Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce found himself in an awkward and blush-inducing situation this week, after he completely failed to identify a direct lyrical reference about himself from his girlfriend Taylor Swift's latest album. The amusing incident unfolded during the most recent recording of his popular 'New Heights' podcast, which he hosts alongside his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles centre Jason Kelce.
A Lyrical Easter Egg Goes Unnoticed
The pair were deep in discussion about their upcoming line of merchandise when Jason made a playful suggestion. He quipped that he couldn't believe none of their new hoodies were named the 'New Heights of Man-Hoodie'. This was a clear nod to a line from Swift's controversial song 'Wood', which was released in October as part of her 'The Life of a Showgirl' album. The track includes the lyric: 'New Heights (New Heights) of manhood (Manhood)', an unmistakable reference to the Kelce brothers' podcast.
"What's a 'man-hoodie'?"
Travis, however, was left utterly bewildered by his brother's comment. A clearly confused Travis responded, "What's that mean? What's a 'man-hoodie'? Is that a thing?" The podcast's producer was forced to step in and explain the reference, stating, "It's a Life of a Showgirl reference, come on. 'New Heights of manhood,' it's the time you were referenced in the album."
Realising his gaffe, a sheepish Travis Kelce admitted, "I didn't understand that. Taylor's gonna kill me for not knowing that!" In a bid to cover for his brother's lyrical ignorance, Jason Kelce offered an explanation, saying, "We're not as good with the Easter eggs as these Swifties." Travis then added, "They sure know how to plant 'em and call 'em out."
The Song That Caused a Stir
The track 'Wood' itself caused a significant stir upon the album's release last year, due to its brazen and unmistakable references to the NFL star's anatomy. Strewn throughout the entire song are lyrics detailing how Kelce finally broke Swift's unlucky streak in love. The singer makes mention of his 'magic wand', a 'Redwood tree', and explicitly details how 'His love was the key / That opened my thighs.'
Brotherly Teasing and Swift's Confession
This is not the first time the song has been a topic of discussion on the podcast. In an episode released shortly after the album dropped, Jason brutally mocked Travis for Swift’s reference to his manhood as a 'Redwood tree'. "Do you feel cocky about the song wood," Jason teased at the time. Travis replied, "No, any song that she references me in is a very..." before being interrupted by Jason who said, "That's not just any song! This is a very specific you. It's an appendage, it's a very specific thing."
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift herself has spoken out about the song she dedicated to Kelce's manhood. During an appearance on The Jimmy Fallon Show, she admitted she got carried away after starting out "in a very innocent place". Swift joked that she surprised herself by getting to that raunchy lyrical destination.
"So I brought this into the studio and I was like: I want to do a throwback, timeless-sounding song and I had this idea about 'I gotta knock on wood' and it would be all these superstitions," she explained. "And it really started out in a very innocent place... I don't know what happened, man. I got in there, we started vibing and I don't know how we got here. But I love the song so much."
This latest podcast episode highlights the ongoing cultural crossover between the worlds of elite sport and global pop stardom, and the sometimes humorous personal consequences that follow.
