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Taylor Swift performs onstage as “Opalite” climbs to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her 14th career chart-topper amid ongoing discussion about Travis Kelce’s NFL future.
Taylor Swift’s latest single “Opalite” surged seven spots from last week to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her 14th chart-topper amid renewed public attention on her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce’s undecided future, as the 13-year veteran tight end is reportedly still weighing whether he will return or retire for the 2026 season.
The milestone achievement for Swift comes as Kelce — who has been in ongoing talks with the Chiefs about a potential return after Super Bowl LX — continues to mull his next step in the NFL, keeping both music and football fans tuned into how the pop star’s chart success and her fiancé’s career decision intersect.
According to a report by Heavy.com sportswriter Max Dible on Monday, Kelce is already in “contract talks” with the Chiefs — a strong indication that he is inclined to return for at least one more season in the NFL.
As Kelce ponders his decision, his global pop megastar partner is basking in the latest in her seemingly endless list of career accomplishments with the chart-topping success of “Opalite.”
Swift’s Opalite Becomes Her 14th No. 1 on the Hot 100
“Opalite” claimed the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Monday, tying her with Rihanna for third on the all-time list for most Hot 100 chart-toppers, according to Billboard. Only The Beatles with 20, and Mariah Carey with 19 have placed more singles at the top of the most prestigious Billboard chart.
The track’s rise was fueled by strong streaming totals, radio airplay gains and digital sales growth, Billboard reported. “A surge of physical sales that shipped to consumers and new remixes released during the tracking week” helped the single to the top, along with the release of Swift’s “Opalite” music video earlier this month.
“Opalite” is the second single to hit No. 1 from Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl, released last October. The album is believed to contain numerous references to Kelce in the lyrics to several of its songs, including “Opalite.”
Travis Kelce Weighs Retirement as Chiefs Await 2026 Decision
Kelce continues to delay any announcement on whether he will return to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2026 NFL season, and league insiders say his retirement decision is trending in a clear direction even as no formal choice has been made public. The 11-time Pro Bowl tight end is under contract through 2027 after signing a two-year, $34.25 million extension with the Chiefs in April 2024, a deal that reflected his status as one of the league’s highest-paid tight ends. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
As Taylor Swift celebrates another career milestone with “Opalite” atop the Billboard Hot 100, tension continues to build around Travis Kelce’s next move in the NFL. Whether the Chiefs tight end returns for the 2026 season or decides to retire, the timing places two of the most closely followed careers in music and sports at pivotal crossroads. For now, Swift’s 14th No. 1 single underscores her continued dominance on the charts, while Kelce’s pending retirement decision ensures that both fan bases remain closely watching what comes next.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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