Music
Taylor Swift Reveals Why She Declined The Super Bowl Halftime Show
Contrary to prior reports, it has nothing to do with the NFL refusing to meet her terms.
Taylor Swift is living The Life of a Showgirl, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show — at least not yet. During her Oct. 6 interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the singer confirmed speculation that she was in talks about the coveted gig, but dismissed a rumor about why it didn’t pan out, revealing the true reason she turned it down.
During a game that Swift eventually titled “That’s So True” (after her friend Gracie Abrams’ hit), Fallon read rumors and had to guess which one was actually true. This included a report that Swift turned down the halftime show because the NFL wouldn’t allow her to own the footage of her performance, which she confirmed was false.
Why Did Taylor Turn Down The Super Bowl?
Swift explained that she has a great relationship with Jay-Z, who is in charge of planning the halftime shows with his company Roc Nation. “Our teams are really close,” she said. “They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about [the Super Bowl]?’ That’s not like an official offer... just, ‘Our teams are really close, how does she feel about it in general?’”
However, Swift is hesitant to take on the gig because her fiancé, Travis Kelce, plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. “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,” she said. “That is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”
Swift clarified that her decision had “nothing to do with Travis.” She said, “He would love for me to do it.” But for now, she’s just “too locked in” to plan a show while also cheering him on and hoping he doesn’t get hurt.
“Can you imagine he’s out there every single week, like 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?’” she questioned. “I think we should do two verses of ‘Shake It Off’ into ‘Blank Space’ into ‘Cruel Summer’ would be great.”
In 2022, it was reported that Swift turned down the Super Bowl because she didn’t want to headline the halftime show until she completed her “Taylor’s Version” re-recordings and reclaimed her first six albums. Now that she owns all of her music, this is no longer an issue, but it sounds like she might wait for Kelce to retire from the NFL before finally accepting the gig.
