Did Taylor Swift Shade Travis Kelce’s Ex Kayla Nicole in “Opalite”?

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Taylor Swift may be airing out her grievances in style.

Following the launch of her latest album The Life of a Showgirl, many fans believe the Grammy-winning artist’s song “Opalite” contains subtle criticisms aimed at Travis Kelce‘s former partner, Kayla Nicole.

As a huge fan, I’m really captivated by the third track-it’s named after Travis’ birthstone, the opal, which is such a nice touch! To me, the song beautifully illustrates the experience of two people finally connecting after going through a lot of disappointing relationships. It really resonates with me how it captures that journey of finding someone special.

When telling the story of the Kansas City Chiefs player, she sang about him bravely facing challenges – she described him as “dancing through the lightning strikes” and being “sleepless in the onyx night.” Ultimately, she sang that he created his own success, or “own sunshine.”

Fans believed Taylor was subtly criticizing Kayla-who had an on-again, off-again relationship with the NFL player from 2017 to 2022-during the second verse of the song, when she sang, “You couldn’t understand it / Why you felt alone.”

“You were genuinely invested, while she was distracted by her phone,” she went on. “You were just a facade to her, a temporary act. And don’t we all attempt to fully embrace and experience love, giving it everything we have? You eventually walked away, and it was such a basic realization: you’re unhappy until you’re not.”

Shortly after the album was released, a previously unseen video of Kayla and Travis began circulating on social media. The video seemed to confirm details mentioned in a specific verse. In the clip, taken at a restaurant, Travis appears upset and tells Kayla,

Kayla, 33, giggled at his request while swishing the wine in the glass.

“If people would just listen to me,” she explained while Travis attempted to take the phone from her, “I wouldn’t feel the need to look for approval from random people online.”

The NFL player interrupted, pleading with her, “Oh, my God. Please put your phone down. You’ve stopped drinking your wine. Can we please leave now?“

TopMob News has reached out to reps for Taylor and Kayla for comment and has not yet heard back.

While the “Karma” singer didn’t explain the song’s inspiration in great detail, she did mention that Travis served as her inspiration for it.

She told Capital Breakfast on October 3rd that he really likes that song. She also shared that she collects her favorite words and phrases, saving them in a never-ending collection of lyrics she draws from whenever she’s writing songs.

I’d jotted down ‘opalite’ after finding out it’s a human-created opal,” the 35-year-old explained. “Like diamonds, opals can be made in a lab. Since Travis’ birthstone is an opal, I’ve always been drawn to it-I’ve always really loved that stone.”

As Taylor became increasingly captivated by her upcoming marriage to the athlete, she discovered the ideal song to allude to the engagement ring.

She explained that she found it interesting how both artificial opal and happiness could be created by people. “That’s the contrast between the two,” she said.

For more easter eggs from The Life of a Showgirl, keep reading.

The first song on Taylor Swift‘s The Life of a Showgirl alludes to Ophelia, a character in William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, and her unfortunate story.

The lyrics suggest Taylor could have been overwhelmed by sadness if her significant other hadn’t rescued her.

“I heard you calling / On the megaphone,” Taylor sings. “You wanna see me all alone.”

The song’s words seem to reference Travis Kelce jokingly teasing Taylor on his New Heights podcast. He mentioned she didn’t meet up with him after her Eras Tour shows, and that’s actually how their relationship started.

“I swore loyalty to me, myself and I,” the lyrics continue. “Right before you lit my sky up.”

Prior to meeting Travis, Taylor had recently ended her relationship with Matty Healy. She had described herself as one of the “independent girlies” back in July 2023.

But after Travis went to her concert in Kansas City that same month, sparks began to fly.

Even Taylor’s fiancé is participating in her tradition of hiding clues, having playfully hinted at lyrics from “The Fate of Ophelia” on Instagram back in July. He captioned photos of them together with, “Had some adventures this offseason,” and added, “Kept it [100].”

How does that relate to Taylor’s song? It’s reflected in the lyrics: “You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia / Keep it one hundred.”

In the second song on the album, Taylor pays tribute to the iconic performer Elizabeth Taylor, mentioning places she loved, like the Plaza Athénée in Paris and Musso & Frank’s in Los Angeles.

In the song, Taylor also compares herself to the Cleopatra actress. Similar to Taylor now, Elizabeth frequently appeared in the news for everything, including her relationships and stunning fashion choices.

But, as Taylor notes in her song, “Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me.”

In the cheerful song “Opalite,” which Travis had previously shared was his favorite from the Showgirl album, Taylor Swift alludes to their relationship.

Having experienced plenty of heartbreak in past relationships, Taylor now seems to have found peace and tranquility with Travis – her current relationship feels calm and serene, like the gentle glow of opalite.

She shared on Capital radio that she’d noted down the word ‘opalite’ after discovering it’s a synthetic opal. “Travis’ birthstone is opal, so I’ve always focused on that, I’ve always loved that stone,” she explained.

Regarding the significance of the synthetic glass gemstone, she explained, “I felt it was a fitting metaphor – just as the opal is created by humans, so too can happiness be created by us.”

