Kenny Chesney Sends a Bold Message About Taylor Swift

Country star Kenny Chesney has revealed what he honestly thinks about Taylor Swift’s songwriting.

The “American Kids” singer explained during a Feb. 9 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that he goes way back with the “Anti-Hero” songstress. This history has given him a unique perspective on her abilities as a writer and performer.

“I’ve known Taylor a long time,” Chesney, 55, told host Pat McAfee. “She has done, obviously, an unbelievable job.”

When it comes to Swift’s writing talents, the “When the Sun Goes Down” vocalist said she is “one of the best songwriters on the planet.”

“She really is,” he reiterated, adding that Swift’s talent goes beyond being “an entertainer.”

“She really has a creative soul that comes from somewhere,” Chesney said. “She’s great at it.”

Swift, 34, credited Chesney with giving her career a jumpstart as a teenager. As Swift recalled during Time magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year interview, Chesney offered her an opening slot on his tour when she was 17. Though her age ultimately prevented her from joining because the tour had a beer company sponsor, Chesney later sent along a check that Swift said enabled her to fund her fledgling career.

In the years since that missed opportunity to join Chesney on tour, Swift ascended to what McAfee described as “the biggest star on earth.” In addition to the ongoing success of her Eras Tour and the 2023 release of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film, Swift broke a record last weekend at the 2024 Grammy Awards with her fourth Album of the Year win for her 2022 album Midnights.

But Swift’s fame extends far beyond the music world. She became one of the main celebrity focal points during this NFL season after she started attending Kansas City Chiefs games last fall to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Their relationship—and the NFL’s tendency to pan over to Swift during broadcasts—has generated mixed reactions, with some football fans praising Swift for exposing her audience to the NFL and others critiquing her visibility at Chiefs games.

Chesney says he doesn’t understand the negativity aimed at the Swift-Kelce relationship.

“Look, it’s hard enough to meet someone, right?” he said when McAfee asked for his opinion on the couple. “When you find somebody that meets someone and they’re happy, let ‘em be happy.”