In 2023, Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, shared a playlist of some of his favorite songs with Apple Music. Dubbed “The Warm-Up,” the playlist is a collection of songs he generally uses to work out or get pumped up for a game.
Kelce’s extended list spans decades and genres from late ’70s R&B and funk of Nile Rodgers‘ and Chic to more rock with an AC/DC classic and some electronic and pop peppered in. The list also leans predominantly on hip-hop with songs by Kendrick Lamar, Trick Daddy, Gucci Mane, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Uzi Vert, and more, along with three tracks from Drake, including two from his 2022 collaborative album with 21 Savage, Her Loss.
“I’m all about energy and focus,” explained Kelce of his playlist. “Music helps me align with that internal source so that when I’m out on the field I’ve set the tone for the game before I even made it out there. This playlist gives you those hype tracks to remind you why you’re driving, why you’re running, and amp up everything.”
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The tight end also revealed that he uses the playlist to work out. “It looks like a whole bunch of random songs, but all those songs mean something to me,” said Kelce. “It’s songs I’ve gathered through life, through other sporting teams, through high school, through college, and the league.”
Joined by his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, Travis recently sang “Fairytale of Philadelphia,” a cover of The Pogues‘ iconic 1988 holiday “Fairytale of New York,” for the charity album, A Philly Special Christmas Special. Created by Jason Kelce and his Eagles teammates Keelan Johnson and Jordan Mailata, the 2023 project benefited the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in Philadelphia.
Here’s a chronological look at just seven of the songs Kelce included on his playlist—along with one of his Taylor Swift favorites slipped in.
1. “Le Freak,” Chic (1978)
Written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards
Have you heard about the new dance craze? / Listen to us, I’m sure you’ll be amazed. Chic’s 1978 disco-R&B hit is all Kelce needs to get worked up. The oldest track on his playlist, Chic’s classic was released on the group’s second album C’est Chic, and was their first No. 1 on the Billboard R&B and Hot 100 charts.
C’est Chic also went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 4 on the 200 charts.
2. “You Shook Me All Night Long,” AC/DC (1980)
Written by Brian Johnson, Malcolm Young, and Angus Young
Shortly after the death of vocalist Bon Scott, AC/DC guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young gave their then-new singer Brian Johnson the music to a song they had been working on, “You Shook Me All Night Long,” that just needed lyrics. Wanting to impress his new bandmates, Johnson went to work and wrote the AC/DC classic that same night.
“I had to impress somebody,” said Johnson in 2014. The band flew Johnson down to The Bahamas where they were working on their sixth album, Back in Black. Right from the start, Johnson had the opening line, She was a fast machine / She kept her motor clean. “That was the first thing that came to me head, but the boys had the title,” added Johnson. “Malcolm and Angus said, ‘Hey listen, we got this song,’ and if you listen to the chords it just fell in any way, so I can’t claim any credit on that. The rest was just filler, the verses, and it all worked out smashing.”
[RELATED: 4 AC/DC Classics Written by Bon Scott]
Johnson, a car enthusiast, was exploring the similarities between cars and women and connected to AC/DC’s language straight away. Women and cars move fast, and it’s exciting to see all the different models.
“You Shook Me All Night Long” was also the first song Johnson wrote as a member of AC/DC and the first single the band released with their “new” singer.
Read the full story behind the AC/DC’s Classic “You Shooke Me All Night Long” HERE.
3. “Pump Up the Jam,” Technotronic (1990)
Written by Manuela Kamosi and Thomas De Quincey
“I love my throwback songs,” said Kelce, referencing Technotronic’s 1990 hit “Pump Up the Jam.” The electronic group, created by Belgian producer Jo Bogaert and featuring vocals by Belgian-Congolese singe Ya Kid K, released the single from its debut Pump Up the Jam: The Album. The album reached the top 10 (at No. 10) on the Billboard 200 and the song was an international hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart.
