Discover the Hidden Easter Eggs in Taylor Swift's 'Opalite' Music Video

Christina IzzoSat, February 7, 2026 at 2:26 AM UTC

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Taylor Swift is no stranger to hidden messages, pointed references and cryptic clues sprinkled throughout her work, from her album liner notes to her on-stage costuming to her various music videos. And that list is only growing with the release of her new video, "Opalite," the second single off The Life of a Showgirl following "The Fate of Ophelia."

On Friday, Feb. 6, the Grammy-winning popstar dropped the lively new clip exclusively on Spotify and Apple Music for subscribers. However, it will soon be unleashed on the masses via a YouTube premiere that's tied to Sunday's big Super Bowl game. Meanwhile, longtime Swifties like me are already in detective mode, spotting all of the Easter eggs that the singer-songwriter has carefully distributed throughout the video—including some A-list celebrity cameos.

Ahead of its world premiere on Super Bowl Sunday, here are all of the Easter eggs, references and allusions I spotted in Swift's "Opalite" music video.

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All of the Easter eggs in Taylor Swift's "Opalite" music video

Taylor Swift on The Graham Norton ShowBBC One (BBC One)That The Graham Norton Show callback

So first, let's talk about those celebrity cameos! The cast of Swift's "Opalite" music video can be traced back to the performer's October 2025 appearance on The Graham Norton Show. Taylor shared a couch with that night's other celebrity guests—Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Lewis Capaldi, Domhnall Gleeson and Jodie Turner-Smith—on the beloved British talk show. At one point during the lively discussion, Gleeson joked that he was gunning for an acting gig in one of Taylor's future music videos.

Consider it done! Swift revealed in an Instagram post that "the idea for the 'Opalite' music video crash landed into my imagination" from that very conversation. She wrote, "A week later [Domhnall] received an email script I’d written for the 'Opalite' video, where he was playing the starring role. I had this thought that it would be wild if all of our fellow guests on The Graham Norton Show that night, including Graham himself, could be a part of it too. Like a school group project but for adults and it isn’t mandatory. To my delight, everyone from the show made the effort to time travel back to the '90s with us and help with this video."

That means you can spot Gleeson as her "Lonely Man" love interest, Capaldi as a shopping mall photographer, Norton as a "Nope-alite" salesman, Turner-Smith as a TV aerobics instructor, Lee as a guitar-strumming folk singer and Murphy as the spokesperson for the magical "Opalite" product. (Yes, that is the Oscar winner's Irish timbre you can hear in the video's opening in-faux-mercial.)

Related: Elmo Wins for Most Hilarious Reaction to Taylor Swift’s ‘Opalite’ Music Video

Those romantic Portofino posters

Swift references the coastal Italian town in her The Life of a Showgirl track "Elizabeth Taylor," with lyrics like, “That view of Portofino was on my mind when you called me at the Plaza Athénée.” She nods to that scenic setting in the "Opalite" clip with several Portofino-themed posters throughout: You can spot one at the restaurant where Gleeson's character is dining with his pet cactus, and another as a movie advertisement at the mall-set cinema.

The Back to the Future references

As mentioned, there's a time travel theme to "Opalite." That fact—coupled with the clip's nostalgic late-'80s, early '90s aesthetic—seems to pull inspiration from the Back to the Future film franchise.

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That would be a fitting reference, seeing as how the Michael J. Fox-led classic is a favorite of Swift's fiancé Travis Kelce. Travis's sister-in-law Kylie Kelce had previously revealed that the Chiefs tight end actually used his initial NFL earnings to buy a pair of Back to the Future-inspired Nike sneakers.

That big "Father Figure" hint

In one scene, we can see Swift in a bedroom covered in posters, one of which is a George Michaelpicture from the late singer's "Father Figure" era. Of course, Swift herself has a song called "Father Figure" on her The Life of a Showgirl record, leading many eagle-eyed Swifties to believe that the poster inclusion is a clue that said track will be the album's next single.

That theory is given an extra boost in scenes of Gleeson and Swift bopping around a shopping mall whose store names are lyrics from Swift's songs: One storefront is named "Dear Protege," which is a lyric pulled from "Father Figure."

Related: A Taylor Swift Song’s Lyrics Were the Most Viewed Globally

Taylor Swift performs onstage during an Eras tour stop in New Orleans.Erika Goldring/TAS24/Getty Images (Erika Goldring/TAS24/Getty Images)Those cute Eras Tour cameos

Along with her Graham Norton Show cohorts, Swift surrounds herself with fellow familiar faces in the "Opalite" music video—including backup dancers from her famed Eras Tour—who Swift fans will undoubtedly recognize after her six-part Disney+ docuseries detailing the makings of that historic concert tour.

Among the movers and groovers that pop up in "Opalite" are Karen Chuang, who opens the video in the Cillian Murphy-voiced commercial for "Opalite" spray and Kameron Saunders, who appears as a dance judge. Whyley Yoshimura, Jan Ravnik, Raphael Thomas and Sam Mcwilliams also appear in the clip.

A pop-in from her cat, Olivia Benson

Swift is known as a proud "cat lady" and she frequently features her trio of beloved felines—a pair of Scottish Folds named Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson, as well as cat bro Benjamin Button, a Ragdoll breed—across her social media handles and in her music videos and tour teasers. (They're even known to make cameos on Kelce's New Heights podcast.)

Taylor seemingly paid tribute to her fur babies in the new "Opalite" video, at one point sporting a yellow sweatshirt emblazoned with a blue-eyed feline that looks an awful lot like Olivia Benson.

Plus, a little brotherly love

Taylor isn't the only member of the Swift family who shows up in "Opalite": Her baby brotherAustin also stars in the music video, popping up around the 2:40 mark as a guest at a chaotic holiday bash where Gleeson is also present. You can spot Austin in a grey Christmas sweater chatting with other guests.

And, of course, the friendship bracelets

The friendship bracelet has become an enduring Swiftie symbol over the years—the sweet accessory even reportedly brought the singer and her famous NFL beau together back in 2023. Bracelets make several appearances in the performer's latest video: She and her pet rock sport matching friendship bracelets, with the stone later donning one that reads "f*** u 4ever," in reference to Swift's "Mad Woman" track: “Do you see my face in the neighbor's lawn? / Does she smile? / Or does she mouth, ‘F*** you forever’?” the lyrics read.

Next, Taylor Swift Cheers On Travis Kelce, Fueling NFL Honors Speculation

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”