest catch” of Travis’ career.
“Even Bill Belichick! Belichick, he hasn’t talked much about me outside of, you know, game weeks that we played,” Kelce laughed. “But dude made sure to remind me that’s the best catch I’ve ever had in my life!”
Watch Travis Kelce talk about Taylor Swift’s Chiefs game appearance below:
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Jason Kelce has given a much-desired update on the status of his brother Travis Kelce‘s relationship status with Taylor Swift, a rumored match that sent the world into a frenzy after the pop star attended Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears game at Arrowhead Stadium.
In a new interview with DeCamara & Ritchie on Audacy’s SportsRadio 94 WIP, the elder Kelce — who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles — fielded questions about Swift’s time in Kansas City over the weekend, during which she spent the NFL game passionately cheering for Travis’ team in a private box suite alongside the Kelces’ mother, Donna, before leaving the stadium with the Chiefs tight end. Swift’s attendance — which has been commented upon by everyone in football from Patrick Mahomes to Bill Belichick — definitely didn’t dispel rumors that the musician and athlete may be dating, which began surfacing in recent months after Travis confessed in May to having a crush on Swift.
“It was fun watching the whole world take it in, to be honest with you,” Jason told the radio show Wednesday morning (Sept. 27). “But yeah, I’m more focused on talking to Trav and Mom after the game and seeing how everything went, and hopefully, everything went smoothly for her.”
“I saw videos of the brigade that the Chiefs had to put outside the suite that she was in – you just hope that somebody of her level and stature can enjoy the game,” he continued, touching on the global superstar’s security needs. “And it certainly, I mean, seemed like she was enjoying it from all accounts and everybody I talked to, so you’re kind of just hoping that she had a good time, and you’re asking questions about her to your mom and whatnot.”
The Eagles offensive lineman went on to address whether his brother and Swift had taken things to the next level following Sunday’s game — although, much like the rest of the world, he doesn’t know that much about it. “I wish I could tell you. I have gotten no inclination from Travis as to what his batting percentage has been or anything like that,” he admitted.
Jason did share, however, that he believes his little bro is opting to take things slow with the “Anti-Hero” singer. “I would say with this one, it definitely seems like he is going above and beyond to be a gentleman,” said the Eagles’ center. “I think that he can probably handle both of those gears when necessary.”
His latest comments on “Travlor” come about a week after he first fueled the rumor mill by joking that the speculation about his brother’s love life was “one hundred percent true.” Now, he clarifies that he was “just trying to be sarcastic.”
Said Jason: “I’m happy that it finally happened out in the public side, so I can hopefully stop being asked questions about it.”
J. Cole would like NY Jets fans to change their famous chant from J-E-T-S! to “Kap-Kap-Kap!”
On Tuesday (Sept. 26), Cole posted a letter he said he obtained from exiled NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, in which the player who famously got sidelined after taking a knee during the National Anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in 2016 offered up his services to the Jets in the wake of the week-one injury to Aaron Rodgers. Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017 after his protest made international headlines and offered himself up as a free agent, but the six-year veteran has not had any offers from another NFL team since.
“I asked Colin @kaepernick7 if I could share this letter with the world. He was reluctant,” Cole said of the note dated Sept. 21. “My argument was that I believe the people and all organizations should know the truth about how hard he works and how much he still wants to play. And always has. In the end, he agreed to let me.”
In his note, the former San Francisco 49ers QB told the Jets’ GM Joe Douglas that he would be “honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad.” At press time it did not appear that Kaepernick had posted the letter on his socials, or commented on Cole posting it.
“I’m writing, of course, in response to the unfortunate loss of Aaron Rodgers. I know the aspirations this season were, and still are, to win a championship, and so that Hall of Fame sized hole will need to be filled as best as possible to keep the team on a Super Bowl track,” Kaepernick wrote in his note about the loss of the legendary Rodgers, who went down with a torn Achilles tendon just four plays into his first season with the Jets.
