Opalite (song)

Last updated

"Opalite"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Life of a Showgirl
ReleasedOctober 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Studio
  • MXM (Stockholm)
  • Shellback (Stockholm)
Genre Pop rock
Length3:55
Label Republic
Songwriters
Producers
  • Taylor Swift
  • Max Martin
  • Shellback
Lyric video
"Opalite" on YouTube

"Opalite" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl (2025). It was written and produced by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback. Titled after synthetic opal simulants, "Opalite" is an upbeat pop rock song about contentment in romantic love. It was inspired by Swift's fiancé, the American football player Travis Kelce.

Contents

Background and conception

On August 13, 2025, Taylor Swift announced her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl , during an episode of New Heights , a sports podcast co-hosted by her then-boyfriend Travis Kelce. [1] "Opalite" was also announced that day as the third track on the album. [2]

Swift's childhood love of opals inspired the song's title. Opal is also Kelce's birthstone. An opalite, however, is an artificial opal—a synthetic opalescent glass, simulating various opal and moonstone gems. Swift took inspiration from these facts, employing opalite as a metaphor for the idea that happiness can be created voluntarily. [3] [4] Opal is also believed to symbolically represent hope, healing, and positive energy. [5] [4] Swift described the song as "a song about forgiving yourself for having gone through something that didn't pan out the way you wanted it to and giving yourself permission to not have it all figured out or not marry the first person you ever dated". [6]

Composition

"Opalite" is a pop rock song [7] [8] with influences of Europop. [9] It was written and produced by Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. [10] The song is described as a love song about the American football player Travis Kelce, who Swift has been in a relationship with since 2023. [11] The lyrics are mainly focused on Swift's relationship with Kelce, and includes references to former relationships of both Swift and Kelce. [12]

Reception

"Opalite" received a positive critical response, with critics praising its catchy lyrics and optimism. In Kelce's New Heights podcast, he described it as his favorite song on the album. [13] [11] BBC's Mark Savage praised the song's chords and ABBA-like harmonies, describing them as "unfurling like a blossoming romance". [14] The Los Angeles Times 's Mikael Wood described the song as a "gorgeous soft-rock tune", [15] and People 's Samantha Stutsman described that the song "shimmers like a gemstone". [16] USA Today 's Bryan West described the song as having a "glossy synth-pop tune" and described the melody as being "as addictive as a narcotic". [11]

The song is mostly described as cheerful and hooky, with a more positive approach, especially compared to the previous two tracks on the album. [17] It has also been described as a "messy but beautiful" journey of "overcoming old instincts". [15] [18] While Swift has written many songs that describe abstract relationships, "Opalite" is noted as one of the first to describe a real one. [19] The ranking of "Opalite" among other songs in the album is usually high. It is ranked number one in For the Win, described as "fun and sweet", and Swift's joyful tone "oozes out of this track". [20]

Commercial performance

Despite not being a single, the song topped the charts in the Philippines [21] and reached the top ten in several countries across the globe, including Australia, Vietnam, Switzerland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Norway, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Singapore and top twenty in Belgium, Middle East, Spain, Taiwan, France and Brazil. [22]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes. [10]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for "Opalite"
Chart (2025)Peak
position
Argentina (Argentina Hot 100) [23] 17
Argentina Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino) [24] 12
Australia (ARIA) [25] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [26] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [27] 18
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [28] 20
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [29] 2
Costa Rica Airplay (FONOTICA) [30] 16
Costa Rica Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino) [31] 8
Croatia ( Billboard ) [32] 9
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [33] 9
Denmark (Tracklisten) [34] 3
Ecuador Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino) [35] 6
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [36] 11
France (SNEP) [37] 20
Germany (GfK) [38] 3
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [39] 2
Greece International (IFPI) [40] 3
Hong Kong ( Billboard ) [41] 8
Hungary (Single Top 40) [42] 21
Iceland (Tónlistinn) [43] 6
India International (IMI) [44] 2
Ireland (IRMA) [45] 2
Italy (FIMI) [46] 30
Latvia Streaming (LaIPA) [47] 3
Lithuania (AGATA) [48] 9
Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) [49] 24
Luxembourg ( Billboard ) [50] 4
Malaysia (IFPI) [51] 7
Malaysia International (RIM) [52] 5
Mexico ( Billboard ) [53] 20
Middle East and North Africa (IFPI) [54] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [55] 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [56] 2
Norway (IFPI Norge) [57] 3
Paraguay Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino) [58] 13
Peru ( Billboard ) [59] 24
Peru Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino) [60] 15
Philippines (IFPI) [61] 2
Philippines (Philippines Hot 100) [62] 1
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [63] 15
Portugal (AFP) [64] 2
Saudi Arabia (IFPI) [65] 14
Singapore (RIAS) [66] 3
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [67] 14
South Africa (TOSAC) [68] 18
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [69] 11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [70] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [71] 2
Taiwan ( Billboard ) [72] 12
UK Singles (OCC) [73] 2
US Billboard Hot 100 [74] 2
US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [75] 21
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [76] 34
Vietnam (IFPI) [77] 9
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100) [78] 51

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