Taylor Swift struggled to hold back tears during an emotional appearance on Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast as she discussed her years-long battle to reclaim the masters of her music.

In a special episode marking the start of her new ‘era,’ Swift revealed the cover of her 12th album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ and announced several different collector’s editions of the record.

However, the most memorable part of the show was Swift breaking down in tears, with Kelce comforting her by kissing her on the head as she recounted her fight to regain her master recordings.

With over one million fans tuning in for the live stream, she explained how Kelce was playing video games when she found out she had bought the rights back but the NFL star even started weeping when he was told the news. 

Swift also joked that Travis used the podcast as a dating app by publicly revealing he had tried and failed to give Swift his phone number after she had performed at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City back in 2023. His admission at the time eventually led to the start of their relationship.

‘This podcast had done a lot for me,’ Swift said, explaining why she was finally on the show to make her announcement. ‘It was wild, but it worked. He is the good kind of crazy. The first time we talked, he was truly getting to know me. He is just a vibe booster in everyone’s life that he’s in. He’s like an exclamation point.’

Taylor Swift fought back tears discussing on New Heights the fight to reclaim her masters

Kelce affectionately kissed Swift on the head as she took a moment to regain composure

The singer finally shared a first look at the front cover of her latest record

Swift admitted she knew nothing about football until Kelce but is now ‘obsessed’ and was even screaming in excitement when the Chiefs drafted Xavier Worthy in 2024. 

‘I’m not ready to be analyst right now but give me 16 months,’ she joked. 

Earlier Wednesday, Swift ramped up the excitement over her appearance when her website became a timer counting down to the launch of the episode. Underneath the ticking clock, there was a locked door that slowly lowered towards colored boxes that had a padlock on the front. The closer time got to the podcast, the greater the number of boxes that appeared.

Now, after teaser clips her devoted fans scoured forensically for clues or ‘Easter eggs’ that Swift deliberately leaves to indicate future music plans, she has finally shared details of her 12th album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ – as well as opening up on her Eras Tour and reclaiming her masters earlier this year.

Travis’s older brother Jason gave Swift a typically passionate introduction, saying: ‘Our guest today is a singer, songwriter and producer and director from Nashville, Tennessee. That’s bulls***. She is from Reading, Pennsylvania (Jason lives in Pennsylvania).

‘She is the most awarded artist in the history of the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and iHeart Radio Music Awards. She has 14 Grammy Awards and is the only artist in the history to win Album of the Year four times.

‘Last December, she wrapped up the Eras Tour, which spanned 149 shows across 51 cities, five continents and was the most attended tour of all time. Her last album The Tortured Poets Department set a record with 1.76 billion streams globally within the first week alone. 

‘And as a fan of that guy on the Chiefs, she has 19 wins, two AFC titles and a Super Bowl. Making her podcasting debut, the most requested guest in the history of shows, Taylor Swift!’

Swift took her introduction and, in the first time we’ve seen the high-profile couple properly interacting, mocked the NFL fans who have booed and complained about her arrival into the world of football.

‘As we all know, you guys have a lot of male sports fans that listen to your podcast, and I think we all know that if there’s one thing that male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens, it’s more of me,’ she said, with a wry grin. 

Swift’s website ramped up the excitement with a countdown to the podcast beginning

Swift’s appearance on the podcast marks another big moment in the couple’s relationship

She appeared to be hitting back at certain fans booing her when she appeared on the jumbotron at the Super Bowl in New Orleans in February. But soon enough, it was all about her upcoming release.

‘The Life of a Showgirl’ follows on from Swift’s wildly popular 2024 record, The Tortured Poets Department. 

After Monday’s brief announcement, Swifties were quick to notice how orange appeared to be the color theme for album 12, even unearthing footage from her Eras Tour where the stage lit up in the color during performances of the song ‘august’ – the month where she has now returned to the spotlight.

And while, as Swift was so keen to point out, New Heights is predominantly a football podcast, the Kelce brothers have gladly leant in and welcomed the overflow of Swifties who routinely tune into their show. 

And Kelce’s relationship with Swift – which they went public with in 2023 when she joined his mom, Donna, in a VIP suite at the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium – has seen many in the NFL world thrilled by her presence.

Her new album – the 12th of her career – follows on from her hugely successful Era’s Tour

Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs quarterback and one of Kelce’s closest friends in football, was among the millions watching the live stream.

Earlier in the day, he told reporters after Chiefs practice: ‘I’m obviously super excited.

‘Just knowing Taylor and seeing the process from just a little bit closer of how she makes the albums, it’s going to be amazing because of how much work she puts into it.

‘What better place to announce it than New Heights podcast, where I feel like she can be herself and showcase who she is. I think people are going to be really excited to watch it tonight. I haven’t seen it yet, just little clips of it. 

‘But I’ll be tuning in tonight just like everybody else. I’ll be able to have something to watch on this night off that I have here.’

Mahomes also revealed that after the show had been recorded, Swift FaceTimed his wife, Brittany.

‘I knew before y’all did just because they called me after the podcast was done,’ Mahomes said, before correcting himself.

Kelce recently shared pictures from his downtime during the summer with Swift

But with an NFL season near and a new album, the couple are very much back in the spotlight

‘They didn’t call me, they called Brittany. I was in the back of the FaceTime.’

For Kelce, his girlfriend’s big news coincides with him ramping up his preparations for the new season which for the Chiefs, begins September 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, against Los Angeles Chargers.

The 35-year-old nearly retired from football after his team were blown away in February’s Super Bowl by the Philadelphia Eagles, before eventually deciding he didn’t want his career to end on such a low point.

Judging by Wednesday’s episode, Kelce enters his 13th season happier than ever off the field with Swift, with whom he enjoyed a low-key offseason with. He recently shared pictures from his summer of them at dinner with friends, ice skating and spending time with Jason and her brother, Austin.

And as she is set to dominate the music world with another massive album release, it will soon be up to him to copy that success out on the football field.