Last year, when Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department, she really didn’t do much dedicated press or media for the album or the singles. It was a Beyonce-esque move, a power move to say that she doesn’t need to hustle her album for it to be successful. So what do we make of Taylor’s promotional tour for The Life of a Showgirl? She’s been on a tour of British radio stations, she’s been doing TikTok dances and last night, she made her first appearance on the Tonight Show in years and years. Jimmy Fallon obviously didn’t ask Taylor any hard questions, because he knows how to stay on Taylor’s good side. He did ask her about the Super Bowl and whether she has been offered the Halftime headliner gig before. She said something really interesting about Roc Nation and Jay-Z.
Taylor Swift, 35, appeared on the Monday, Oct. 6 episode of The Tonight Show for a conversation with host Jimmy Fallon, where the pair went through a list of rumors, with Swift confirming or denying them. One of the revelations from Swift’s appearance was her explanation for why she will not do the Super Bowl halftime show. When asked by Fallon about the “rumor that [she’s] turned down the Super Bowl ‘because of performance footage,'” Swift replied “No.”
She then launched into a lengthy explanation. “Here’s the thing,” she began. “Jay Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are very close. They sometimes will call and say how does she feel about… and that’s not an official offer or a conference room conversation. We’re always able to tell him the truth, which is that I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field.”
Swift reflected on how stressful it is to watch her fiancé Travis Kelce play on the field — and how that plays into her consideration of potentially doing the halftime show. “That is violent chess,” Swift said. “That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field. Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week putting his life on the line, doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport, and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my choreo should be. I think we should do two verses of ‘Shake it Off’ into ‘Blank Space’ into ‘Cruel Summer’ would be great.'”
The music star clarified, “This is nothing to do with Travis, he would love for me to do it. I’m just too locked in.”
During the segment where Swift debunked rumors, she was also asked if she joked to Selena Gomez on the actress’ wedding day, “Hey you beat me to the altar.” Swift shared that the answer is another no. “I got to see her be the most elegant, gorgeous — not only bride but just — vision that I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as her on her wedding day,” she said of Gomez’s Sept. 27 wedding to music producer Benny Blanco.
“And she deserves all of this happiness. Benny is so funny. He’s the best. I did make a speech. But I actually made a point not to mention anything about my engagement. No one wants you to be like, ‘Hey, I know this is your wedding day but—'” with a raised hand showing off her ring. “I was like, ‘Don’t mention it.'”
People always forget, and Swifties always forget that Taylor is legitimately really close to Beyonce and Jay-Z. They’ve all been close for many years. Still, I’m surprised by Taylor’s description of her team’s closeness to Roc Nation. We didn’t know until now that Rox Nation, who produces the Halftime show, has periodically gone to Taylor to take her temperature about the Halftime show. That’s interesting. Anyway, Taylor seems to be saying… I’ll do the Halftime show when Travis retires. Fair enough. Here are the videos from the Tonight Show – Taylor’s sparkly dress is from Giuseppe Di Morabito.
Screengrabs courtesy of NBC/Tonight Show.
She has been asked for years at this point im sure,so the dramatic explanation for why she won’t do it when her and Travis have only been together a short time sounds exaggerated.
ITA but the halftime show is always drama or scandal. I fully get why she doesn’t want or need that. The funny part of the answer though is the assumption her man will always be in the Super Bowl. I mean he always is but still.
There is no way Taylor is doing a show for free 😭😭😂😂 I get her explanation, but I also don’t believe her. It is a solid excuse though.
That’s what I think is the main reason. It’s a free show and why would a singer with the highest grossing tour of all time perform for free?
@CheekImplant, even before the tour, she wouldn’t do a show for free of charge. That is just not her. And, I doubt Superbowl would start paying the artist.
I had no idea it was a volunteer gig. No one should ever have to justify not working for free in a capacity that earns money for others.
I don’t think that’s the real reason either. She was busy performing her Eras tour and is busy planning this promotional tour while Travis was/is in his season. Was it her actual team who actually addressed the NFL not wanting to pay her/give her the rights to the performance footage?
Either way, the NFL not paying performers has always been odd to me. They have the money.
@Mightymolly, Superbowl pays with “exposure” even before that was a thing😂😂. They pay for the expenses of the show, however it is limited. If you go over the budget, you have to pay for the excess amount. I remember, the Weeknd paid out of his pocket for some portion of his performance’s production. I also think, the artist should be paid, but they won’t change that after all these years.
