Taylor Swift is once again proving that no era—musical or cultural—is off-limits when it comes to her creative reinvention. On Friday morning, the global pop superstar debuted the music video for her latest track, “Opalite,” releasing the vibrant visual exclusively on Apple Music and Spotify. The result is a tongue-in-cheek, nostalgia-soaked spectacle that blends satire, high fashion, and ’90s camp into one irresistibly bizarre package.
The video opens like a forgotten relic from late-night television, styled as a grainy infomercial advertising a “state-of-the-art chemical potion” called Opalite. Promising to cure everything from awkward workplace dynamics to emotionally distant pets, the fictional substance sets the tone for the absurdity that follows. Swift appears as a reclusive brunette whose only real companion is a literal rock—a metaphor that is as exaggerated as it is oddly poignant.
As the story unfolds, Swift introduces an unexpected lineup of A-list cameos. Reuniting several stars she previously shared a couch with on The Graham Norton Show in October, the video features appearances from Domhnall Gleeson, Lewis Capaldi, Jodie Turner-Smith, Greta Lee, and Cillian Murphy. While Murphy and Turner-Smith pop up within the surreal Opalite universe, Gleeson emerges as Swift’s emotional counterpart, playing a lonely soul whose closest relationship is with a cactus. The parallel between the two characters gives the video a surprisingly tender core beneath its chaotic surface.
Fashion steals the spotlight at every turn. Swift dives headfirst into peak ’90s aesthetics, cycling through embroidered overalls, neon windbreaker sets, stonewashed denim, and generous layers of body glitter. One standout sequence sees Swift and Gleeson posing for a campy mall photo shoot, dressed in matching denim vests and jeans that feel ripped straight from a 1994 catalog.
The narrative reaches its high point during a high-energy dance competition, where the pair celebrate their unlikely friendship in coordinated tracksuits inspired by a “Life of a Showgirl” color palette of mint green and orange. Reflecting on the creative process, Swift shared on Instagram, “I had more fun than I ever imagined – Made new friends, metaphors, and fashion choices.”
The video concludes on a whimsical yet heartfelt note, reinforcing its central message: even the most isolated characters can find connection. As Swift summed it up, “It was an absolute thrill to create this story and these characters.”