Fans Break Down Taylor Swift Lyrics for Travis Kelce References on New Album | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
With the release of Taylor Swift's first new album since she started dating Travis Kelce, eagle-eared Swifties are doing their best to pick out any potential references to the Kansas City Chiefs star.
In the first few hours after The Tortured Poets Department went live, Chuck Arnold of the New York Post was one of many people to point out that "The Alchemy" is specifically about Kelce with lyrics referencing football:
"So when I touch down all that matters/ Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team/ Ditch the clowns, get the crown/ Baby I'm the one to beat/ 'Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for me."
connor ♡ benji ‧₊˚ @ivymidnightsthe football references in the alchemy <a href="">
layomi is GUILTY AS SIN?? @_layomi_SO WHEN I TOUCH DOWN CALL THE AMATEURS AND CUT EM FROM THE TEAM <br>DITCH THE CLOWNS GET THE CROWN BABY IM THE ONE TO BE<br>CAUSE THE SIGN ON YOUR HEART SAID ITS STILL RESERVED FOR ME<br>HONESTLY WHO ARE WE TO FIGHT THE ALCHEMY <a href="">
mary grace ⸆⸉ ttpd | iso nola @missmirrorball_honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy? <a href="">
val • @karmaszoneTHE ALCHEMY IS A TRAVIS SONG WE WON <a href="">
The song "So High School" that was included in the second batch of songs from The Anthology is also apparently about Kelce, if Swift's fans are to be believed:
🤍But Daddy I Love Him 🤍 @VintageJewels13So high school is 100% about Travis Kelce. She talks about pulling him into the backseat of the car. The Marry, Kiss, kill game. About watching his SNL skits and says "you know how to ball, I know Aristotle." "You knew what you wanted & boy you got her" SCREAMING! <a href="">#TSTTPD</a>
Chase Daniel @ChaseDanielAnd <a href="">@tkelce</a> has officially made it…. <br><br>Taylor Swifts new album The Tortured Poets has TWO songs about Kelce. <br><br>The Alchemy & So High School<a href="">#Swifties</a> in pandemonium
debby ☆ guilty as sin? @annasflickerSo High School is just this moment <a href="">#TheTorturedPoetsDepartment</a> <a href="">
marg (taylor's version) @BetttysCardigantravis after he heard so high school and the alchemy <a href="">
One lyric in the song asks, "Are you gonna marry, kiss or kill me? (Kill me)." This seems to be a reference to Kelce's appearance on Buzzfeed TV to promote his reality dating show Catching Kelce in 2016 when he played a game of Kill, Marry, Kiss and was given Swift, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande as his options.
Kelce chose Swift as the one he would kiss in that scenario.
Given the rate at which Swift keeps making albums, it probably won't be too much longer before there are even more songs either explicitly about or subtly referencing Kelce.
For now, though, astute listeners will have to keep poring over the 31 songs on The Tortured Poets Department to find any more clues, hints, suggestions, and innuendos about the Swelce relationship.