Here is a fun fact: “Michael Jackson requested $1 million to perform at the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The NFL said no and he eventually balked and performed for free”. 😭😭
Yeah, I think the artists should be compensated, but its also not a special rule they made for Taylor (to not pay her.) they didn’t pay Beyonce, they didn’t pay Shakira, they didn’t pay Kendrick Lamar, etc. If she doesn’t want to do it for free thats fine, I don’t blame her (or any artist who would say no for that reason).
Yeah I mean…did she care about football at all before him? Of course, I definitely understand how she could get super-invested when it’s her partner out on the field but I still don’t understand why that would be such a giant distraction for someone who performs as much as she does. She’s a pro on stage–she strikes me as someone who can handle almost any amount of stress–so her answer kinda surprises me.
What she said about Selena on her wedding day was really sweet and Selena really was a vision. That wedding dress was perfection.
No, she didn’t. She has said this, so has Travis, that she knew nothing about football before he came along.
She is saying is that the preparation would take all her focus, she wouldn’t just go out and perform, she would be making her she did it to her absolute months and that would take her focus when she wants to be focusing on the current season and Travis. What she isn’t saying, but I am sure is a consideration, is that there is a very good chance this is his last season and I understand her wanting to be all locked in on that.
But the Chiefs are 2-3 this year?? LOL they are FAR from a lock for the Superbowl so it’s weird to predicate her decision to perform or not on that??
I think it’s more likely about money as folks are speculating above.
But it is not even. About the Chiefs making the Super Bowl. It is about the season. She is a perfectionist, she would be planning every detail for months and it would consume her and she wants to be locked in on the season, on supporting him.
I am sure money is part of it, after all she had turned it down long before Travis but I believe her when she says she wants football to be about him.
Yeah I think she’s trying to beat around the bush a bit. there are other reasons she wont do it, but the reason she won’t do it THIS YEAR is because of Travis.
(I did say a month or so ago that there was no chance she would do it when Travis might actually be in it, and it seems that was right. Except for the part about Travis being in it. Chiefs are not having a good season. Its the only thing that brings comfort to this ravens fan lol.)
Wow, she’s very much lying here. I know for a fact she is too. Re: halftime show.
How do you know this for a fact? You on either team in these negotiations?
I’m surprised nobody is mentioning how up until 2022, halftime was sponsored by Pepsi (now it’s sponsored by Apple Music). But Pepsi was the sponsor for a LONG time, going all the way back to the early 2000s (some of you might remember the iconic Britney/Beyonce/P!NK gladiator Pepsi commercial).
Swift has been a ‘brand spokesperson’ for Coca Cola aka Pepsi’s corporate rival since the early days of her fame. She was never going to play halftime while Pepsi was the sponsor. She started dating Kelce in (I think?? what is time anymore 😭) 2023, the first year where the Superbowl didn’t have Pepsi as the sponsor, so it actually makes sense why she hasn’t done it yet from a contractual standpoint.
She looks nice with the toned down lipstick shade.
That’s what it is! I was thinking she looked so pretty and I wasn’t sure what was different. I like a more muted color on her, it looks great.
She did this same promotion for Midnights, TTPD she was on the biggest tour in history.
And I always assumed that since dating Travis she would not do it so that football is his thing.
And honestly I doubt she’s been asked that much in the last 5 years I mean the albums she’s put out don’t scream Super Bowl until this one. And she won’t do it if not to promote.
She looks really pretty and is very charming. That girl is radiating happiness and it’s nice to see! She hasn’t given this off really ever but certainly for a long time.
I just wonder when these SM convos about TS racial micro-aggressions will be brought to mainstream media because it’s quite frustrating to see white women and white women who say they are liberal completely ignore voices from marginalized communities.
Yes, SO MANY good discussions happening on social media about TS right now. Its really been a fascinating few days, i’ve started following a lot of new people.
Also, on threads, the bday party, the cruise, and the blueberries.
I’m on threads a lot a lot and yes the convo has exploded because usually Black accounts ignore TS but a lot of people have been speaking on the harm of TS in larger context and specifically this album. Plus I believe I’ve seen a couple of publications talk about the mixed reviews/low reviews for the album but none of them covered the racial aspect.
