“The guy on the Chiefs” is getting more special nods on The Eras Tour.
When Taylor Swift kicked off the European leg of The Eras Tour in Paris in May, she incorporated songs from her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, into the setlist and debuted new costumes. She also switched the order of the show’s eras segments.
Swifties quickly noticed the TTPD set included many Easter eggs about Travis Kelce, whom she’s been dating since summer 2023.
Though Kelce wasn’t in attendance for the European opening night of the tour, he shared his excitement for Swift’s latest shows via social media. “@taylorswift The Eras Tour Europe starts tonight … Paris you’re up first … who’s coming? 😊🎸👍🏻,” Swift’s longtime guitarist Paul Sidoti captioned an Instagram pic of himself and the singer.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are all anyone can talk about. Swift and Kelce were first linked in July 2023 when the Kansas City Chiefs tight end shared he attempted to ask Swift out after attending her Eras Tour. “I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I […]
Kelce commented on the post, excitedly writing, “LFG!!!🙌🏻,” a.k.a. an acronym for “let’s f—king go.”
The athlete went on to support his girlfriend at several of her concerts before the end of her tour — even joining her on stage in London — and Swift, in return, gave him some subtle shout-outs throughout her sets. Keep scrolling to see every time Swift referenced her romance with Kelce on stage:
‘So High School’
Included in the setlist for the TTPD portion in Paris concert was the track “So High School,” one of the album’s many songs inspired by Kelce.
Swift added the song into the show by adding it to the end of her performance of “But Daddy I Love Him.” While “But Daddy I Love Him” is heavily speculated to be about Swift’s ex Matty Healy, some fans think the song’s last chorus could be about Kelce because of its lyrics about Swift finding a happy ending after facing backlash for a relationship.
“Now I’m dancing in my dress in the sun and / Even my daddy just loves him /I’m his lady, and oh my God / You should see your faces,” Swift sang on stage before transitioning into “So High School.” The lyrics continue: “Time, doesn’t it give some perspective / No, you can’t come to the wedding / I know he’s crazy but he’s the one I want.”
While Swift didn’t perform the entirety of “So High School,” she did include the track’s outro. “Truth, dare, spin bottles / You know how to ball, I know Aristotle / Brand-new, full throttle Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto,” she sang. “It’s true, swear, scout’s honor (Yeah) / You knew what you wanted and, boy, you got her / Brand-new, full throttle (Yeah) / You already know, babe / You already know, babe.”
Touchdown Moves
Swift’s “So High School” performance choreography seemingly included many of Kelce’s notable touchdown dance moves. While singing the line, “I feel so high school every time I look at you,” one fan pointed out via TikTok that Swift pointed to the crowd in a similar way she would point to Kelce during his NFL games.
In addition to her dancers busting moves reminiscent of cheerleaders, Swift and her dancers appeared to copy many of Kelce’s touchdown dances, from rolling their arms to twerking to body rolls and more.
‘Swag Surfin’
Another reference incorporated into the “So High School” choreography was the Kansas City Chiefs fans’ “Swag Surfin’” dance. The dance, set to the song “Swag Surfin’” by the Fast Life Yungstaz, is done by many NFL fans in celebration of a team’s success during football games.
Swift was previously seen participating in the trend alongside Kelce’s mom, Donna, and Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, at the team’s January 13 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Set Design
The stage for Swift’s “So High School” performance featured football stadium lights on the stage’s screen, a fan noted via TikTok. The stage’s steps that Swift and her dancers sat on featured projections to look like bleachers.
Just Like Taylor
The tour choreography for “So High School” appeared to feature the dancers pretending to watch a game on stadium bleachers. Social media users later pointed out that each performer seemed to mimic one of Swift’s facial expressions from when she attended one of Kelce’s games by holding their hands up to their faces, hugging and pointing.
Chiefs Colors
In honor of her 87th show, Swift gave a sweet nod to Kelce by repping Chiefs colors. During her fourth and final Paris concert in May, she donned a Roberto Cavalli two-piece with a bright yellow crop top during her 1989 set and a red Alberta Ferretti gown for the Evermore portion.
‘The Alchemy’
During her fourth and final Paris concert in May, Swift sang a mash-up of “Treacherous” and “The Alchemy,” which is widely believed to be about Kelce. The NFL player was seen lifting his hands to form a heart above his head during the performance.
‘Guy on the Chiefs’
Swift altered the lyrics to “Karma” to give a shout-out to Kelce during several of her Eras Tour performances.
That Unforgettable Cameo
Perhaps the most obvious shout-out occurred when Kelce joined Swift on stage at Wembley Stadium in London in June. He emerged with two of her backup dancers during the transition from “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” to “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” donning a tuxedo and a top hat for his cameo. Kelce carried Swift down the catwalk, later pretending to fan himself as she changed her costume.
‘Midnight Rain’ Moments
While performing in New Orleans in October, Swift made multiple football references during the song “Midnight Rain,” pausing after singing, “He never thinks of me / except when I’m on TV.” At one of the shows, she mimicked throwing a football. She later copied Kelce’s signature first down celebration, kissing three fingers and holding them in the air. (The move came as Kelce scored his first touchdown of the 2024-2025 NFL season against the Las Vegas Raiders.)
Doing His Dances
During one of her Toronto tour stops in November, Swift had fans convinced that she copied Kelce’s dance moves from a viral video originally taken at an Eras show in London. In the clip, Kelce danced along to “Karma,” rotating his arms around one another and flicking his head to the side. Swift did nearly the same gestures while singing “Midnight Rain” in Canada.
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