Travis Kelce gushes over Taylor Swift in GQ story: 'We're just two people that are in love'
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end opened up about the blinding spotlight of being Swift's "plus one" and how he's navigating the pressure, in the more than 6,000 worded article written by Simon and Schuster publisher Sean Manning.
"When there is not a camera on us, we're just two people that are in love," Kelce said. "It can be perceived as something else because of how much it is talked about and how much we are tracked whenever we do go out, but I would say that it's as normal of. … It happened very organically even though from a media standpoint it was being tracked. It still happened very organically."
Taylor Swift announces new album: What to know about 'The Life of a Showgirl'
Kelce said one of the most refreshing parts of dating Swift has been realizing how similar their worlds are.
"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," he said. "That was very relatable, seeing how exhausted she would get after shows. 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."
Taylor Swift is 'electric,' Travis Kelce says in GQ
Kelce and Swift have dated since the summer of 2023, which Swift revealed began "when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she said in her Time magazine Person of the Year article.
"We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other," Swift said in Time. "By the time I went to that first game," the Chiefs versus Bears game in September 2023, where she watched from a suite, "we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."
Kelce followed her to 14 concert stops along the Eras Tour, and she changed the "Karma" lyrics every night he attended to, "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."
In the GQ article, Kelce called the show "electric" and said he's amazed by the singer-songwriter's stamina.
'Karma is the guy on the Chiefs': Taylor Swift sings about Travis Kelce on Eras Tour
"To go out on a stage, on a computer, essentially, for three hours," he says. "The (Eras Tour) 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."
Taylor Swift's 12th era involves Travis Kelce
Swift included her boyfriend and his brother in announcing her newest project, "The Life of a Showgirl."
At 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12, a "New Heights" podcast teaser video showed Swift and Kelce next to each other as she revealed to Jason Kelce the album cover.
Kelce has become the conduit of news for Swift. In addition to changing the lyrics, she invited him on stage during her showgirl portion of the show to carry her into "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart." She also did a last-minute surprise at Tight End University, an event he cohosts, performing "Shake It Off."
Although he doesn't say when his last season will be with the NFL, Kelce told GQ, "Nowadays, I just want to be respected and loved by the people that I'm surrounded by in my work.
"I want to leave it better than where it was when I started," he said, before invoking Swift. "And I see her having those same values."
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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Taylor Swift Hints At Wednesday Night Announcement With New Countdown
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Yahoo
an hour ago
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Taylor Swift's 50 Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits
At 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12, Taylor Swift revealed her forthcoming 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The set will surely be another Billboard chart behemoth for the superstar, kicking off her next era in a chart career that began 19 years ago. More from Billboard Oasis Announce Locations For Live '25 Fan Stores Ahead of North American Dates Twenty One Pilots Hosting 'Breach' Album Listening Parties at Record Stores Across the U.S. and Globe Zoë Kravitz and Mom Lisa Bonet 'Destroyed' Taylor Swift's Bathroom Looking For Pet Snake During L.A. Wildfires: 'I Was Panicking' On the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated Sept. 23, 2006, Swift made her arrival as her debut single, 'Tim McGraw,' entered at No. 86. (It was already scaling the Hot Country Songs chart at the time.) Since then, Swift has become one of the most accomplished artists in the Hot 100's entire history. As of the Hot 100 dated Aug. 16, 2025, Swift boasts 264 career charted titles – the most among women. Her 59 top 10s and 165 top 40 hits (of which 'Tim McGraw' became her first, rising to No. 40) are also the most among women, while her 12 No. 1s place her in a tie for the sixth-most leaders among all acts. Swift, having deftly traversed country, pop, adult alternative and more genres, has consistently added