“As of right now, Zach Wilson is charged with that task, and I wish him and the rest of the team the best moving forward,” Kaepernick continued. “However, I know that there are currently depth issues at the position, and I’ve heard that the back-up spot is likely to be filled by a veteran Quarterback. As much as I would love the opportunity to fill that spot, I’m writing you in hopes that you can imagine a much different approach involving me.”
Kaep said he would be happy to lead the practice squad in an effort to help the team’s defense be ready each week by giving them the advantage of getting a “truer read on the more mobile/athletic/versatile quarterbacks it will face in weeks 4, 5, and 6 (Mahomes, Wilson, and Hurts.”
It would also, of course, allow the team to get a look at where Kaepernick is at this point, football-wise, after more than six years on the shelf. Kaepernick assured the Jets that he has not stopped training since his exile, working out every weekday, while attaching a list of references that included Michigan head coach (and former 49ers coach) Jim Harbaugh, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and UCLA head coach (and former 49ers coach) Chip Kelly.
Rumors about Kaepernick’s availability and interest have been swirling for several weeks, following the Rodgers loss that instantly deflated title chances for the Jets, who are currently mired in the longest active playoff drought in the league at 12 seasons.
“I wish the @nyjets organization luck. My boy @bas is a big ass fan so I saw the heartbreak of every Jets fan when Arod went down,” added Cole, who shouted out CKaep on the 2018 Miguel track “Come Through and Chill,” where he rhymed, “In case my lack of reply had you catchin’ them feelings/ Know you’ve been on my mind like Kaepernick kneelin’/ Or police killings, or Trump sayin’ slick s–t.”
“@richeisen Everyone from players, to coaches, to execs are feeling the pressure I’m sure. I hope y’all can turn it around, and I hope there’s a spot out there for my boy Kap.”
See Cole’s post below.
Usher is likely to use the world’s biggest stage at Super Bowl LVIII in February to promote his first major tour in nearly a decade and become the first act to launch a tour from the big game in seven years, sources tell Billboard.
Following the NFL’s announcement Sunday that the R&B icon will take over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 as the game’s halftime show performer, sources say Usher’s team has been busy placing holds on arenas around the world. That same team is expected to spend the next four-and-a-half months routing, confirming and finalizing a 2024 global tour that sources expect will be ready to go on sale moments after he steps off the stage.
Over the past two years, Usher has made a home on the Las Vegas Strip with two residencies at the The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Dolby Live at Park MGM (for Usher: The Las Vegas Residency and My Way: The Vegas Residency, respectively). Combined, his residencies have earned $83 million and sold 374,000 tickets from 79 shows, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, and Billboard estimates that his Vegas earnings should exceed $100 million by early December. That’s more than any of Usher’s prior tours, topping 2010-11’s OMG Tour, which brought in $76 million — and coincidentally lined up with the singer’s previous Super Bowl halftime appearance, when he made a cameo during The Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 set. His last major tour was 2014–15’s The UR Experience Tour.
Usher will also use the halftime show as a platform to launch a new album release. The Atlanta superstar will drop his ninth studio album and his first since 2016, called Coming Home, on the same day as the Super Bowl. Last year, more than 115 million people tuned in for the Super Bowl, according to the NFL, showing viewership of the annual championship game continues to grow even as more Americans “cut the cord” with their cable providers and seek out digital streaming alternatives. Despite the increase in eyeballs, the number of artists making tour announcements or adjustments have dropped dramatically.
It has been seven years since an artist took advantage of Super Bowl halftime show’s massive viewership to announce a new tour — the last was Lady Gaga in 2017. The reason for that is likely two-fold. First, there are more artists touring than ever before, making it difficult for artists to time their touring plans and album cycles around a February announcement date, especially when halftime performers aren’t typically announced until September. The second change was a new partnership with Jay-Z and Roc Nation in 2019 to curate and book the halftime show, which has favored collaborative spectacles over single artist promotion with performances by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl and Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar at the 2022 Super Bowl.
