October 5, 2023 | ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | By Katie Rowley
Co-Editor in Chief of The Catalyst, Michael Braithwaite, once told me that I am his main source of pop culture updates – especially Taylor Swift news. So, here I am, to bring Braithwaite and the rest of the Colorado College campus the latest in Swift’s life.
Now, if you don’t remember my outstanding, very entertaining article from May of last year, I wrote about the ending of Swift’s six-year relationship with mediocre British actor, Joe Alwyn. It was devastating, but then Swift released “You’re Losing Me” on the CD-exclusive late-night edition of her 10th studio album, “Midnights.”
In the song, which I believe is about her relationship with Alwyn, Swift sings the lyrics, “And I wouldn’t marry me either / A pathological people pleaser,” which is heartbreaking, and made Swifties across the world hate Alwyn.
So, when Swift started hanging out with Matty Healy, lead singer of the band “The 1975,” I was glad she had moved on from Alwyn. Their summer fling was over before Swift’s summer leg of her Era’s tour, and with Healy’s problematic past, it was probably for the best.
Swift had officially entered her single-girl-summer, an era many of us found ourselves in this past season. But it didn’t last long.
On July 26, an NFL superstar tight end on the Kansas City Chiefs brought up his brief encounter with a true superstar (Swift) on his podcast “New Heights.” The tight end I’m referring to is, of course, Travis Kelce, who brought a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it to Swift’s Kansas City show.
A few weeks before, Swift had enjoyed the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” So, while Swifties in Arrowhead Stadium and around the world were watching Taylor Lautner do backflips on stage for the “I Can See You” music video premier, Kelce had his eyes and mind focused on one thing: winning over Swift.
After bringing up the bracelet and the fact that Swift was on vocal rest, rumors of the budding romance circulated, but I didn’t think anything of it. Kelce was just another sports man begging for attention from the best woman in the world, and, minus the football player part, we’ve all been there.
Kelce brought up Swift a few more times, on various podcasts, rumors continued to swirl, but I continued to ignore them.
It wasn’t until Sept. 24, in the back of my friend’s car, that I began to listen to the rumors. An hour or so earlier, I had turned off the Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins game at halftime, no longer wanting to watch Miami destroy the team I had begun to be embarrassed to call myself a fan of. But, if I had powered through the 35-13 Dolphins lead at halftime, and persevered through the eventual 70-20 loss, I would have been watching the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears game when Taylor Swift showed up on screen.
Instead, I went to the store with my friends and was notified about this groundbreaking news through a screenshot on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Shocked was the only word to describe my initial reaction. Giddy, excited and overjoyed all followed in the fallout. I could only think to applaud Swift for the insane hard launch she pulled.
Almost immediately, something clicked for me. Kelce and Swift’s relationship just made sense. They were both born in 1989. They are both great in their respective careers. They both got out of long term relationships (Kelce broke up with his on-and-off again girlfriend in November 2022.) In an exercise of a too intense parasocial friendship with Swift, I genuinely believe Kelce and Swift could be end game. They could, to put it in football language, reach the endzone, or perhaps win the Super Bowl.
Now, since the news broke, I have found myself obsessed with Kelce. I listened to his podcast. I, against all instincts as a Broncos fan, turned on the Chiefs vs New York Jets game in hopes of seeing Swift, who had brought an entire entourage of her New York based friends to the game. While watching the game I felt like there was too much football and not enough footage of Swift during the game.
My only wish is that I wasn’t graduating this year so that, when the inevitable Kelce and Swift engagement occurs, I could be the Colorado College Swiftie to break the news.
To wrap this update up, I’d like to return to the question my headline poses: will Taylor Swift’s new relationship end in true love or Travis-ty? And, if not clear, I’m pretty sure it will be “Love Story” for the Miss Americana and the Football King.