Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s U.S. Open Singalong to the Darkness’ ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ Prompts Spotify Streaming Boost
The Taylor Swift effect is real. While attending the US Open this past Sunday in New York, the singer and boyfriend Travis Kelce were spotted giving a hearty rendition of the Darkness’ 2003 single “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” — air guitar and all — prompting a viral moment of the two rocking out to the rock-operatic song.
That moment quickly translated to a streaming boost, as listeners flocked to Spotify to hear the track in full. Yesterday, between 12 a.m. and 12 p.m., streams of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” spiked nearly 70 percent on the platform in the U.S. as compared to streams the day prior, Variety can exclusively report. In the same timeframe, streams of the Darkness surged nearly 65 percent in the U.S. and 60 percent globally.
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Taylor and Travis believe in a thing called love ?? pic.twitter.com/L1gjkO5MoI
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2024
The Darkness lead singer Justin Hawkins reacted to Swift’s impassioned singalong in a TikTok post yesterday. In it, he recounted taking his daughter to her show in Zurich a few weeks ago, praising her for the hospitality she provided and sharing a handwritten letter that Swift penned to Hawkins to show her love for his music.
“They put us in a lovely VIP area. I had Chris Rock on one side, Roger Federer on the other side and I was just dad of the year,” he said. “To make matters even more spectacular, Taylor Swift actually sent me a lovely letter, which was waiting for me in the VIP section talking about how much she loves the song ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love.’ I was just dad of the year, maybe dad of the century ’cause all of that was a big surprise.”
In the letter, Swift wrote, “What a thrill to have you at the show! I’m a massive fan of yours and think ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ is one of the greatest songs of all time. I hope you and your family have fun at the show. Thanks so much for coming!!”
The Darkness released “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” back in 2003 as the third single off its debut album “Permission to Land.” The epic tune cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, and became a No. 2 hit on the UK Singles chart.
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