Taylor Swift Debuts Star-Studded ‘Opalite’ Video, Sidesteps YouTube in Major Industry Shift

Taylor Swift is rewriting the rulebook once again.

The superstar has unveiled the official video for ‘Opalite,’ but with a major twist.

Instead of landing on YouTube, the visual premiered exclusively on Spotify Premium and Apple Music.

The move arrives just as industry changes mean YouTube streams will no longer count toward chart totals, making this one of the most significant strategy shifts yet from a top-tier artist.

Full story below…

The release positions Swift as the first major artist to debut a music video solely on paid streaming platforms, a decision that could open the door for others to follow suit. It also arrives in tandem with a full-scale physical push, including CDs and vinyl editions, a combination expected to give the track an even bigger boost on the Billboard Hot 100.

Written and directed by Swift, the film stars Domhnall Gleeson and features cameos from Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Lewis Capaldi, and Graham Norton.

The latter of whom’s real-life show formed part of the inspiration for the flick.

The story follows two lonely characters whose lives collide thanks to a mysterious solution named ‘Opalite.’

With streaming strategy, physical sales, and star power aligned, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ era is shaping up to be more than just another release. It may be a blueprint.

Speaking on the release, Swift gushed:

“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 was a guest on one of my favorite shows, @TheGNShow. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it’s a UK late night show where Graham Norton invites a random group of actors, entertainers, musicians, etc to be on his show and we all sit there and chat like it’s a dinner party. They even serve wine.

I remember thinking I got ridiculously lucky with the group I was paired with. Cillian Murphy, Domhnall Gleeson, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Lewis Capaldi. All people whose work I’ve admired from afar. When we were all talking during the broadcast, Domhnall made a light hearted joke about wanting to be in one of my music videos. He’s Irish. He was joking.

Except that in that moment, I was instantly struck with an idea. A week later he received an email script I’d written for the Opalite video, where he played the starring role. I thought it would be wild if all our fellow guests from that night, including Graham himself, could be part of it too.

To my delight, everyone made the effort to time travel back to the 90s with us. Shot on film. I had more fun than I ever imagined. Made new friends, metaphors, and fashion choices. The Opalite video is out now on Spotify and Apple Music.”

Update: Swift added the visual to her official Youtube handle on Sunday (February 8). Watch it above.