Travis Kelce is not well-known as a successful musician. He’s recognized first and foremost as one of the most famous and impressive professional football players in the game, and then second as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend—though there are probably millions of people who would swap those honors.
While he’s never attempted to make a living as a musical artist, he has scored a hit or two with some special releases, and he’s earned another smash this week.
The athlete and pop culture superstar debuts his new single “It’s Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)” on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart this week.
The tune brings Kelce to the ranking of the bestselling R&B-only tunes in the U.S. for the first time, and his first win has instantly become a big hit, if only momentarily.
“It’s Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)” arrives at No. 8 on the list. It marks Kelce’s first top 10 hit on the R&B tally—his first hit anywhere on the list, actually.
Amazingly, Kelce reaches this Billboard chart before his girlfriend, who just so happens to be one of the most successful musicians of all time. Swift has placed hits on dozens of song rankings, but somehow, never the R&B Digital Song Sales tally.
Throughout her nearly two-decade-long career in the spotlight, Swift has only landed a single track on one of Billboard’s R&B charts—and it shot right to the summit. She joined rapper-of-the-moment B.O.B. on his single “Both of Us,” which reached the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales ranking in 2012. The cut opened at No. 1, and it remains Swift’s only placement on the list.
Kelce is surely enjoying his win, and he’s got friends to celebrate with. “It’s Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)” is credited to The Philly Specials as a lead artist. That’s a supergroup of sorts, made up of football players—and former players—Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and Travis’s brother Jason. R&B favorites Boyz II Men are also in on the fun as well, and they collect their fourth top 10 smash as featured stars.
Swift’s love may not be known primarily as a musician, but “It’s Christmas Time (In Cleveland Heights)” isn’t his first hit on a Billboard chart, either. Last year, he reached the Digital Song Sales, Rock Digital Song Sales, and Holiday Digital Song Sales rankings, as well as the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally with timely tunes. He regularly joins his sibling Jason on seasonal singles, which are recorded and released to raise money for charity.