to her Hot 100 legacy. In 2012, she scored her first No. 1 with 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' while in 2021, she defied the belief that pop music caters only to shorter attention spans, as, thanks to an update of a fan favorite, she notched the longest No. 1 single in the survey's archives: 'All Too Well (Taylor's Version),' at 10 minutes and 13 seconds in length. A year later, Swift achieved the unprecedented feat of monopolizing the Hot 100's top 10 in a single frame, as, on the chart dated Nov. 5, 2022, she infused the region with 10 tracks from her 2022 album Midnights, led by the No. 1 launch of the set's lead single, 'Anti-Hero.' On the May 4, 2024, Hot 100 she rewrote her own record, charting the entire top 14 titles with songs from her LP The Tortured Poets Department. Meanwhile, beyond her chart triumphs, Swift was honored as the first Woman of the Decade at Billboard's 2019 Women In Music celebration, not just for her commercial success, but for her commitment to protecting creative rights, music education, literacy programs, cancer research, disaster relief and the Time's Up initiative. Plus, when she was unable to reclaim the masters of her first six albums, she forged a new path by re-recording her catalog, and earning even more chart honors in the process, including her 2023 Hot 100 No. 1 'Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) [From the Vault].' (Swift revealed on May 30, 2025, that she had regained ownership of her masters from Shamrock Capital.) Of all of Swift's songs, which are her biggest Hot 100 hits? Browse the list below, ranking her top titles from No. 50 to No. 1. Taylor Swift's 50 Biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through Aug. 16, 2025). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods. 50. 'Fearless' Fearless' title track braved a No. 9 peak. 49. 'Bejeweled' The dazzling Midnights track peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100. 48. 'Sparks Fly' This Speak Now fan favorite captivated fans like a fireworks display with a No. 17 peak. 47. 'Begin Again' 'Begin Again' began with a spot in the top 10 upon its release, debuting at a peak position of No. 7. 46. 'Picture To Burn'This fiery debut-era hit scorched past the top 40 benchmark with a No. 28 peak in 2008. 45. 'Should've Said No' Swift's uptempo country jam, the final single off her 2006 self-titled debut, peaked at No. 33 on the Hot 100. 44. 'Midnight Rain' The regretful Midnights track peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 in November 2022. 43. 'Everything Has Changed' feat. Ed Sheeran The Red duet peaked at No. 32 on the Hot 100 after being released as a single in 2013. 42. 'Tim McGraw'Swift's Hot 100 debut — the country love song that started it all — reached No. 40 on the Hot 100. It also became her first of 36 top 10s to date on Hot Country Songs. 41. 'Eyes Open' The second Hunger Games soundtrack single from Swift, 'Eyes Open' peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 following its 2012 release. 40. 'Red' The rockin' promo single from the 2012 album of the same name exploded onto the Hot 100 at No. 6. 39. 'Down Bad' The track from 2024's The Tortured Poets Department debuted at its No. 2 Hot 100 high. 38. 'Ours' Swift's plaintive, banjo-featuring single off Speak Now debuted and peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100. 37. 'Mean'Swift clapped back at her critics (rumors suggest music industry analyst Bob Lefsetz as the specific target) with 'Mean,' which debuted (and peaked) at No. 11 in 2010. The track won Swift a pair of Grammys at the 2012 ceremony: best country song and best country solo performance. 36. 'Highway Don't Care' Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift Swift revisited her roots and, in the process, teamed with the title subject of her debut hit with this feature on McGraw's 2013 album Two Lanes of Freedom. The collab drove to No. 22 on the Hot 100. 35. 'Fifteen' This confessional 2009 song — which shouts out the singer's original #squad member and best friend Abigail Anderson — evidently resonated with teens everywhere, peaking at No. 23. 34. 'All Too Well (Taylor's Version)' When Swift rerecorded her 2012 LP Red in 2021 as Red (Taylor's Version), she expanded 'All Too Well' to its original 10-minute length. The new version topped the Hot 100 and became the longest song to hit No. 1 on that chart. 33. '22' The Swift/Max Martin collab '22' was the sixth Red single to hit the Hot 100's top 20, peaking at No. 20. 32. '…Ready for It?' The song gave Swift a fab honor: when it debuted at its No. 4 Hot 100 peak in September 2017, it became Swift's 72nd Hot 100 entry … one more than The Beatles' career total. 31. 