Swifties aren’t the only ones celebrating the news that Taylor Swift purchased the masters to her Big Machine albums last week. Less than a week after the singer bought back the rights to her first six studio albums from Shamrock Capitol — the private equity firm that purchased them from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in late 2020 — for what sources told Billboard was around $360 million, her longtime boyfriend Travis Kelce weighed in on the news.
In a trailer for Wednesday’s (June 4) new episode of his New Heights podcast with brother Jason Kelce, the siblings host former NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, who just can’t help himself when Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” comes on. Playing the Red hit on his phone and mouthing along to the lyrics “Once upon a time/ A few mistakes ago/ I was in your sights/ You got me alone,” Shaq was clearly feeling the news.
As the hardcourt legend enthusiastically lip synchs to the tune, Travis and Jason bop along and smile, with Travis matching Shaq’s hand gestures. “That’s my favorite song in the world brotha,” Shaq tells the duo. “I love it.”
Both Kelces clap and laugh at the news. “You know it,” Shaq adds. “Shout out to Tay Tay,” Travis says with a big smile on his face. “Just got that song back, too,” he adds as Jason fist-pumps and shouts “Hell yeah!”
“Just bought all her music back. So it’s finally hers too man. I appreciate that dog,” Travis tells Shaq. It was the first public comment from Travis since the news broke last week via a letter from Swift about regaining control of Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014) and Reputation (2017).
In her note, Swift wrote, “I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away. But that’s all in the past now. I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me.”
While it took a few days for Kelce to weigh in, Swifties wasted no time in celebrating the news. Billboard reported that following the 11:30 a.m. ET announcement on Friday, early data showed U.S. activity around the singer’s whole catalog — her six Big Machine albums, her subsequent albums and re-recordings on Republic — jumped to averaging nearly 35,000 consumption units for that day and Saturday (May 31), a 72.3% increase from the average daily activity in the previous 12 days from an average of 20,000 units.
Watch the New Heights preview below.
