Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025, would see pop superstar Taylor Swift launch a surprising reaction from the crowd.
35-year-old Swift attended the game at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Swift was in attendance at the stadium, and as the Chiefs faced the Philadelphia Eagles in a high-stakes championship, the singer was the talk of the town.
However, when she made her presence known on the big screen, her response was not the reaction many had expected.
Before the game, Ari Meirov, an NFL reporter, posted a video of Swift appearing on the jumbotron on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Alongside rapper Ice Spice, Swift smiled as the cameras panned to her, however, rather than cheers there were loud boos from the stands.
Meirov pointed out, “Taylor Swift got showed on the big screen and got booed aggressively,”
Observers soon pointed out that the Superdome audience was mostly made up of Eagles fans.
With the team being so close to New Orleans and having such a strong fan base, some thought the reaction was in rivalry.
An NFL fan posted online: “Everyone right now ‘the crowd boos Taylor Swift!!?’
“Guys… the crowd is 80% Eagles fans. Of course they booed Taylor. Don’t worry, our girl is loved deeply, and she knows it.”
The moment was soon all over social media, with many Swift loyalists coming to her defense.
Others said Swift was unwittingly caught in the middle of the Super Bowl rivalry war.
However, others have said that her presence has been polarizing due to her famous relationship with Kelce.
Tennis legend Serena Williams added to the discourse by writing on X that she, too, is supporting Swift.
Referring to Taylor Swift, Ryan Reaves writes, “I love you @taylorswift13 don’t listen to those boos!!” Standing in the singer’s corner, Williams posted.
The Super Bowl also caused controversy involving former U.S. President Donald Trump through another unexpected moment.
During the national anthem, Trump, the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, was shown on the jumbotron.
Some claimed he received cheers, while others claimed the stadium erupted in booing.
One person tweeted: “Y’all didn’t boo at Donald Trump loud enough,” others argued about the nature of the booing.
Trump later weighed in on the situation, both on the scene and regarding Swift’s coveted moment at the game.
He added: “The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift,”
“She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!”
As the game progressed, attention returned to the action on the field, with the Philadelphia Eagles winning by a huge margin of 40 22.
Then there was the incident with Swift that stayed among the most talked about moments of the night.
Fans and analysts dissected the reasons behind the reaction to Swift for hours after the game.
Others contended that the boos were just a manifestation of the passion of Eagles fans and their disapproval of anything related to their hated rival team.
Other people thought Swift’s frequent presence at NFL games this season has made her a subject of admiration and criticism.
The controversy did not stop Swift from staying composed and unbothered throughout the event.
She initially looked momentarily puzzled when the boos broke out, but soon was back to enjoying the game.
Still, debates persist: Was this all about football rivalry, or was there something more to it, such as how the public perceives her presence at sporting events?
The debate continues for now, but one thing is crystal clear: Taylor Swift’s impact is felt in music or out of it, on the sidelines of the biggest sports event in America.
