What did Taylor Swift say in ‘The Prophecy?’ Fan theories erupt over August 26 engagement announcement date

Taylor Swift announced her engagement to Travis Kelce via a joint Instagram post on August 26, 2025. Her post was captioned,

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married [dynamite emoji].”

It was accompanied by five images from a garden in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where Kelce went down on his knees, and the song, So High School, from her 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department.

In the wake of the Swift-Kelce engagement announcement, her fans have pointed out that she chose the date August 26 to share the news specifically as it was a nod to her song The Prophecy, which is the 26th track from her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

In the lyrics of The Prophecy, Taylor Swift wrote and sang,

“Please, I’ve been on my knees/ Change the prophecy/ Don’t want money/ Just someone who wants my company/ Let it once be me/ Who do I have to speak to/ About if they can redo the prophecy.”

As explained by TikTok user @cassytaverna,

“Taylor didn’t pick AUGUST by accident. August = 8 = ∞ (forever). She announces her engagement on August 26. What is Track 26?? The Prophecy (about being doomed in love). By saying YES to Travis, she literally broke her own ‘prophecy.’”

Taverna added,

“She flipped August (the song about fleeting love) into AUGUST (the month of forever). I’m giddy, like, HELLO?!”

Several others agreed with the TikToker and pointed out the same thing on X.

It is noteworthy that Travis’ father, Ed Kelce, told ABC News 5 Cleveland, on Tuesday that his son popped the question to his girlfriend,

“maybe two weeks, not quite two weeks ago.”

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Exploring other fan theories about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement announcement

Swifties, as Taylor Swift’s fan army is called, not only made the speculation about the song The Prophecy and its apparent link to the engagement, but they also came up with other theories.

For instance, many fans have pointed out that the announcement of engagement has come 13 days after Swift’s appearance on Kelce’s podcast, New Heights. On the show, Swift unveiled the news of her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, and the podcast also witnessed the couple’s camaraderie, giving an inside look into their two-year-long relationship.

Notably, the number 13 has long been recognized as Taylor Swift’s favorite number. Other Swifties speculated that 26 was the sum of 13 and 13, which is why she seemingly chose the date August 26 to announce her engagement. Some even pointed out that Travis Kelce was her 13th boyfriend.

This is not the first time this month that Taylor Swift’s fan base has come up with such theories. On August 6, Travis Kelce appeared for a press conference on the 13th day of his NFL team, the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp.

“I’ve been lucky to be here for my 13th year now. I just absolutely love this organization,” Travis was heard saying.

In the wake of this, Swifties theorized that Kelce gave a nod to his would-be wife by mentioning 13 in his interview and choosing to go in front of the camera on day 13 of their camp.

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Besides their fans online, Swift and Kelce were congratulated by celebrities from across the world, including US President Donald Trump, Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales, chef Gordon Ramsay, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, actress-singer Selena Gomez, supermodel Gigi Hadid, rapper Cardi B, among several others.