She can use Travis as a convenient excuse now, sure. But there have been rumors of her turning down the Superbowl prior to 2023 which is when she started dating Travis. And I’m sure she is worried about him playing on the field, any person with a significant other playing a dangerous sport would be.
If he was playing in the Superbowl AND she had to worry about half time show on top of it instead of being able to fully concentrate on Travis, I don’t see why any musical artist would put themselves through that stress! So that makes sense for her to turn it down NOW. But I think prior to being with Travis, I think it was absolutely about money since the artists don’t get paid. Even when Travis retires, I’m not sure we’ll ever see her do it. Taylor monetizes everything she can (which is her right). Also Travis and she are good at giving each other the spotlight. She would never want to take away from Travis’s moment if he was in the Superbowl by making it about her and her half time show.
She probably doesn’t want MAGA or Trump on her case, but saying so would probably put an even bigger target on her back.
She’s white, blonde, and I assume Christian, but they’d still probably make her fear for her safety.
I could be wrong though. But every time I see mentions about the Super Bowl, MAGA seems to be putting up a stink about something.
She also seems smart with money. IIRC until somewhat recently the halftime show was totally out of pocket for the artist (or their record company).
I haven’t been to a Taylor Swift concert myself, but the people who go seem to absolutely LOVE the spectacle of it, to the point that I would almost think they would actually be disappointed with a 15 minute set where she isn’t even playing or singing live. It seems like her extravagant production value is what makes the whole thing so great for her audience and a halftime show could never come close (not to mention trying to choose what few songs to include from all her hits).
That was a rather dramatic explanation. Maybe football really is that dangerous but…he’s not a police officer, soldier in a war zone, or school teacher in America, and he makes a LOT more than any them do. Perspective is everything.
The money is a lot, but it’s still risky. Loved ones will definitely worry about something happening to their son, brother, or husband as well as the after effects. The NFL doesn’t want us to talk about the dangers of playing football, but bad things can happen, either in the short term or long-term. When your health gets affected, it’s sort of an equalizer in terms of feeling really bad or not quite right, even if the money can pay for treatment.
I think it’s more than ok to say that football is a dangerous sport to play. I do think the NFL hides how much injury and long-term damage can occur.
Risking his life? A bit much. He’s not a firefighter or police officer.
Damar Hamlin literally died on the football field after taking a hit to his heart. Thank God CPR revived him and saved his life that night.
Heroic job? No. Dangerous job? Yes, it is.
Hey at least they get paid tens of millions of dollars to do it plus the fan adulation must be pretty nice. Ask my paramedic husband how much he makes and how much he’s appreciated? Hell, the private ambulance company he works for won’t even let them unionize much less retire at 28 years old, which is when most football players hang up their helmets.
Yes playing football comes with serious physical risk to your body but if the upsides weren’t so enormous, every teenage boy wouldn’t dream of being a pro.
In full context, I think her quote makes sense. She called football gladiators without swords. And it IS a high-intensity sport. The rest of her description about football is accurate. And she then joked about how bad it would be for her to be worrying about her choreography while he’s playing and that would affect her ability to be “locked in” to what he’s doing. She was basically segueing into making fun of herself.
The full paragraph of what she’s saying seemed like more of a comparison between what she does and what he does rather than trying to elevate him to what other people do for a living. And to be honest I have wondered if she’d be able to concentrate if she and he had to be “in performance” on the same day. The odds are low this would happen, but I think she just took an opportunity to be humorous about herself.
It’s not like she needs the “exposure” or anything. She has brought untold millions in free advertising for the NFL at the same time. The NFL should be kissing her ASS breakfast, lunch, and dinner to keep her around. 🤷
Her explanation was very dramatic and it made me laugh. He puts his life on the line? Tell me the last time someone died in the Super Bowl? I think the performers should be compensated. But like if it’s just about money or no interest or whatever, just be honest.
She did do another interview where she said this:
“The things that do matter, it’s my family. It’s my relationship. It’s my friends. It’s my art. It’s baking. Genuinely, it’s my cats,” she said. “Everything that is noise, you deal with it just like anything else.”
I think she’s really smart and grounded and has somewhat of a handle on tuning the crap out. I think she’s definitely had to learn how to do that given how much noise there is around her. I think maybe some of it still seeps in, but a lot probably doesn’t.