Taylor Swift is once again reminding fans that no era—musical or cultural—is beyond her reach. On Friday morning, the global pop icon unveiled the music video for her latest track, “Opalite,” releasing the vibrant visual exclusively on Apple Music and Spotify. Equal parts satire and style exercise, the video is a playful love letter to the 1990s, packed with campy humor, nostalgic fashion, and enough Easter eggs to send Swifties into full detective mode.
The video opens like a relic pulled straight from late-night television: a grainy, low-budget infomercial advertising a “state-of-the-art chemical potion” called Opalite. The miracle substance claims to solve all forms of human disconnect—from awkward workplace relationships to emotionally distant pets. Enter Swift’s character, a brunette recluse whose only companion is, quite literally, a rock. It’s absurd, self-aware, and intentionally over-the-top.
Things escalate quickly with the arrival of an unexpected parade of A-list cameos. Reuniting several stars she previously appeared alongside on The Graham Norton Show in October, Swift brings in Domhnall Gleeson, Lewis Capaldi, Jodie Turner-Smith, Greta Lee, and Cillian Murphy. While Murphy and Turner-Smith inhabit the surreal Opalite universe, Gleeson steals much of the spotlight as a fellow loner whose closest bond is with a cactus—forming an oddly heartfelt parallel to Swift’s rock-loving character.
The true showstopper, however, is the wardrobe. Swift fully commits to peak ’90s fashion, cycling through embroidered overalls, neon windbreaker sets, stonewashed denim, and generous layers of body glitter. One standout scene features Swift and Gleeson posing for a hilariously dramatic mall photo shoot, dressed head-to-toe in matching denim vests and jeans that look ripped straight from a 1994 catalog.
The narrative crescendos with a high-energy dance competition, where the duo celebrates their unlikely friendship in coordinated tracksuits inspired by a “Life of a Showgirl” palette of mint green and orange. Reflecting on the project, Swift shared on Instagram, “I had more fun than I ever imagined – Made new friends, metaphors, and fashion choices.”
The video ends on a whimsical, oddly touching note, proving that even the most isolated characters can find connection. As Swift put it, “It was an absolute thrill to create this story and these characters.”