Taylor Swift, singer Credit: USA TODAY
By Ben Axelrod on

At various points this year, it seemed like a matter of not “if” but “when” Taylor Swift would be announced as the star of the Super Bowl LX halftime show.

But despite her references to sourdough and the number 60 during her appearance on New Heights, it will be Bad Bunny who takes the stage at Levi’s Stadium at the halfway point of the NFL’s championship game next February.

On Monday, Swift appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where the show’s host asked Swift why she won’t be shaking it off in Santa Clara next winter. And after denying that she turned down the opportunity over a dispute regarding ownership of the performance footage, The Life of the Showgirl singer cited her relationship with Travis Kelce as the primary reason she isn’t performing at the Super Bowl.

“Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our [business] teams are really close,” Swift said, referring to the rap mogul, whose Roc Nation company programs the Super Bowl halftime show with the NFL. “They sometimes will call and say, ‘How does she feel about [inaudible]. And that’s not, like, an official offer or a conference-room conversation.

“And 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. Like, [football] is violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field. Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week 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? I think we should do two verses of ‘Shake It Up’ into ‘Blank Space’ into ‘Cruel Summer’ would be great. This is has nothing to do with Travis, he would love for me to do it. I am just too locked in.”

It would have been admittedly unique for Taylor Swift to take part in what surely would have been one of the most highly anticipated halftime shows in Super Bowl history during a game that her fiancé potentially would have been playing in. Still, that didn’t stop her from previously dropping some clues (real or imagined) that such a performance was in the cards, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stating as recently as last month that a Swift Super Bowl halftime show was a possibility.

Based on her comments regarding Roc Nation, it sure sounds like there were at least some discussions that took place, even if they never resulted in a formal offer. But based on Taylor’s Version of events, it’s not something she’ll actually consider until Kelce hangs up her cleats — which may only be a few months away.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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