The former NFL star shared his thoughts on country music during the June 19 episode of his and brother Travis Kelce’s ‘New Heights’ podcast.
Jason Kelce, the recently retired NFL star, isn’t shy about sharing his thoughts on modern country music. On the June 19 episode of ‘New Heights’, a podcast he hosts with his brother Travis Kelce, Jason opened up about his mixed feelings towards today’s music genres, especially country music. The two brothers talked about what it might be like if they could travel to the future and pondered over what future music might sound like.
“I feel like I can’t go into the future because even trying to relate to, like, kids coming up now… I can’t even think about kids 40 years from now. Like, this is gonna be weird,” Jason admitted. “What’s the music gonna be in 40 years?”
Jason, who is 36, then turned to the music of today, including hip-hop and country. He expressed a clear nostalgia for older tunes and lamented how some genres have changed over the years. “Hip-hop in the nineties and hip-hop in the eighties when it was done by, like, dudes that were living that life hits way different than, like, now when it’s like auto-tune renditions,” he said.
When the topic shifted to country music, Jason didn’t hold back. “If I have to hear one more country song that’s like, ‘I got my boots in my truck going through the fields.’ Like, what the f— are we talking about? That’s not country music. That’s not country music,” he exclaimed.
He made it clear what kind of country music he prefers, citing legendary artists. “Put on some f—— Willie Nelson,” Jason added. “I am tired of country music and what it has become. It is horse—-. Horse—-.”
While Jason expressed his disdain for the direction modern country has taken, Travis, 34, offered a softer perspective. He mentioned that he still enjoys some of the new country tunes and appreciates certain artists in the genre.
Despite his criticisms, Jason did acknowledge that he can enjoy some modern music under the right circumstances. “Like, I can listen to modern country, and I can listen to, like, modern hip-hop when I’m out in the right environment,” he said. “But listening to it to, like, really enjoy it, like Willie Nelson, to me, the way he wrote songs, like Chris Stapleton, obviously, right now.”
Travis chimed in with his admiration for performers who bring something unique to the table. “He’s a super performer,” Travis said. “That’s what I’m saying. It’s a band. When you’re playing the music and got a voice like that, that’s forever.”
“Tried and true,” Jason agreed.
The June 19 episode covered more than just music; the brothers also discussed various other topics, including a typo on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII Championship ring. Travis seemed unbothered by the error, saying, “Who cares? I think it makes it more unique. Like, ‘Oh, yeah, we made it really detailed, and, oops, we screwed up.’ It makes it more exclusive.”
Besides the ring typo, Travis also touched on his thoughts about retiring from the NFL. But fans can rest easy—he reassured listeners that he’s not planning to retire just yet. “It’s a thought that’s like, I love playing this game at the highest level possible,” the Kansas City Chiefs star said. “And I love playing at it at a level where I know I can have a bunch of success. I know I can still go out there and mow down dudes in the end zone. I know I can go out there and catch a flat route and turn it into a 15, 20-yard game and make a few guys miss.”
Travis concluded by saying, “The moment that I can’t do that, I think that’s when I’m just gonna be like, ‘Alright. What am I doing this for?’”