'Cardigan''Cardigan,' the lead single from Swift's pandemic album Folklore, signaled a return to her singer-songwriter roots as she branched out into the indie and folk music realms. Co-written and produced by The National's Aaron Dessner, 'Cardigan' topped the Hot 100. 30. 'Lover' The title track from Swift's seventh studio album, released in 2019, found strong public reception after a performance on that year's MTV Video Music Awards. As the album impacted the Billboard charts, the resulting activity pushed this composition to No. 10 on the Hot 100. 29. 'White Horse' The Grammy Award-winning track (best country song, best female country vocal performance) galloped to a No. 13 peak on the Hot 100. 28. 'Today Was a Fairytale' This ode to a dream date, fittingly off 2010's Valentine's Day soundtrack, debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. 27. 'Two Is Better Than One' Boys Like Girls feat. Taylor Swift Power-poppers Boys Like Girls brought in Swift for the assist on this 2009 single, which peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100. 26. 'Willow''Willow,' the lead single from Swift's ninth studio album Evermore, debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, continuing in the understated folk singer-songwriter vein of her previous album, Folklore. 25. 'I Can Do It With a Broken Heart' Swift's ode to faking it 'til you make it, a confessional and intimate reflection despite its bouncy beat, peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 upon its debut. Promoted as the second proper single from 2024's The Tortured Poets Department, it spent more than six months on the chart. 24. 'Back to December' Rumored to be about Swift's short-lived relationship with Taylor Lautner, the ballad entered and crested at No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 2010. 23. 'Lavender Haze' The loved-up opening Midnights song peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. 22. 'Delicate' The fourth Reputation single, a gentle, enveloping midtempo ballad, stood in stark contrast with its three immediate predecessors. The switch-up had welcome results, cruising to No. 12 on the Hot 100 while slowly but steadily rising to top of the Pop Airplay chart. 21. 'Me!' feat. Brendon Urie A 180-degree turn from the dark Reputation, 'Me!' is a bouncy, celebratory track that finds Swift at her most saccharine sweet alongside Panic! at The Disco frontman Brendon Urie. The pair's collab, the lead single from Swift's 2019 album Lover, surged to No. 2 on the Hot 100. 20. 'You Need To Calm Down'As Swift advocated for Democratic political causes in late 2018, the singer infused an overt political tone into her songs for the first time with this 2019 Lover cut. Its lyrics supported LGBTQ causes, feminism and self-empowerment, and secured a No. 2 Hot 100 hit for the singer's resume. The video, with many LGBTQ stars making cameos, also ended a multi-year feud with Katy Perry, as the two reunite and embrace in the clip. 19. 'Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) [From the Vault]' 'Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) [From the Vault]' from 1989 (Taylor's Version) hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in November 2023. 18. 'Our Song' Swift's third single, released in 2007, climbed to No. 16 on the Hot 100 and became her first of nine No. 1s to date on Hot Country Songs. 17. 'Fortnight' feat. Post Malone Chart fans surely appreciate that the lead single from 2024's The Tortured Poets Department spent, fittingly per its title, two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. 16. 'Karma' feat. Ice Spice Boosted by a remix and music video featuring Ice Spice, this Midnights single peaked at No. 2 in June 2023. 15. 'Teardrops on My Guitar' Swift's breakout pop crossover single peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 2008. 14. 'Mine' The lead single off Speak Now — a rollicking country breakup song — made a No. 3 splash on the Hot 100 in 2010. 13. 'Look What You Made Me Do'The lead single from Swift's fifth No. 1 Billboard 200 album, Reputation, likewise became her fifth No. 1 song on the Hot 100, reaching the summit in September 2017. 12. 'Style' Entering the chart after Swift performed the track at the 2014 Victoria's Secret fashion show, the third single from 1989 peaked at No. 6. 11. 'Wildest Dreams'The chemistry of Swift, Max Martin and Shellback remained infallible with 'Wildest Dreams,' which peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 in November 2015. 10. 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)' with Zayn Swift released the brooding Zayn duet as her first post-1989 single. The Fifty Shades Darker song rose to No. 2 on the Hot 100 in March 2017. 9. 'Bad Blood' feat. Kendrick Lamar Fueled by a #squad-flaunting video (and a highly anticipated appearance by Kendrick Lamar), Swift's diss track hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 for one week following the clip's debut at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. 