Travis Kelce's Reported Feelings On Taylor Swift's Joe Alwyn Songs Prove He's Different From Her Ex
Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department" album had lyrics about Travis Kelce, and ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. The pop star famously dated Alwyn for six years and split up in 2023, before she started seeing Kelce. On the track "So Long, London," Swift bid farewell to her ex, and the city they stayed in during the majority of their relationship. "Pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away ... I stopped trying to make him laugh, stopped trying to drill the safe," she sang. The couple kept a very low profile during their time together; a source told People on April 19 (after "TTPD" was released) that Alwyn wanted their relationship to remain "his own personal story." Meanwhile, Kelce was unbothered by his girlfriend singing about her romances.
As Swift prepared to drop "TTPD," a source said that the Kansas City Chiefs star fully supported Swift's decision to sing about her past relationships. "If it is about Joe, or anyone, even if it is about him in the future, this is the artist she is and he is in love with her and doesn't pay any attention to be jealous," the insider told the Daily Mail on April 18. "Joe or any of her exes is not of concern to him whatsoever," they added. That was a departure from Alwyn's attitude, as he spoke about privacy while dating Swift. "The more you give ... something will be taken," he told Elle in April 2022.
Multiple allusions to Swift's ex were featured on "TTPD."
The album title was seemingly inspired by Joe Alwyn
Many fans believed that not only was "So Long, London" a thinly-veiled song about Taylor Swift's time with Joe Alwyn, but that "The Tortured Poets Department" album title was inspired by "The Favourite" actor. "I didn't opt in to be your odd man out / I founded the club she's heard great things about," Swift sang on "So Long, London." The singer may have slightly altered the name, but when she announced "TTPD" in February, Swifties pointed out that it was a reference to a group chat Alwyn had with fellow actors. "Apparently, joe and paul mescal's whatsapp gc was called 'the tortured mens club,'" a fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter, at the time.
There was another clear reference to Alwyn in "So Long, London," as Swift mentioned their time in London. "I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath," she sang. During COVID-19 lockdown, the couple spent time at a large home in the outskirts of London near Hampstead Heath. That place was located near Alwyn's family.
Swift's friend, Keleigh Teller, seemingly threw shade at Alwyn when "TTPD" was released. Teller took a screenshot of "So Long, London," playing on her home and shared it to her Instagram Stories, but added a peace sign emoji (via Page Six). Besides the references to her ex on the album, there was strong evidence that "So High School" lyrics were about Travis Kelce, and the NFL player embraced the attention.
Travis Kelce reacts to lyrics about him
Taylor Swift seemed to drop multiple Easter eggs on "So High School" that hinted the song was about Travis Kelce. One of the most obvious references came in the second verse. "I feel like laughing in the middle of practice / To that impression you did of your dad again," Swift sang. Of course, the first part could refer to the tight end's football practice, but the second part of that lyric seemed an obvious nod to Swift's boyfriend, who frequently mimics his father, Ed Kelce, on his "New Heights" podcast.
When "The Tortured Poets Department" was released, a clip of Travis impersonating his dad was added to the podcast's X page. "Those Papa Kelce impressions are just too good," the account tweeted on April 19 along with a video of the NFL star saying things in his father's voice. The ever-sleuthful Swifties were quick to pick up on the reference and showed up in the replies of the tweet. "Congrats that Travis & his dad have made it to his Taylor's album," one fan wrote.
Months before "TTPD" came out, Travis showed his excitement at being mentioned on a Swift song. In November 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs player was in Argentina to see his girlfriend perform. Swift altered the lyrics to "Karma" as an homage to her beau. "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me," she sang. Fan video showed Travis excitedly raise his hands to his face when he heard the remixed lyrics.