“I’m a kid from the ’90s and I’ve been rocking with some of the same sounds since I started playing,” added Kelce of the song. “They remind me of the why and the long vision. Plus, it’s just a classic beat.”
4. “Blank Space,” Taylor Swift (2014/2023)
Written by Taylor Swift, Johan Karl Schuster, and Max Martin
Kelce’s favorite Taylor Swift era is 1989. Though it wasn’t featured on Kelce’s Apple playlist, the tight end has spoken openly about his favorite song from Swift’s 2014. The album, which was named after the year Swift was born, and also Kelce’s birth year, was rereleased in 2023 as 1989 (Taylor’s Version). When it was initially released in 2014, 1989 went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned Swift three more No. 1 hits with “Shake It Off,” and “Bad Blood,” along with Kelce’s favorite “Blank Space.”
“‘Blank Space’ was one I wanted to hear live for sure,” said Kelce in 2023. “‘I could make a bad guy good for the weekend.’ That’s a helluva line.”
And I know you heard about me
So hey, let’s be friends
I’m dyin’ to see how this one ends
Grab your passport and my hand
I can make the bad guys good for a weekend
5. “The Fall,” The Chainsmokers, featuring Ship Wrek (2022)
Written by Alexander J. Pall, Andrew Taggart, Collin Joseph Maguire, Emily Warren, Ian Kirkpatrick, and Tillis James Churchill III
In 2022, The Chainsmokers connected with the Los Angeles electronic duo Ship Wrek for the hyped-up “The Fall.” The track, about an electric connection with someone—Turn up the sounds and let it fill your body / Building up the tension, I’ll stay the night / If you’re having fun, I can feel your body—was later added to The Chainsmokers’ fourth album So Far So Good, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
6. “Rich Flex,” Drake and 21 Savage (2022)
Written by Drake, 21 Savage, Aldrin Davis, Charles Bernstein, Clifford Joseph Harris, Anderson Hernandez, Jahmal Desmond Gwin, Isaac John D. De Boni, Michael John Mule, Anthony Germaine White, Brytavious Lakeith Chambers, She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, Megan J. Pete, Bobby Dewayne Jr. Session, and Gladys Ruth Facen
Drake and 21 Savage appear on Kelce’s playlist three times. The first song Kelce added was Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind closing track “Jimmy Cooks,” featuring 21 Savage. Then, he added two more tracks from Drake and 21 Savage’s 2022 collaborative album Her Loss: “Pussy & Millions,” featuring Travis Scott, and the opening track “Rich Flex.”
[RELATED: 48 Songs You Didn’t Know Drake Wrote for Other Artists]
The latter single went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B and Hip-Hop chart. “Rich Flex” also samples 1973 songs Charles Bernstein’s “Nora’s Transformation” and “I Want You, Girl” by Sugar, along with T.I.’s “24’s” (2003), 21 Savage’s “Red Opps” (2016), and Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Savage” from 2020.
7. “First Class,” Jack Harlow
Written by Jack Harlow, Rogét Chahayed, José Velazquez, Ryan Vojtesak, Jasper Harris, Nickie Jon Pabón, Micaiah Raheem, and Douglas Ford, along with Fergie, Ludacris, Polow da Jon, will.i.am and Blac Elvis
“You can’t deny this song, plus I’m a Jack Harlow fan,” said Kelce of the rapper’s No. 1 hit “First Class.” Released on Harlow’s second album Come Home the Kids Miss You, “First Class” went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 and chronicles his rise to fame since breaking out with his 2020 hit single “What’s Poppin.” The song also interpolates Fergie’s 2007 hit “Glamorous” in the chorus and credits its songwriters.
“We recently connected when I flew to NYC for the night he hosted SNL (Saturday Night Live),” said Kelce of meeting Harlow in 2022. “He’s talented and a cool guy, plus he brought in that throwback track with ‘First Class.’ I’m also looking forward to the day he gives me that cameo role in his next music video. Put me in Jack. I’m ready.”
Check out Kelce’s full “The Warm-Up” playlist HERE.
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for CMT
