We had a feeling there would be more about Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl when Swift teased the album and her appearance on the Kelce brothers' New Heights podcast. Swift shared a full look at the album artwork, where she's resplendent in glittery, feathery showgirl costumes, and the Life of a Showgirl tracklist — and Swifties immediately got to work trying to crack the code of what each song could mean in the vast Swift oeuvre.
One such track is track three, “Opalite.” Intriguing title, right? Swift never does anything casually, which means there's definitely some meaning behind the title and the song. Now all we have to figure out is what that meaning is. So take your seats, class, because geology 101 is now in session.
What is on Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl tracklist?
The album includes 12 songs, including an appearance by Swift's Eras tourmate Sabrina Carpenter on the final song, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
The complete tracklist is as follows:
- The Fate of Ophelia
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Opalite
- Father Figure
- Eldest Daughter
- Ruin the Friendship
- Actually Romantic
- Wi$h Li$t
- Wood
- CANCELLED!
- Honey
- The Life of a Showgirl feat. Sabrina Carpenter
What is Taylor Swift's song “Opalite” about?
We won't know for sure until the song drops alongside the album on October 3, but fans have some ideas. But first, what is opalite, anyway? According to the aptly named Opal Galaxy, opalite is a synthetic — so, man-made — version of the precious stone opal. It looks similar to the gemstone, with an iridescent, ever-changing finish that looks blue or purple in one light and green or orange in another. Opalite is thought to have calming properties. “Its gentle, nurturing vibes are thought to promote inner peace and emotional balance,” writes Mehran Khan at Gandhara Gems.
Swift has mentioned her love of opals before, calling them her favorite stone. In 2023, she was spotted wearing an opal ring surrounded by blue topaz gemstones, and she's also worn opal pendant necklaces. Swift once recounted a story about going to TJ Maxx with her mom after a hard day at school and looking at opal jewelry. “I thought opals were so beautiful, and somehow it made me feel better," she said in 2017.
Fans noticed a few opal motifs in Swift's Eras tour motifs, including one of her most instantly recognizable bodysuits. They also flagged that opals and opalite can flash orange and green, a.k.a. the signature colors of the album.
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What do fans think “Opalite” is about?
Fan theories abound! The intriguing title lends itself to a more introspective work, a breakup song, or even something alluding to new beginnings.
Some believe that “Opalite” is about something that looks beautiful at first, but loses its luster over time when you realize it's not the real thing. (A relationship, maybe?) Swift does reference “opal eyes” on Evermore's song “Ivy,” after all.
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Some fans believe that “Opalite” could be a love song, given that it's Travis Kelce's birthstone, as well as the album's birthstone.
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Swift did mention opal being Kelce's birthstone on New Heights, so that theory sounds promising.
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What could “Opalite” mean in the context of the album?
That remains to be seen, of course! There are so many interpretations to be had, though the dramatic album photos of Swift in full showgirl glam do make it seem like this album will be about shiny, pretty things and their true meaning. The song is surrounded by equally intriguing titles, including “The Fate of Ophelia,” the album's first song, and “Elizabeth Taylor,” which could be a sister song to The Tortured Poets Department's “Clara Bow.”
In the Kelce/opal birth stone context, perhaps there's something in the idea of naturally-occurring vs. man-made — opalite could mean finding beauty in something you had to craft with your own mind (an intentional romantic gesture vs. a random act of kismet, for example), as much as it could mean its opposite, a fake thing in the past that looks like the real one. It could also refer to the crystal's anxiety-soothing properties, a symbol of something that restores balance to her life underneath the glitz and glamour of the stage.
But then again, we know that when it comes to Swift, it's a good idea to expect the unexpected. It sounds like we'll be getting a lot more pop from The Life of a Showgirl versus the quieter ballads of TTPD. “This album was about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said on New Heights.
She flew to Sweden to work with Max Martin and Shellback during the tour and fell in love with Kelce during the tour, so there's definitely a lot of material to work with. “It just comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life, so that effervescence has come through on this record.” October 3 can't come soon enough.
