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One of the most anticipated podcast episodes of 2025 – and maybe of all time – is here.
The "New Heights" podcast featuring brothers Jason and Travis Kelce had one of its highest-profile guests in its history today: Grammy Award-winning artist Taylor Swift.
Swift and Travis Kelce have been a couple since September 2023. He attended one of Swift's shows at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – home of his Kansas City Chiefs – that summer and the two started dating shortly afterward.
The Kelce brothers started the "New Heights" podcast in September 2022 and it's grown into one of the most popular podcasts on streaming platforms. Amazon's streaming platform Wondery bought the distribution and ad sales rights to the show for $100 million in August 2024.
The podcast teased her appearance earlier this week with multiple clips. One in particular is of key interest for Swifties: her announcement of the release of her new album "The Life of a Showgirl."
The podcast was live on YouTube and other streaming platforms. USA Today Sports provided updates of Swift's first appearance on "New Heights":
How to listen to the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift
The podcast is available on all streaming platforms. It's currently the top show on Apple Music and can also be streamed on Spotify. The premiere will also be available on the show's YouTube channel at 7 p.m. ET.
Where to watch the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift
You can catch the "New Heights" in video format on YouTube only.
Taylor Swift's 'welcome to the NFL' moment
Jason Kelce asked what Swift's "welcome to the NFL" moment was, and she mentioned the 2024 AFC championship game, the Chiefs won over the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. That was the first time she stepped onto the field.
"We're in the suite and he's just won the AFC championship, we're freaking out, everybody's screaming," she recalled. "And his mom goes, 'all right, let's go down to the field.' And I was like, 'what are we doing, what do you mean? We're going where?'"
She asked Travis' mother, Donna, if he was okay with that.
"We hadn't talked about this," Swift said. "He doesn't jinx anything which I respect... but we hadn't had a conversation about it."
"Mama knows best," Travis said. "She knew I wanted you down there."
When she got down to the field, she was shocked by the environment Travis went through during the game.
"It's just like, oh my god," she said. "There's so many lights. I've never seen this many cameras, I've never seen this much media in my life and I've seen a lot of media."
Swift says she and Travis Kelce have 'very similar' jobs
"On paper, we actually kind of have a very similar job," Swift said. "Our job is to entertain people for three-plus hours in NFL stadiums. When I'm there it's called a dressing room, when Travis is there it's called a locker room."
Swift, Travis Kelce see the impact they have on new NFL fans
Much has been made about the increase in viewership of NFL games involving the Chiefs since Travis and Swift started dating. The two have seen that impact anecdotally as well.
"It definitely feels like a lot of people say that to us which is really kind because there was never a thought in either of our heads that that was going to be a by-product," Swift said.
"That was a pleasant surprise, seeing all the little girls in the stands at games and you can see a proud father right there standing next to them," Travis agreed. "It's definitely been fun to see that surprise."
Swift says her dad is friends with Chiefs coach Andy Reid
Swift said her father, Scott, is friends with the Super Bowl-winning head coach after Reid had come to some of her shows. But she admits she didn't fully know what Reid was doing.
"I knew that was my dad's friend Andy Reid," she said. "I now know that he is literally the most iconic, legendary coach of all time... his leadership style, I respect it so much because I feel like it's done without aggression or raising your voice or losing your composure."
Reid even vouched for Travis with Scott.
"Basically everyone who likes [Travis], which is a lot of people, started reaching out to everyone who knows me," Swift recalled. "I think it was like Andy was vouching for you, my relatives, my cousins."
Swift compares pressure in football to performing
"I love this new world that Travis has shown me," Swift said. "It's so fun, it's so exciting. There's so much pressure on these players... I've only ever been in music and been like, you know, seeing that. The pressure on sports is just such a different type that I have such a respect for everyone. Everyone I meet on his team, everyone I see doing this, I'm just like 'you've been focused on this since you were a kid.' And it shows."
What is Wondery?
Wondery is a podcast network owned by Amazon. The platform signed a deal in 2024 for $100 million to hold the distribution and ad sales rights for the "New Heights" podcast for three years.
Swift, Jason Kelce agree on her improved football knowledge
Swift said she's fallen in love with football and become obsessed with it, including the NFL Draft.
"I became a person who was running through the halls of my house screaming, 'We drafted Xavier Worthy,'" she said, referring to the Chiefs' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. "My friends were like, 'What? Who body snatched you? What do you mean?"
Travis said she was the first person to tell him Kansas City drafted him.
She is also learning about the side of the ball that game plans to stop Travis.
"We're talking about Cover 2, Cover 4, Cover 0, man coverage," she said. "I continue to learn... I'm not ready to be an analyst right now but give me 16 months."
"You had asked some of the best questions when we're up in the booth," Jason said. "Your desire to learn more but your genuine excitement around it as well as your competitiveness."
Swift recounts Travis explaining football to her on first date
Swift explained that on their first date she asked Travis what it was like to face his brother, Jason, in Super Bowl 57. Specifically, she asked what it was like to line up against him on the field, something they didn't do during the game because both Kelce brothers played on offense in that Super Bowl.
"He didn't even look at me," Swift said. "I now know what an insane question that was. He was like, 'actually, I'm on the offense and my brother's on the offense and I'm only on the field at the same time as the defense.' I thought everyone was on there at the same time."
What are 92 percenters?
Jason and Travis Kelce refer to fans of the "New Heights" podcast as "92%ers" in reference to the success rate of a quarterback sneak. Jason, a longtime center for the Philadelphia Eagles, stated that the team's success rate in running a quarterback sneak was 92%. The Eagles popularized a version of the quarterback sneak commonly called the "Tush Push."
Will Taylor Swift announce her new album on the podcast?
Yes. A clip from the episode shows Swift revealing her new album. "The Life of a Showgirl" is the award-winning artist's 12th studio album following "The Tortured Poets Department" released last year.
Has Taylor Swift been on Travis Kelce's podcast before?
This is the first time Swift is appearing on the "New Heights" podcast but she's been mentioned by name before.
Travis first talked about going to one of her concerts on an episode in July 2023.
"I was disappointed that she doesn't talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings so I was a little butthurt I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made her," Travis said. "If you're up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I had received a bunch of them, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it."
Two months later, the two were officially dating.
What is the New Heights podcast?
The show premiered on Sept. 7, 2022 when both brothers were active players in the NFL. Jason was entering his 12th and penultimate season with the Philadelphia Eagles as their starting center. He retired following the 2023 NFL season after earning his sixth career first-team All-Pro honor.
Jason's career with the Eagles and Travis' with the Chiefs means prominent people from both franchises have appeared on the show. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, general manager Howie Roseman, coach Nick Sirianni and running back Saquon Barkley have all appeared at least once on the podcast. Same goes for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive tackle Chris Jones and coach Andy Reid.
The podcast grew in popularity enough over the following two years that Wondery, Amazon's podcast platform, paid more than $100 million for the ad sales and distribution rights for the show.
New Heights guests history
Swift is one of the highest-profile guests the brothers have had on the show but she's not alone. Here are some of the more notable non-football guests to appear on "New Heights":
- Paul Rudd
- Adam Sandler
- Brad Pitt
- Ben Stiller
- Charles Barkley
- Lil Dicky
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Bill Murray
- Caitlin Clark
- Will Ferrell
- Ben Affleck
- LeBron James
- Jason Sudeikis
When is the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift?
The "New Heights" podcast episode featuring Taylor Swift is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
What time is the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift?
The latest episode of the "New Heights" podcast will premiere at 7 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taylor Swift on 'New Heights' podcast: Best moments, quotes with Jason, Travis Kelce
Reporting by Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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