The word “lowkey” is used regularly, especially in youth language. It describes a subtle, reserved, or unobtrusive way of expressing something or
WWE breaks with megastar
Rap giant Travis Scott played a prominent role in this year’s mega show WrestleMania and the biggest WWE story of the year. Now he is apparently no longer welcome in the league.
It seemed like a deal made in heaven for WWE.
Travis Scott, one of the most famous music stars of today, appeared on the big show fight stage this year – and brought the wrestling league a lot of publicity.
The rap giant stood alongside megastars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena in the winter when they kicked off the biggest story of the year with Cena’s betrayal of then-WWE champion Cody Rhodes – and he was also at the center of the main event of the WrestleMania mega show, helping Cena defeat Rhodes and become the sole record champion of the wrestling world.
As it soon emerged, WWE had even bigger plans for Scott – plans that have now apparently been scuppered. A breakup as puzzling as it is ugly has taken place between the entertainment empire and the hip-hop superstar.
WWE: “Complete break” with Travis Scott
In recent weeks, there have been several rumors and hints from various sources that something was amiss between WWE and Scott. This became most apparent last week during an appearance by former WWE champion Drew McIntyre on his colleague Logan Paul’s podcast.
McIntyre used the opportunity to settle scores with Scott, saying that his appearance at WrestleMania “ruined our main event” and that Scott is a “piece of sh*t.”
Drew McIntyre calls Travis Scott a piece of sh*t for ruining the WrestleMania 41 Main Event.
“That six-minute run-in at WrestleMania screwed up our damn main event. Travis Scott is a piece of sh*t.”
HE COOKED TRAVIS SCOTT
pic.twitter.com/P6c8REYL9U— EliteRockerz (@EliteClubS0B) July 22, 2025
Anyone familiar with WWE customs could guess that this was not the usual way for a star to talk about someone associated with WWE in public – even when it comes to building up a story or a match with them.
In fact, a few days later, renowned wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer reported in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter that McIntyre’s outburst was no accident: there was a “complete break” between Scott and WWE, which is why the league allowed McIntyre to publicly express his apparently genuine anger toward Scott. Due to the latest developments, Scott had not been revealed as a playable character in the WWE 2K5 video game as planned.
Anger had apparently been simmering for some time
Meltzer had already reported a week earlier that there was a crisis between WWE and Scott: There was discontent within the league that Scott’s identification with the promotion left something to be desired.
“He didn’t really get involved,” Meltzer quoted an unnamed insider as saying: “He’s half-hearted and has other projects on the side.” WWE had apparently been putting up with the trouble for a long time because the deal with Scott was a top priority: Scott was a “personal protégé” of Ari Emanuel, the powerful and well-connected boss of WWE and UFC parent company TKO: “Everyone put up with it until it just became too much.”
At the time, there was no talk of an end to the collaboration: the issue was why Scott had not fought alongside Cena at the Money in the Bank event as planned. In the meantime, the relationship appears to have broken down completely – the exact reasons are unclear, as Meltzer has since added.
Another music star will be fighting at SummerSlam
Whatever happened: It looks like the crossover collaboration between Scott and WWE has turned out to be a misunderstanding.
From the outset, reactions to Scott’s WWE appearances were mixed: fans complained that he seemed out of place in the wrestling world – among other things, he caused a stir when he hit Rhodes far too hard in the face during an attack with The Rock and Cena, unintentionally causing real facial injuries to the “American Nightmare.”
In recent weeks, there has also been open and covert gossip about Scott’s lack of training enthusiasm. Scott is “not a quick learner,” reported WrestleVotes, an X account that is usually well informed about WWE insiders. Logan Paul also revealed in his podcast that he had ‘heard’ that Scott’s commitment to training was “inconsistent.”
Instead of Scott, another US music star will step into the ring at the summer highlight SummerSlam this weekend: singer, rapper and songwriter Jelly Roll will team up with living legend Randy Orton at New York’s NFL stadium against Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul.
This guide explains the origins and various uses of the term.
The meaning of “lowkey”
Young people use the English word ‘lowkey’ for various purposes that go back to the original meaning of the word.
Lowkey comes from the English verb “to be low key”. It means to be discreet or reserved.
The term therefore describes a reserved, subtle or inconspicuous way of saying or doing something. It is about not presenting things loudly or conspicuously, but rather discreetly and modestly.
That’s what this youth word is all about. For example, if you say, “The movie was lowkey good,” you liked the movie, but you’re not very enthusiastic about it. So it’s probably not going to be that person’s favorite movie.
It can also mean “between us” or “secretly.” An example of this would be “I really like him lowkey.” This statement is not meant to be broadcast to the world, but is only intended for the current conversation partner.
The word “lowkey” is also used in photography, for example, often in nude photography, just like its opposite “highkey.” “Low-key photography” refers to a very dark image with a high proportion of black. “High-key photography,” on the other hand, has a high proportion of white.
How is lowkey used in everyday life?
Lowkey can be used in everyday language in different ways.
In conversations, lowkey can be used to express feelings or opinions without exaggerating them. This allows people to share their thoughts without coming across as pushy.
On social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram, lowkey is often used to make posts or comments appear less direct. Users express their views or emotions in a subtle way.
In a professional context, lowkey can be helpful when you want to make suggestions or express criticism without coming across as too assertive. This can lead to more pleasant communication.
Sometimes lowkey is also used ironically to emphasize the opposite, similar to the use of “understatement.” For example, someone might say, “I’m lowkey totally overwhelmed” to actually express strong enthusiasm.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using lowkey?
There are both advantages and disadvantages to using the term lowkey.
One advantage is that lowkey allows you to share opinions and feelings without being intrusive. This can be particularly useful in social situations where restraint is valued.
Lowkey can help prevent misunderstandings by promoting a more subtle form of expression. This can be particularly advantageous in written communication.
One disadvantage could be that the meaning of lowkey is not always clear and can be interpreted differently depending on the context. This can potentially lead to confusion.
In addition, frequent use of lowkey could lead to statements being taken less seriously, as they could always be perceived as reserved.
Different perspectives on lowkey
Lowkey can be viewed from different perspectives.
From a cultural perspective, lowkey is an example of how language use evolves dynamically and integrates new terms from different languages.
The use of lowkey is interesting for linguists because it shows how people navigate social hierarchies and interpersonal relationships through language.
From a psychological perspective, the use of lowkey could indicate a tendency to avoid conflict or conceal one’s own insecurities.
Finally, one could argue that lowkey is an expression of a trend toward emotionality and subtlety in digital communication, where direct confrontation is often avoided.
