Taylor Swift has reacted after scoring yet another Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, saying she is “so blown away by the love” from fans.
The pop superstar topped the US singles chart with “Opalite”, marking her 14th No. 1 hit overall. To celebrate, Swift shared a six-slide Instagram carousel on Monday (February 23), giving fans a glimpse behind the scenes of both the recording process and the song’s music video.
Among the highlights was a mirror selfie video filmed on set, where Swift joked about feeling “so [herself]” and being ready to “go out there and slay another day” in a denim-on-denim outfit layered over a multicoloured striped shirt. The look will be familiar to fans of the “Opalite” video, in which she appears in an awkward couple’s photo shoot scene opposite Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson. In a playful twist, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi takes on the role of the photographer in the clip.
Swift’s post also made clear that the track’s chart success was a collaborative effort. Long-time hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback, who co-wrote and produced the song, feature prominently in studio footage included in the carousel. In one clip, the pair can be seen adjusting elements of the track while Swift sings the melody; in another, the trio pose together holding champagne flutes in celebration.
“Opalite” is the second single from Swift’s 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100, following “The Fate of Ophelia”. The achievement marks the first time since the release of 1989 in 2014 that Swift has landed two chart-topping singles from the same album.
In her caption, she thanked fans for their support, writing: “I know that’s a lot of numbers but it all adds up to me being so thankful to the fans who helped make this happen by welcoming this song into your lives with open arms.” She added that she was “so blown away by the love” the track has received.
With 14 Hot 100 No. 1s to her name, Swift now ties Rihanna for the third-most chart-toppers in Billboard history, behind only The Beatles with 20 and Mariah Carey with 19. She also holds the record for the most No. 1 hits this decade, with nine so far.
The milestone further cements Swift’s dominance of the 2020s music landscape, as she continues to balance new releases with re-recordings and global touring success.
In a final nod to the “Opalite” music video, Swift teased how she planned to celebrate, joking that she “might go buy a giant pretzel at the mall to celebrate, iykyk.” For fans who caught the reference, it’s another playful Easter egg from an artist well known for weaving hidden meanings into her work — and for sharing her biggest wins directly with the Swifties who helped make them happen.
Taylor Swift has released a brand-new music video for Opalite, a fan-favourite track from her 2025 No.1 album, The Life Of A Showgirl, with the visually rich production already generating major buzz thanks to its star-studded cast and deeply personal backstory.
The video is currently available to stream on Spotify Premium and Apple Music, with a wider release on YouTube scheduled for Sunday at 1pm. Leading the cast are Irish heavyweights Cillian Murphy, Domhnall Gleeson and Graham Norton, alongside familiar faces including Lewis Capaldi, Greta Lee and Jodie Smith.
Opalite has long stood out among Swift’s fanbase for its layered storytelling and symbolism. The song centres on the idea of transformation, illusion and emotional endurance, using the gemstone opalite as a metaphor for beauty that only fully reveals itself when the light hits it just right. Throughout The Life Of A Showgirl, Swift explores performance, identity and what it costs to stay luminous under constant scrutiny — themes that Opalite quietly distils into one of the album’s most introspective moments.
In a detailed social media post accompanying the video’s release, Swift explained how the idea was sparked during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, where an off-hand joke turned into something much bigger.
“My favorite part about writing is that first spark of an idea. It can happen at any time, for any reason. The idea for the Opalite music video crash landed into my imagination when I was doing promo for The Life of a Showgirl… I remember thinking I got ridiculously lucky with the group I was paired with… Domhnall made a light hearted joke about wanting to be in one of my music videos… Except that in that moment during the interview, I was instantly struck with an idea.”
Swift revealed she later sent Domhnall Gleeson a script she had written herself, with the actor in the starring role. The concept expanded to include the entire Graham Norton couch lineup from that night, including Norton himself — turning the project into what Swift described as a kind of “school group project, but for adults”.
Shot on film and steeped in 1990s nostalgia, the video blends theatrical styling with playful self-awareness, mirroring the emotional core of the song. Swift also reunited with longtime collaborator Robert Stam, a creative partnership fans will recognise from previous Eras-era visuals.
Louise is an expert content creator, and online author for Ireland's Classic Hits Radio. She's evolved in a few different fields, including mental health and travel, and is now excited to be part of the wonderful word of Radio.