8. 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together'Swift's first Hot 100 No. 1, the critically-acclaimed single confirmed Swift's crossover appeal, staying at the top for three weeks following its 2012 release. 7. 'I Knew You Were Trouble.' The irresistible anthem from Red debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in October 2012, eventually peaking at No. 2. 6. 'Love Story'The melodic masterpiece, and fairytale-themed lead single off Fearless, peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 2009. 5. 'Blank Space' Swift became the first woman to replace herself at No. 1 on the Hot 100, as the second single off 1989 dethroned 'Shake It Off.' 'Blank Space' spent seven weeks on top in 2014-15. 4. 'You Belong With Me' The monster crossover hit dominated airwaves in 2009, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100. It also became the first country song to top the all-genre Radio Songs chart (after 'Love Story' had reached No. 2) since its start in 1990. 3. 'Anti-Hero' The lead single off Midnights debuted atop the Hot 100, and remained there for six weeks until Mariah Carey's seasonal classic, 'All I Want for Christmas Is You,' bumped it from the summit on the chart dated Dec. 17, 2022. It later returned to the top and clocked an additional two weeks in the reigning spot. 2. 'Cruel Summer' 'Cruel Summer' got the single treatment four years after its original release on Swift's 2019 album Lover — but that delay didn't stop it from becoming one of the star's biggest songs to date. In October 2023, the song finally topped the Hot 100. 1. 'Shake It Off'Swift's devil-may-care anthem found her unabashedly looking for pop dominance, and she found it: The single debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and posted four weeks at the top. Plus, its nearly six-month stay in the top 10 alone plays a major role in its status as Swift's biggest charting single in a career with a multitude of milestones. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Life of a Prolific Pop Star: ‘Showgirl' Will Be Taylor Swift's Ninth Full-Length Album of the 2020s
There are many reasons for Taylor Swift's extraordinary success: talent, resilience, courage and, not least, a work ethic that is second to none. The country-turned-pop superstar is tireless and extraordinary productive. Her just-announced The Life of a Showgirl will be her ninth full-length album of the 2020s. And that doesn't even count live albums. Swift has been a prolific and engaged artist since she released her eponymous debut album in October 2006. Her longest gap between regular studio albums was just over three years – the gap between 1989 (October 2014) and reputation (November 2017). More from Billboard Taylor Swift Announces New Album, 'The Life of a Showgirl' Taylor Swift's 50 Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits Taylor Swift Curates Playlist for New Album 'The Life of a Showgirl' But she has picked up the pace in the 2020s. As this decade began, Swift had achieved six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and had become the first woman to win the Grammy for album of the year twice as a lead artist. One might reasonably think that an artist who had achieved that much success and validation would let up on the pace a bit, perhaps even take a well-earned breather. Instead, Swift has redoubled her efforts. Two factors played a role in this explosion of activity. COVID-19, which was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, led Swift to record two albums in quick succession, Folklore and its 'sister record,' Evermore. They were released less than five months apart in 2020. And Swift's desire to reclaim control of her artistic legacy led her to re-record four of her early albums. Those re-recordings didn't slow the pace of new studio albums. Swift somehow found the time and energy to toggle back and forth between new albums and re-recordings of old ones. In addition to these nine new and re-recorded albums, Swift has also released two live albums in the 2020s – Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions and Lover (Live from Paris). (Technically, there was a third: Live From Clear Channel Stripped 2008 was released in April 2020 without Swift's approval. Swift bluntly denounced the release on her social media accounts, calling it 'shameless greed in the time of coronavirus' and asked fans not to buy or stream the album. They complied: The album flopped.) Just about any talent scout will say that talent is not enough to achieve and sustain success in the music business. A strong will to succeed, and a willingness to do whatever that takes, are just as important. You can call it a 'work ethic.' Swift has it in spades. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
