Power couple hoping to achieve ultimate success in their respective professions.
What’s more difficult to achieve: winning three consecutive Super Bowls or six Grammy Awards in one night?
That’s a worthy debate as Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs attempt to become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls seven days after his girlfriend Taylor Swift looks to collect a half dozen of this year’s coveted Grammys.
The spotlight always follows the power couple but will be extra intense over the next week as they try to collect the ultimate prize of their respective professions. Ms. Swift is up first with the 67th Grammy Awards airing on Sunday. Already a 14-time Grammy winner, she is scheduled to be a presenter and nominated for six awards, including Album of the Year for “The Tortured Poets Department” released in April. It spent 15 weeks at No.1 on Billboard 200.
It’s her seventh nomination in that category, a record for a female artist. She has won the category four times. She is also up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video for “Fortnight,” Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Ms. Swift thanked her fans when the nominations were announced in November. “You made it by far the biggest debut week I’ve ever had with an album, and you kept that album at No.1 for nearly four months,” she said. “And the most recent thing that you did, because everything that happens is a direct reflection of the passion that you show, is you guys got this album nominated for six Grammys! It’s so wonderful. So thank you.”
If comparing degrees of difficulty, while winning three consecutive Super Bowls is unprecedented, eight artists have won at least six Grammys in one night dating back to country and western star Roger Miller in 1966. The most recent was Adele in 2012.
Nabate Isles, a three-time Grammy trumpeter and sports journalist, doesn’t think Ms. Swift will sweep all six of her nominations this year due to the competition.
“I don’t think Taylor will do it,” Mr. Isles, told the New York Sun. “Not this year. I think there’s a lot of pressure on Beyonce to win her first Album of the Year for ‘Country Carter.’ You have a lot of hot artists that have been on par with Taylor Swift. She’ll probably get three Grammys. Pop Vocal of the Year and maybe Best Video. But I don’t think she’ll get Song, Record or Album of the Year. If she does, she’ll only get one of them.”
Ms. Swift has been dating Mr. Kelce, the Chiefs Pro Bowl tight end, for more than a year. They have been supportive of each other’s careers with Ms. Swift frequently attending the Chiefs’ games and Mr. Kelce making frequent appearances during stops of Ms. Swift’s hugely successful Eras Tour. But it’s unlikely he’ll be at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Sunday night for the Grammys.
The Chiefs are scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on Sunday around 4 p.m. to begin preparation for the Super Bowl on Sunday Feb. 9. However, the team has no official commitments until Monday night when the first photo and interview sessions take place as part of “Super Bowl Opening Night” at the Superdome.
Mr. Kelce didn’t attend the Grammys with Ms. Swift last year because of similar scheduling when the Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. At the time, Mr. Kelce said he would love to go but had to stay with the team. Ms. Swift made it to the Super Bowl last year where the Chiefs won their second straight championship. She is expected to be in attendance again this year.
There is speculation this could be Mr. Kelce’s last game before calling it a career, though he sounds like he’s still enjoying playing football. “It’s a fun group to be around,” he said before beating the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game, “especially when you add guys in. You get a new, fresh kind of feel to the locker room. It keeps everything new and fresh. It’s just a fun atmosphere to be around.”
Mr. Kelce’s performance on the field is often defined by his number of receptions and touchdowns. Statistically, he had his worst season this year with 97 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns, but his leadership has been instrumental in getting the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl. His message to younger teammates is usually on point and will be needed for the biggest of the year and an attempt at pro football history against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Just don’t let the lights blind you,” he said. “It’s a big moment. You’re going to hype it up because you’ve been dreaming about moments like these. The biggest thing is you don’t have to be something you’re not. You don’t have to force yourself to be greater than who you are. We work our tails off to be exactly who we are. Now it’s time to go out there and have fun and cut it loose.”
He could give Taylor Swift the same advice about the Grammys.