Taylor Swift marked the achievement of her song “Opalite” reaching the top of Billboard Hot 100 after the released exclusive Behind-the-Scenes recording process, including Swift’s candid version without her signature makeup.
Swift, on February 23, through her official Instagram handle, on Monday shared intimate photos and videos. She captioned her post, “Just a few Opalite memories to celebrate the Hot 100 #1 you guys just got this song!!”
Swift continued, “I can’t even sum up my excitement, and I’m so blown away by the love you’ve shown this song and video”. Taylor noted that it is the second time that her two songs from the same album simultaneously climbed the Hot 100 charts. She recalled that her last album was released in 2014 1989.
The American singer added, “I know that’s a lot of numbers, but it all adds up to me being so thankful to the fans who helped make this happen by welcoming this song into your lives with open arms”.
The post began with a makeup-free video of Swift in the studio with producer Max Martin working on “Opalite” as she sports her natural blonde curls. Other videos show Swift on the set of the music video, including her brown wig and 1980s-inspired costume for the shoot.
“Never in my life have I felt so myself,” she said in the costume video, adding, “This is actually who I was meant to be”.
In other photos and videos, Swift records vocals for “Opalite” and celebrates with Martin, 54, and Shellback, who also produced her 12th studio album.
Swift, who wrote and directed the visual of the “Opalite” music video, shared in an Instagram post announcing how the idea “crash landed into her imagination” while promoting her The Life of a Showgirl on Graham Norton’s talk show back in October 2025.
“I remember thinking I got ridiculously lucky with the group I was paired with,” the singer-songwriter explained, calling out the group of actors and singers, which included Cillian Murphy, Domhnall Gleeson, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith and Lewis Capaldi, as people whose work she’s “admired from afar”.