Taylor Swift looks happy to fuel the Travis Kelce romance story, whether real or ‘hype’
'Taylor is not seen unless she wants to be seen,' a PR expert has said about how the singer handles her public image
The very public way that Taylor Swift went about cheering Travis Kelce at his Kansas City Chiefs game Sunday, then allowed herself to be seen riding off with the football hero in a convertible, reminiscent of her alter-egos from songs like in her songs “Fifteen” or “Getaway Car,” confirmed for many that the rumored romance is real and the world is witnessing the launch of a new pop culture super couple.
For others, Swift’s appearance at the game seemed a bit too staged, and they wondered if the “hype machine” surrounding the rumored romance is part of a massive PR stunt that serves Swift, Kelce or even all of the NFL, as ESPN and The New Yorker said.
Still others despaired over the idea that their feminist icon had submitted to the pressure of the hunky Super Bowl champion’s “heterosexual male entitlement,” as a CNN writer opined. Swift had endured weeks of the NFL sports media, abetted by Kelce’s public statements about having a crush on her, building up to the big moment when he was able to snag a date with “the hottest girl in school” by just being persistent enough, the writer said.
In the end, the world may never know whether the romance is real or hype, but one thing is likely. Swift looks happy to fuel the story that she and Kelce are in the preliminary stages of something — a friendship, a professional collaboration or even an authentic romance.
“Taylor is not seen unless she wants to be seen,” PR exert Melissa DiGianfilippo, president of Serendip Consulting in Phoenix, told the Today show. “She doesn’t comment unless she wants to be heard. She (was at the game) to support him. That’s admittance enough (of) interest at the very least, or a deeper relationship.”
DiGianfilippo pointed out that celebrities of Swift and Kelce’s caliber always have ways of being introduced privately to romantic prospects and to conduct these budding relationships out of the public eye. This reality is in contrast to the idea that celebrities’ private lives always are prey to the intrusion of the paparazzi. Indeed, Swift managed to maintain privacy around her romance with actor Joe Alwyn, and she was never spotted publicly with her last rumored boyfriend, provocative rocker Matty Healy.
Swift has been famously vocal about how much she dislikes it when people speculate on her dating life and turn it into “a national pastime” and “entertainment,” as she told Rolling Stone in 2014.
Swift most definitely does not like being known for the men she is dating and has “written multiple albums” about how relationships are better when they’re kept secret, writer Frankie de la Cretaz wrote on CNN. This writer said that the deluge of podcasts, social media posts and in-game references to Swift’s potential relationship with the Chiefs’ tight end “seems to completely disrespect her wishes and boundaries.”
On the other hand, Swift appeared to willingly show up at the Chiefs-Bears game and to be seen leaving the stadium with Kelce, giving fans the “entertainment” she expects they desire. Swift has become on of the most media savvy celebrities on the planet, so it’s very likely that her appearance at the game was her way of seizing control of a narrative that began spinning over the summer. That her purpose remains a mystery should fuel people’s fascination even more.
The romance story heated up in late July after Kelce told his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, on their “New Heights” podcast, that he tried to meet the singer at one of her Eras Tours concerts, ESPN reported.
“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings,” Kelce told his brother. He said he wanted to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it.
The dating rumors amped up even more when Jason Kelce joked during a Sept. 14 interview on “Thursday Night Football” postgame show that the rumors of his brother’s relationship with Swift are “100 percent true.” Even after Jason Kelce emphasized that he was joking, “everything changed.” ESPN said.
Another PR expert, Beth Booker, told Today that Swift’s appearance with Kelce has already benefited both their brands, even if the singer can’t get any more popular than she already is. At the very least, the Swift-Kelce show on Sunday boosted sales of Kelce jerseys, with the Associated Press reporting that they are “selling like hotcakes” after Sunday’s game.
DiGianfilippo agreed that there were elements of “intentionality” of the Swift-Kelce show. It was no accident that Swift sat next to Kelce’s mother, or that Kelce wore a tie-dye suit while leaving the stadium with her; his outfit was interpreted to be a riff on Swift’s “1989” album.
But this “intentionality” doesn’t mean that the connection is fake, even if it appears designed to generate even more hype, DiGianfilippo told Today.
“There are planned moments that her PR team and manager and probably his thought of to make this even busier,” DiGianfilippo said. “But I believe these things are always rooted in some truth. It’s real, but they made it better and more interesting.”
DiGianfilippo said aspects of Swift’s appearance also seem to be “in conversation” with elements of her work, including her choice to wear her signature red lipstick, as she has throughout her Eras Tour, and she and Kelce leaving in “a getaway car.” Swift has always been known to communicate with her fans with “Easter eggs” in her lyrics or in what she says or does during her public appearances.
Put together, DiGianfilippo said these clues indicate Swift is on board with the relationship, or at least with being seen with Kelce. Swift seems to be “in control” of how this narrative is now unfolding, she said.
“She only does these things when it’s something that she’s excited about or that she’s in control of. It’s right up her alley,” DiGianfilippo said.