Photo: Collected
Taylor-Travis Bowl 2 was a somber affair, unlike its romantic predecessor. Last year, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce locked lips on the field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as red and gold confetti fell around them like rain after his Kansas City Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl, the duo's first since becoming a sports-and-music power couple.
There was no celebrating for the couple on the field or otherwise Sunday night after the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, TV cameras trained on the pop superstar throughout the game, showing Swift winning a beer-chugging contest and partying with celebrity friends including Blake Lively and Lana Del Rey.
This year, she was instead booed by the heavily pro-Eagles crowd when shown on the video boards inside the Superdome during a break in the first quarter. Sitting next to rapper Ice Spice, Swift gave a bit of a side-eye and wrinkled her nose when she realized the booing was directed at her.
By the second half, the cameras were staying off her.
Maybe her being shut out at the Grammy Awards last week was a sign. In 2024, she had won album of the year for her 14th career Grammy a week before her on-field Super Bowl celebration with Kelce.
That week was arguably peak Taylor and Travis, not that their stardom has dimmed since. In 2024, after the Grammys, she was in the midst of her Eras Tour and had played a concert in Tokyo before making a mad dash to Las Vegas for the game.
This year she eased into the Big Easy, arriving in time to join Kelce on a double date with Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, on Friday night. The couples dined at Lilette, a French restaurant near the Garden District.
On the eve of the big game, Swift was spotted with musicians Danielle and Alana Haim at Gianna Restaurant.
The big question swirling early Sunday was what could happen if she found herself on the field afterward, celebrating Kelce's third straight Super Bowl title and fourth overall. Could he pick the moment to propose? BetMGM gave 8/1 odds for those willing to wager on it.
But that possibility was snuffed out well before the game was over.
The Chiefs fell to 19-4 with Swift in the crowd. Sunday was the first time she saw them lose in the playoffs.
The 35-year-old Kelce has been noncommittal about playing next year, and some within the Chiefs organization are bracing for his potential retirement. Kelce has been laying the groundwork for his post-playing career, building a lucrative podcast with his brother, retired Eagles center Jason Kelce, and appearing on "Saturday Night Live" and other TV shows.
Swift and Kelce became a couple early last season, when the four-time All-Pro tight end invited the singing superstar to watch him play in a matchup with the Bears. Kelce had famously tried to deliver a friendship bracelet to Swift when she played at Arrowhead Stadium, only to be thwarted. Their relationship blossomed as his season, and her world tour, went on simultaneously, peaking at that Super Bowl.
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