It’s been a long time coming.
After a very public two-year relationship, singer Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce announced their engagement Tuesday.
University of Iowa student’s ESPN, Instagram, and messaging apps all blew up with the news midday. Many students had mixed reactions, with some being thrilled, others feeling indifferent, and even a few who were skeptical.
For some, it was a heartwarming break from study life. For others, any updates on the couple were annoying news.
Swift shared the announcement on Instagram, reading, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
Thirteen days ago, Swift announced her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” on Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. The album is set to launch Oct. 3.
Swift’s post today puts her right back at the center of attention for fanatic fans and indifferent UI students alike.
“I’m very excited for them. I was expecting them to get engaged,” Whitney Cassady, a third-year at the UI, said.
Cassady has been a longtime fan of Swift, witnessing all the breakup songs accompanying her relationships. To Cassady, this relationship of Swift’s feels different, engagement aside.
“Out of all of her relationships, this one feels the most like they’re in love, actually,” she said.
Other students were less enthusiastic.
“I don’t really care, but I feel like that’s a really quick engagement,” Emily Evison, a first-year at the UI, said.
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Swift and Kelce began dating in the summer of 2023. Swift was spotted at a Kansas City Chiefs game on Sept. 24 of that year. From then on, she became a common reaction shot for any of Kelce’s big plays, much to the annoyance of some NFL fans.
“It didn’t really bother me that much,” Kam Dikeman, a first-year at the UI, said. “I think it was weird that she was such a big focus in the media over football. But for the most part, it didn’t bother me.”
He thinks the two-year long relationship can continue to add new writing material for Swift.
“It’s cool,” Dikeman said. “But I think if they get a divorce, for me, it’ll be a good breakup album for Taylor.”
Dikeman still did not rule out the possibility that the relationship is a celebrity stunt.
“Whenever I’ve seen anything on the news, it always seemed pretty genuine,” Haley Hveem, a first-year at the UI, said. “Also, surely you’re not getting married to somebody if it’s not.”
Kelce looks to start off the season strong after a Super Bowl loss for the Chiefs in February. The Chiefs are lined up to play the Chargers for the first game of the season on Sept. 5.
Some fans speculate the Swift media frenzy will calm down during the games.
“It’s dying down,” Aammin Hassan, a first-year at UI, said. “We’ve already had all the football games with her being zoomed in on the cameras. I think people are tired of it at this point, so I don’t think they’re going to keep doing that.”
Hassan said he wishes fans would calm down their hype surrounding celebrity relationships.
“It’s not our business, even if it’s genuine or not,” he said. “Let them do whatever they want.”
