Top 10 Easter Eggs in Taylor Swift's Opalite Music Video
#10: The Star-Studded Cast
Given Taylor’s history of high-profile collaborations, we knew she’d bring out the big guns for “Opalite”. However, we were not expecting her to cast icons Cillian Murphy, Domhnall Gleeson, Greta Lee, Lewis Capaldi, and Jodie Turner-Smith together. This was the exact lineup of guests who joined Taylor on an episode of “The Graham Norton Show” in October 2025. Back then, Gleeson had mentioned wanting to be in a TS music video. Inspiration struck our resident genius, and soon after, he was cast in “Opalite”. Director Taylor Swift took things further and brought the rest of the guests, as well as Graham Norton, on board, likening the music video to a ‘school group project’. There’s also a nod to their talk show episode in the credits!
#9: An Eras Tour Reunion
The 14-time Grammy winner recorded her album “The Life of a Showgirl” in the middle of her legendary Eras Tour. Any Swiftie would know that she shares a deeply wholesome relationship with the dancers who accompanied her on the tour. Fans even got a glimpse of the same on the docuseries “Taylor Swift: The End of an Era”. It was only right, then, that her dazzling music video for “Opalite” featured some of her dancers again. Kameron Saunders, a fan-favorite, pops up as a dance competition judge, and Karen Chuang appears in the opening ad for the Opalite spray. We also spotted Jan Ravnik as Karen’s character’s dream man, Raphael Thomas as a bartender, and Sam Mcwilliams and Whyley Yoshimura playing lovers, among others.
#8: A Family Affair
Taylor Swift cast her Eras Tour dancers and her “Graham Norton Show” co-stars in “Opalite”, but she didn’t forget to make space for her family members. This includes her brother, Austin Swift, who shares the screen with Domhnall Gleeson in a Christmas party scene. Austin gets a shoutout in the lyrics, too, where Taylor recalls him describing her longing for her exes as, well, dumpster diving. However, he isn’t the only family member who gets a cameo. Eagle-eyed fans zoomed in on Taylor’s yellow sweater in the mall scene to notice that the cat on it seems to resemble Swift’s very own feline companion, Olivia Benson. Even if it’s not Olivia, it’s still a nod to the singer’s love for cats.
#7: The Opalite Spray
Taylor’s script for her music video centers on a genius product that transforms the doom and gloom of toxic relationships into fulfilling connections. We’re introduced to it in the form of a classic 90s-style advertisement, narrated by Cillian Murphy – who, let’s be honest, sells it way too well. The product’s slogan is ‘don’t sweat it’, which is a direct reference to the lyrics of “Opalite”. However, the more interesting easter egg is the color of the spray bottle. It comes in orange and green, which is the color scheme of the album “The Life of a Showgirl”. Tay Tay also sneaks in a reference to “Anti-Hero” through the Opalite spray as she uses it on herself, implying that she considers herself the so-called ‘problem’.
#6: The Mall
One of the most adorable sequences in the music video is when our OTP, Lonely Man and Lonely Woman, played by Gleeson and Swift, go on a date to the mall. The set is a goldmine of lyrical references. There are stores everywhere with signs that use lyrics from songs like “The Life of a Showgirl”, “Father Figure”, and “CANCELLED!”. For instance, one neon sign in front of a boutique has her lyric ‘Softer than a kitten’, while another is called ‘Infamy Loves Co.’ We always knew Tay was a poet, but it seems like she might have a knack for naming businesses too.
#5: The Trash
The garbage can from the Opalite spray commercial is a fantastic – and satisfying – metaphor for the terrible exes in people’s lives. However, it is also a reference to a few other things. The most obvious connection is in the song itself, as Taylor quotes her brother comparing dwelling on exes to ‘eating out of the trash’. She also mentions at the end of the music video that Garbage, which is what the trashy ex in the ad is called, remains a hot mess while others thrive. Fans are theorizing that the motif of trash could be a callback to an interview Taylor gave to Time magazine in 2023, likening her ‘enemies’ to trash that takes itself out. Perhaps, Garbage doesn’t change because ‘haters gonna hate’.
#4: “Elizabeth Taylor” & George Michael
Swift peppered references to her discography throughout the “Opalite” music video. Two songs in particular are more in focus than others. Her ballad “Elizabeth Taylor”, inspired by the late legend of the same name, is evoked twice. The first nod is a painting of Portofino, Italy, a place mentioned in the song, and the second is through a movie poster that reads “View of Portofino”. The poster of George Michael in our heroine’s room, as she’s struggling with a string – possibly a reference to “invisible string” – is a wink to her song “Father Figure”. Taylor interpolates the English singer’s chart-topping hit of the same name in her song. Michael is referenced again through the CD sleeve of his album “Faith”, spotted on our protagonist’s bed.
#3: The Rock
Taylor could’ve picked any inanimate object to represent an incompatible partner in “Opalite”. So, why did she go for a rock? As any Swiftie will tell you, the queen doesn’t do anything without a reason. First of all, pet rocks were all the rage in the 70s. So, it fits right into the retro aesthetic of the music video. Secondly, by using the rock as an exercise weight and saving a seat for it at a bar table, T-Swizzle alludes to her songs “So Long, London” and “Lover”. She also puts glitter and a friendship bracelet on it, bringing her Eras Tour to mind, although the bracelet eventually turns not-so-friendly in a reference to “mad woman”. Nevertheless, Taylor gives the rock a happy ending.
#2: Lucky Numbers
Blondie knows a thing or two about numerical symbolism. She is known for her love of the number 13, which is not only her birthday but also a number she associates with good luck. So, of course, it would show up in “Opalite”! The digits appear when Gleeson is playing pool in a scene, and you can see the number 13 ball on the table. Number 13 balls typically have an orange stripe, which perfectly fits the visual theme of “The Life of a Showgirl”. Another neat detail is in the time shown on Lonely Man’s alarm clock. 12:12 was when Swift’s 12th album was announced on August 12. It can also be interpreted as an angel number signifying spiritual awakenings and new beginnings.
#1: Taylor’s Version
Nothing makes Swifties happier than an easter egg about a future release. There seems to be one in the music video for “Opalite” too. Fans noticed that in Lonely Woman’s living room, there’s a green and black spine on a bookshelf with the letters ‘TV’ on it. In the Taylor Swift musical universe, ‘TV’ could stand for ‘Taylor's Version’, which is what the artist calls the re-recorded editions of her previous albums. Fans believe Tay might be hinting at the release of either the re-recording of “Taylor Swift” or “Reputation”, the latter being more likely. After all, on the day her Reputation Stadium Tour kicked off in 2018, she posted a photo with a giant cactus. We’re excited for whatever she has in store.
Did you notice any more easter eggs in the “Opalite” music video? Tell us in the comments!
