Last December, Taylor Swift wrapped up a staggering two-year run on her billion-dollar “Eras” Tour. Spanning her almost two-decade career, the three-hour spectacle set a new sky-high standard for live performing. Between “Eras,” her 14 Grammy Awards, and enough Guinness World Records to warrant their own Wikipedia entry, you could still make a claim that Taylor Swift is not the Greatest Of All Time—but you’ll have to answer to Jelly Roll.
Jamey Johnson & Gretchen Wilson Duet Cover of 'Trudy'
Jelly Roll Sings Taylor Swift’s Praises to Pat McAfee
As someone used to playing packed venues, Jelly Roll knows it’s no small feat to sell out Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium not once, but five times—which is exactly what Taylor Swift did.
“Dude, she’s the GOAT. I will fist fight anybody who says otherwise,” the “Need a Favor” singer, 40, said emphatically during a July 16 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
He then addressed Swift’s boyfriend, three-time Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce. “Travis, don’t even worry. I got this one,” Jelly said. “I mean, literally. Like, she’s the goat. That is so hard to get people connected in such a way.”
See, Jelly Roll isn’t just a musician—he’s a fan, which means he understands the immense effort involved in seeing your favorite artist perform live.
“We’ve all watched our wife pick out her outfit, try two or three on… Like, this is a big night. Where are we gonna eat? Where are we gonna park? Like, it’s so much more into coming out than just to see me, you know what I mean?” he told McAfee. “I think of that every single night and just, like, how precious that is when me and my wife get those moments. And I just think about… 60,000 people out there that were doing the same.”
Jelly’s Surprisingly Sweet Connection to Taylor
During the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony, Jelly Roll’s wife, Bunnie Xo, went viral when she captured the moment her husband met longtime crush Taylor Swift. Later, the “Son of a Sinner” hitmaker explained exactly what made that moment so special for him.
“I take a ridiculous, probably abnormal, amount of pride in being from Nashville, so anytime I can link a Tennessee connect, it tickles me,” he said. “Taylor lived in Hendersonville for a while, and she had bought a playground. I used to push Bailee on that swingset that Taylor donated to Hendersonville. I wanted to tell her that when I met her, but I was so nervous I couldn’t even remember what swingset it was.”