Looking at the last five Super Bowl halftime shows, from 2018 to 2022, only two were linked to tour announcements: In 2018, Justin Timberlake, announced additional dates for his Man of the Woods Tour including second American leg for Man of the Woods following his Super Bowl LII halftime performance at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. And, in 2021, The Weeknd announced the long-awaited rescheduled dates for his After Hours Tour along with 39 new shows in North America and Europe after his Super Bowl performance. (Eight months later, those rescheduled dates were cancelled a second time, and the tour was upgraded to stadiums for summer 2022.)
The preceding five-year period, 2017-2013, was far busier — four out of five of the halftime shows from this period were linked to major tour announcements.
The last artist to announce a tour immediately following their performance at the Super Bowl was Lady Gaga in 2017. The singer began her remarkable set by descending from the top of Houston’s NRG Stadium onto an on-field stage to perform “Just Dance,” “Bad Romance,” “Poker Face”. After her show wrapped, a post on her Twitter account teased out a world tour, and then hours later a follow-up tweet directed fans to website where fans could buy tickets. Coldplay’s halftime performance in 2016 led to two major tour announcements: one for the band’s Head Full of Dreams Tour and another for their halftime co-star Beyoncé’s Formation Tour. Beyonce also announced The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour following 2013 Super Bowl performance, while Bruno Mars announced new dates for his Moonshine Jungle Tour following his 2014 halftime show performance in 2014.
Additional reporting by Eric Frankenberg.
Once again, Taylor Swift lifts all boats. After Tay spent her Sunday afternoon cheering on Kansan City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce from a box at Arrowhead Stadium alongside Travis’ mom, the star is already starting to feel the Swift Effect. “Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top five selling NFL players and saw […]
It’s official! Usher is set to headline next year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, he announced on Sunday (Sept. 24). “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” […]
Patrick Mahomes is officially this week’s “MVW” — Most Valuable Wingman. After learning that Taylor Swift was in attendance at Sunday night’s (Sept. 24) Chiefs vs. Bears game to watch her rumored love interest Travis Kelce in action, the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback joked that he felt extra pressure to throw the Chief’s tight end a touchdown-scoring catch so that Kelce could properly impress the pop star.
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“I heard she was in the house,” Mahomes said in a post-game interview, moments after his team secured a 41-10 victory over the Bears. “I felt a little bit of pressure. I knew I had to get [the ball] to Trav.”
Indeed, he did. About halfway through the game’s third quarter, Kelce caught a sparkling pass from Mahomes in the end zone. After the play, Swift was seen next to Kelce’s mom, Donna, banging on the glass of their private box suite and cheering.
“I think he wanted to get in the end zone just as much as all the Swifties wanted him to,” added Mahomes, when asked whether he felt extra heat from Swift’s fans to make Kelce look good.
The musician’s surprise appearance at Arrowhead Stadium adds fuel to rumors that she may be dating Kelce, who confessed in July to having a crush on her after his unsuccessful attempt to slip her his phone number at an Eras Tour concert. Last week, he told press that he had invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to attend one of his games, an offer she clearly took him up on. After the game, Swift was seen leaving the stadium with Kelce.
Later, in a press conference, Mahomes recalled the way he found out from Kelce that Swift would be making an appearance at the Chiefs-Bears game. “He told me at the last minute,” he told reporters, according to Fox Sports. “There’s some things with Trav where he kind of just says it and you don’t know if it’s true or not … He was like, ‘Yeah, I think she’s coming to the game this weekend,’ and then moved about his business.”
“Yeah, I mean she’s a pop star, she’s a tremendous singer, tremendous at everything she does,” added the quarterback. “I haven’t got to meet her but I guess if she ends up being with Travis then I will probably get to meet her at some point. She seems like a good person. Hopefully I get to meet her one day.”
Watch Patrick Mahomes weigh in on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rumored romance below: