A lot can change in a year. 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII was a fairy tale-come-true for Taylor Swift, with her attendance boosting viewership figures, attracting a new demographic, and garnering intense interest. It ended in true rom-com style with Swift dashing back from a concert in Japan, only to see boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Chiefs comeback from behind to snatch victory, with the couple kissing as ticker-tape rained down on them.
Well, we live in a different world now, and it’s safe to say that Swift didn’t receive the same hero’s welcome this year at Super Bowl LIX. Just as before, she ensured she was in the crowd to watch Kelce play, though this year the Chiefs were trounced by the Eagles 22 to 40. To add insult to injury, when Swift was displayed on the Ceasar’s Superdrome Jumbotron, the crowd erupted into a torrent of loud boos.
Taylor Swift laughed off being booed at the Super Bowl 😅 pic.twitter.com/Zdc5fHKc0A
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 10, 2025
Swift, who was seated next to Ice Spice, looked visibly taken aback at the unexpected clamor. After all, the Eras Tour saw her bask in the adulation of tens of thousands of fans in cities around the world, so this might be the first time she’s faced a truly unfriendly crowd in a long time. She shot the camera a nervous and awkward glance before composing herself and trying to laugh ⏤ er, shake ⏤ it off. A lip-reading expert claims that she muttered, “Awww what. What’s going on?” to Ice Spice.
Donald Trump also received his fair share of boos when he walked out onto the field, though less than Swift. Predictably, he was soon to gloat on social media, saying, “She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving.”
Are we at the outset of a sea change in terms of how Swift is perceived? Has the 2024 election and return of Trump so quickly inverted the cultural compass that the mere sight of the feminist, Democrat-supporting Swift will draw boos? Perhaps not quite.
It’s notable that in this particular match, Swift was caught in an awkward place. As she’s there to support Kelce, she should be cheering for a Chiefs victory, though in reality she’s been a lifelong Eagles fan. In her song “gold rush,” she refers to “my Eagles T-shirt hanging from my door” and has been pictured wearing Eagles shirts and sweaters on numerous occasions.
Grown ass men booing Taylor when trump is there is pure misogyny
— Keanu⸆⸉ 💌 (@OtterAndCat_) February 10, 2025
And Taylor Swift is a life long eagles fan, and her boyfriend is in the Chiefs so she’s winning no matter who wins pic.twitter.com/oD0aORP8rJ
The theory goes that this landed her in a perfect storm: Chiefs fans know she’s probably secretly rooting for the Eagles, and Eagles fans see her as betraying the team ⏤ hence the booing. That said, we simply can’t discount that there will have been many Trump voters in the crowd eager to hate her for her political stance. After all, Trump himself famously posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” when she endorsed Kamala Harris.
"The world is healing!" literally what did Taylor Swift do to garner such immense hatred in all of you. Americans cheer on a convicted felon as their president but boo a celebrity for appearing at a football game??? Y'all act like she murdered your entire families. https://t.co/lSwXeQytfP
— yz⸆⸉ (@everhero13) February 10, 2025
Needless to say, Swifties weren’t impressed:
that stadium cheered for trump but booed taylor swift? just abolish the whole sport pic.twitter.com/r397ryH4XA
— illusionist 🖤 (@so_it_gays) February 10, 2025
applauding trump (rapist) but booing taylor swift??? congratulations to the united states for being the stupidest country in history pic.twitter.com/V9pepDbUGS
— head taybrina⸆⸉ 合 🩰 (@headtaybrina) February 10, 2025
booing taylor swift is bold behavior congrats on cursing the next 13 generations of your bloodline
— irene anna (@enerianna) February 10, 2025
Whatever spin people can put on this, it really doesn’t bode well for the future. Just months ago, it would have been unimaginable for Swift to be so loudly booed by a large crowd. Unfortunately, we’re now living in Donald Trump’s world, so buckle up and prepare for four more years of hooting pot-stirrers.
Published: Feb 10, 2025 05:55 pm