Will she make it?
Taylor Swift’s last song was still ringing in the ears of thousands of fans at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night when the singer rushed to a private jet at Haneda airport, presumably embarking on an intensely scrutinized journey to see her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, play in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
The prospect of this race against time, crossing nine time zones and the international date line, has fired imaginations, and speculation, for weeks.
At Saturday night’s concert, there was plenty of evidence of the unique cultural phenomenon that is the Swift-Kelce relationship, a nexus of professional football, and the huge star power of Swift.
In addition to sequined dresses celebrating Swift in the packed Tokyo Dome, there were Travis Kelce jerseys hats, and other gear celebrating his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Some in Tokyo spent thousands of dollars to attend the pop superstar’s concerts this week.
Taylor Swift hopped in her private jet from Tokyo to fly back to Las Vegas in time for Travis Kelce’s Super Bowl game. APTo call the worldwide scrutiny of Swift’s travels intense is an understatement.
Fans have tracked her jet.
The planet-warming carbon emissions of her globe-trotting travels have been criticized.
Officials have weighed in on her ability to park her jet in Las Vegas airports.
Taylor Swift has been a regular at Travis Kelce’s football games. APEven Japanese diplomats have gotten into the act.
The Japanese Embassy in Washington posted on social media that she could make the Super Bowl in time, including in their statement three Swift song titles – “Speak Now”, “Fearless” and “Red.”
“If she departs Tokyo in the evening after her concert, she should comfortably arrive in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl begins,” it said.
Office worker Hitomi Takahashi, 29, bought matching Taylor Swift sweatshirts along with her friend and was taking photos just outside of the dome on Saturday. “I hope she can return in time. It’s so romantic,” she said.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship: Here's the inside scoop
- Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce tried to give pop star Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it at a July 2023 Eras tour concert but was blocked from doing so.
- Swift confirmed that she and Kelce “started hanging out right after that.”
- Swift confirmed the two were a couple by the time she attended her first Chiefs game in September, when she watched her beau score a touchdown against the Chicago Bears alongside Kelce’s family.
- Travis’ dad, Ed Kelce, called the two a “wonderful couple,” and his mom, Donna, posted a video of her hugging Swift in October.
- Travis Kelce was spotted dancing with Swift’s father at an Eras tour concert in Argentina.
She is aware of the criticisms Swift is facing about her private jets, but said the singer was being singled out unfairly.
“Many other people are flying on business, and she is here for her work. She faces a bashing because she is famous and stands out,” Takahashi said.
Swift has been crisscrossing the globe this week already.
Before coming to Asia, she attended the Grammys in Los Angeles, winning her 14th Grammy and a record-breaking fourth Album of the Year award for “Midnights.”
Taylor Swift left straight from her concert in Japan on Saturday evening. APThe show was watched by nearly 17 million people.
She also made a surprise announcement that her next album is ready to drop in April.
