How Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Inspired This Word of the Year

by

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding won’t count her legion of fans among its attendees.

Public interest in celebrity relationships helped make “parasocial” Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year. The dictionary chose the word because of its rising popularity, which was boosted by attention surrounding a recent high-profile engagement.

Taylor Swift’s very public relationship with Travis Kelce sparked a huge increase in searches for the word “parasocial,” according to the dictionary. This happened because the media was analyzing how fans were reacting to the news, and many fans themselves were commenting on their own feelings, with some even saying they were trying not to be “parasocial” or joking about how intensely they were following the story.

Taylor and Travis’ engagement announcement on August 26th was incredibly popular, receiving nearly 40 million likes. It also broke the record for the fastest post to reach one million likes, achieving that milestone in under six hours.

Taylor and Travis are staying true to themselves and their relationship, no matter how much attention it’s getting.

In a recent interview with GQ, Travis shared that being with her feels normal. He explained that when they’re not in front of cameras, they’re simply a couple in love.

The Kansas City Chiefs player acknowledged that their relationship gets a lot of attention, which might make it seem unusual, but he insists it’s just a normal, happy romance like any other.

You know, it’s funny – even though the media was watching closely, the whole thing unfolded naturally. It wasn’t forced or manufactured at all, it just…happened. It really felt authentic, despite all the attention.

Taylor has shared how much she appreciates her boyfriend on the Chiefs being able to handle the intense public scrutiny that comes with her fame.

Taylor explained on the August 13th episode of New Heights that if someone finds something amusing without it bothering them, she’ll process it very differently. Essentially, their reaction will heavily influence how she reacts to the situation.

She explained that things had gotten to the point where her name could appear in news headlines about situations she has no involvement in.

For a deeper look into Taylor and Travis’ romance, keep reading…

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce first connected in July 2023 when Swift’s Eras Tour came to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Being a big fan of Taylor Swift, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end wanted to give her a friendship bracelet with his jersey number on it while at her concert. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to deliver it because she was busy getting ready for the show.

Travis explained on his podcast, New Heights, that he was a little upset Taylor Swift didn’t talk much before or after her concerts. He understood she needed to protect her voice for the 44 songs she performs, but he was hoping to give her one of the friendship bracelets he’d made.

Following his now-famous story about a mistake on the field – which Taylor later called incredibly cool – Travis decided to take a chance and invite the famous singer to a Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium.

He explained on The Pat McAfee Show that he challenged Taylor Swift, saying he’d noticed her energetic performances at Arrowhead Stadium and suggested she come see him perform there too, to see who could put on a more exciting show. He added that fans might find out what happens soon.

Travis had grown a mustache, first showing it off in August at training camp, when he and Taylor met.

Looking back, he really captured a moment in time with that mustache and number 87 jersey – it was a total classic! And you know what’s even cooler? I remember him telling me he was wearing that exact outfit when he first met Taylor. It’s a fun little detail that always sticks with me.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Travis and Taylor began communicating via text and phone calls around the beginning of September, as reported by TopMob News.

“It’s been very low-key,” the insider explained, “as he’s been in season.”

Taylor Swift accepted Travis Kelce’s invitation and went to Arrowhead Stadium to see him and the Kansas City Chiefs play the Chicago Bears, alongside Travis’s mother, Donna Kelce. After the game, Taylor and Travis were photographed showing affection for each other at a nearby bar.

Despite stories claiming it was their first time meeting face-to-face, the singer of “Karma” explained that they had actually spent a good deal of time getting to know each other before that.

As Taylor noted, “We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.” 

To show how close they were getting, Taylor brought a group of her friends – including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Sophie Turner, Hugh Jackman, Sabrina Carpenter, and Antoni Porowski – to see the Chiefs play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Taylor Swift seems to be getting close to Brittany Mahomes, wife of Travis Kelce’s best friend and teammate, Patrick Mahomes, both at and away from NFL games. This could be another indication that Taylor and Travis are a couple.

The couple showcased their relationship on television with a surprise appearance on the October 14th episode of Saturday Night Live. They continued their New York outing with the show’s after-party and a romantic dinner at the Waverly Inn.

During his team’s break, Travis flew to Argentina to see Taylor Swift perform on her Eras Tour. While there on November 11th in Buenos Aires, he connected with Taylor’s father, Scott Swift, and even received a mention from Taylor during the show.

“Karma is that guy on the Chiefs,” Taylor sang, “coming straight home to me.”

Following the performance, Taylor Swift reportedly rushed backstage and enthusiastically kissed Travis Kelce.

Taylor addressed the lavender craze surrounding her appearances at Travis’ games.

She told Time magazine that they were simply supporting each other and didn’t worry about who else was around. This was a stark contrast to the lengths some people go to in order to keep a relationship secret.

 

The famous singer made Travis’s game on December 17th a family event, bringing her father along to support her boyfriend.

Taylor and Travis rang in the New Year together, and shared a kiss at midnight on January 1st.

Taylor continued getting to know Travis’ family, spending time with his brother Jason Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce at the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Buffalo Bills.

After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship and earned a place in the 2024 Super Bowl, Taylor joined Travis on the field to celebrate. They shared a kiss and then told each other ‘I love you’ for the first time.

“Tay, I’m gonna enjoy with the guys,” he told her. “I love you—so much it’s not funny.”

 
 

Travis and his partner shared a kiss on the field after the Kansas City Chiefs won the championship on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas.

On February 12th, Taylor shared a video of Travis on social media, jokingly showing how she brought her parents to a club with him after the Super Bowl.

Taylor Swift’s first Instagram post with Travis Kelce showed the two of them posing with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The photo was taken backstage at Swift’s Eras Tour concert at Wembley Stadium in London.

During Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, NFL player Travis Kelce surprised fans by joining her onstage at Wembley Stadium in London. It was his seventh show overall and the second night at that venue, and he appeared as a supporting performer during her song “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ first game of the 2024-25 season and seemed to recreate a sweet moment with Travis Kelce, similar to one from October 2023. The photo was shared by Chariah Gordon, who is pictured with her boyfriend, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

They went to the wedding of model Karen Elson and Lee Foster, who owns Electric Lady Studios, in New York City.

The next day, the pair attended the men’s singles final match at the U.S. Open.

The two stepped out for a double dinner date with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in NYC.

I was so excited to see that they had not one, but two dates in New York City over the New Year’s weekend! And the best part? They coordinated their outfits both times – it was adorable and clearly shows how connected they are.

They spent the NFL off-season together, taking a snowy trip to Montana with sports reporter Erin Andrews.

In July 2025, Travis shared the first photos of him and Taylor on Instagram. One cute picture showed them at dinner, and it also happened to reveal that they both had photos of each other as their phone lockscreens.

Taylor Swift, a self-proclaimed big fan of the New Heights podcast, appeared on an extra-long episode with Travis and Jason Kelce on August 13th. During the nearly two-hour conversation, she openly shared details about her life with Travis, both publicly and privately. She also announced the title of her upcoming 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, which will be released on October 3rd.

Over two years after Travis mentioned Taylor on his podcast – a moment fans quickly noticed – the couple announced their engagement. They playfully referenced Taylor’s song “So High School” in an Instagram post on August 26th, captioning their engagement photos with, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Read More

2025-11-18 19:50