With Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift is finally part of a power couple

As Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour continues its billion-dollar march around the world, the megastar is making headlines everywhere she goes. While in London, she entertained the royals, performed some popular deep cuts, and even made Hugh Grant smile. For her performance of “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” she was accompanied by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Donning a top hat and tails to be one of her dancers, he wore them in a dramatic fashion and acted as Fred to her Ginger. This sent Swifties wild with excitement, drawing even further attention to Kelce in a country where American football is a niche interest. Not that he needed to remind Eras Tour attendees who he was. They’re all wrapped up in this romance.

In the year or so that Swift and Kelce have been together, they have become a dominant couple in the world of A-list celebs. She’s a singer at the peak of her career, he’s an athlete who is considered one of the best in his field. They are photographed everywhere together and have used the attention to become even more famous. They are a true power couple, which is a real first for Swift. Travis and Taylor, Swift and Kelce, TNT.

Not every celebrity pairing of two famous people can be called a power couple. Swift has dated many famous men: John Mayer, Jake Gyllenhaal, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston, and Joe Alwyn, to name a few. None of them were as famous as her, but that has less to do with the men’s professions than with Swift’s one-time megastar status. But these relationships were not designed or used as demonstrations of power. For example, Swift and Gyllenhaal have not been seen collaborating on a music video. She has written songs with Harris and Alwyn, but they have remained out of the spotlight. They were not a demonstration of their combined abilities.

What sets a power couple apart from two famous lovers is using that fame for something bigger than those people could accomplish alone. Think of how George and Amal Clooney used their enormous fame and skills to fight for political causes together, or how David and Victoria Beckham launched various brands and products based on their mutual glamour. A power couple can make things happen. They can make each other bigger, better, and more interesting. They’re on the sidelines, but they’re also welcome on the stage or on the field. He’ll get her face in front of more TV audiences during the playoffs. She’ll make him more visible to Hollywood agents. Together, the world is their oyster.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Swift’s romances have received varying degrees of attention. Hiddleswift’s summer, complete with “I Heart TS” T-shirts and a well-documented beach party, generated more giggles than heart eyes. With Alwyn, Swift’s partner of six years, the pair maintained an extremely private life, rejecting hand-holding on leisure rugs and obsequious cover quotes for magazine profiles. That suited Swift well at a time when her reputation had suffered and her music was becoming more folksy and introspective.

Now, however, she’s in her icon era, and that calls for a boyfriend who fits the bill. Kelce has more than stepped up to the plate. It’s not just his dapper antics on stage and sing-alongs in the VIP section: It’s the dramatic kiss on the field after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl this year; it’s the hilarious anecdotes he shares about her on his podcast; it’s his extended family, including his brother Jason and mother Donna (who all have their own agents and brand deals), welcoming her into the fold and speaking publicly about this glorious romance. He doesn’t see dating an incredibly famous singer as an obstacle, and seems happy to be by her side, even if it may be a step back from letting her shine in full. You could think of him as the Alexis Ohanian to Serena Williams – both extremely successful people who accept being model husbands without sacrificing their own professional ambitions.

Kelce has been fully accepted and integrated into the legend by Swiftie Nation. They wear Chiefs shirts to their concerts and hail his football skills as an extension of their awesomeness. He’s the football pretty boy who took his chance and asked his love out, the tight end who does a song and dance for his love and is as cheesy as the world wants him to be. Swifties like how publicly romantic he is, in stark contrast to Alwyn’s carefully guarded privacy. To put it bluntly, he gives the people what they want: more Taylor in love and more Taylor in power.

The numbers also speak for themselves. According to The Hollywood ReporterSwift’s presence at Chiefs games boosted NFL viewership, and Commissioner Roger Goodell praised the pair as “quite a positive” for the league. Forbes reported that the Chiefs franchise gained $331.4 million in value in six months thanks to the power of TNT. That’s what a power couple does. Neither of them shies away from those advantages, especially Kelce. Long before Taylor, he was already opening doors for a career after football with his podcast, brand deals and SNL appearances (remember when he had a dating show?) Now he’s signing on to host game shows, produce films, and star in Ryan Murphy loads. In 2023 Business Insider Kelce is estimated to make about $5 million a year off the field. A portion of TNT will surely increase that amount. More exposure means more money.

Being in a power couple can be a double-edged sword. When one half’s popularity wanes, it inevitably affects the other half, as those of us who loved Bennifer Part One remember well. Swift’s exes have certainly felt the wrath of their fans and the embarrassment of some revealing songs. Some fans still fear that Kelce is only interested in Swift to boost his own profile. But the enthusiasm for TNT is also undeniable. Two hot and rich celebrities want the world to know that they love each other and that, united in romance and branding, they could conquer the world together. It’s not hard to see why Swift seems so happy with Kelce, a man who has embraced every part of her and opened himself up to the same kind of public consumption. Lana Del Rey said the secret to Swift’s success is that she wants him more than anyone else. In Kelce, she seems to have found someone who supports this philosophy and wants to open even more doors for her on her path. That is power.