However, the song does have a bit of an edge, as Taylor Swift’s fans believe she subtly referenced Kayla Nicole, Travis Kelce’s former girlfriend, in the lyrics. They suggest the song implies Kelce felt like just a background accessory in photos on her social media.

She sings, as if addressing him, “You couldn’t grasp what was happening / Why you felt so isolated.” Then, she continues, “You were genuinely invested / But she was preoccupied with her phone.”

The lyrics continue with, “You were merely pretending / And don’t we all attempt to truly love / And dedicate everything to it? / You eventually walked away / And it’s such a straightforward idea / You feel empty until you don’t.”

Taylor, Max Martin and Shellback are officially listed as the writers of Showgirl. However, the late George Michael is also credited on “Father Figure” because the song uses a sample from his 1987 song with the same title.

Taylor Swift’s team also showed their support. On October 2nd, they posted on Instagram, saying, “Thank you @taylorswift for including George in such a special moment.”

Many fans believe the first part of the song is told from the point of view of Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Records, who originally sold Taylor’s recorded songs to Scooter Braun. They think the song then shifts to Taylor’s perspective as she works to regain ownership of her music.

Taylor herself admitted that the song was “written in character.”

“That was a fun one to write,” she shared on BBC 1 Radio. “It explores a really different approach to the concept of a father figure – using it as a way to discuss power, how power structures work, and how those power dynamics can be reversed.”

Additionally, she’s “quite pleased” with a particular explicit line referencing bargaining with the devil, stating “my ps is larger.”

We’re now at track five on Showgirl, and it’s well-known that Taylor typically places her most emotionally devastating songs in this position on her albums.

In “Eldest Daughter,” Taylor, the child of Andrea Swift and Scott Swift – who later had another son, Austin Swift – reflects on the ups and downs of life, and how she always remains loyal to her loved ones.

As the lyrics state, “Cause I’m not someone who acts poorly / And this isn’t ruthless / And I’ll always be there for you,” “I won’t ever exclude you / There are so many disloyal people / Those who are manipulative / But I’ll always keep my promise.”

The sixth track on Showgirl recounts a story of wishing things had gone further with someone. The song is full of longing for the past, with lyrics like, “Have fun, it’s prom / Wilted corsage dangles from my wrist / Over his shoulder I catch a glimpse / And see…You looking at me / And it was not an invitation / But as the 50 Cent song played / Should’ve kissed you anyway.”

Taylor Swift mentions her close friend Abigail Anderson (who is known from the song “Fifteen”) in these sad lyrics about loss: “When I left school, I lost touch with you / Abigail called me with the bad news / Goodbye, and we’ll never understand why.”

Many listeners believe the heartbreaking song was inspired by her late school friend Jeff Lang, who passed away in 2010. He’s also thought to be the inspiration behind her earlier song, “Forever Winter.”

She sings, “I didn’t know / You were breakin’ down / I’d fall to pieces on the floor / If you weren’t around,” from the Red album’s previously unreleased tracks, which came out in 2021. She continues with, “Too young to know it gets better / I’ll be summer sun for you forever / Forever winter if you go.”

“Actually Romantic” isn’t really a song about love, exactly. Instead, it’s a reaction to someone-who the lyrics say has talked a lot *about* Taylor herself.

Taylor sings, “I high-fived my ex, and then you told me you were happy he cut off contact with me.” She continues, “You wrote a song about how it bothers you to even look at me. / Some people might be upset by that, / but honestly, it’s kind of sweet.”

Although Taylor doesn’t usually share the inspiration behind her songs, many fans online think this one was influenced by Charli XCX. Charli opened for Taylor during the Reputation Tour and is also friends with Taylor’s former partner, Matty, and his wife-to-be, Gabbriette Bechtel.

When Charli-whose husband is George Daniel, a member of the band The 1975-released her album brat in June 2024, people wondered if her song “Sympathy is a Knife” was a dig at Taylor Swift. However, two months later, Taylor appeared to end the speculation by publicly complimenting Charli.

Taylor shared with New York magazine on August 26th that she’s been incredibly impressed with Charli’s talent for creating melodies ever since hearing ‘Stay Away’ back in 2011. She described Charli’s songwriting as both dreamlike and original, noting that she consistently takes songs in unexpected directions. Taylor expressed her admiration for Charli’s dedication and how rewarding it is to see such hard work recognized.

Could this be another hint about Charli? The Spotify cover image features Taylor holding an apple, which is the title of Charli’s popular 2024 song.

TopMob News has reached out to reps for comment on the speculation and has not heard back.

On the very top of Taylor’s wish list? A forever with Travis. That includes starting a family.

“I just want you,” she sings. “Have a couple kids / Got the whole block looking like you.”

The artist even admitted it’s one of her favorite tracks on the album. 

She explained to Magic radio that the song signaled the completion of the album. “It’s incredibly emotional,” she said. “It truly reflects my current state of mind. It just felt like, we were finished.”

Taylor says that hoping for love by wishing on a star didn’t work for her in the past. However, with Travis, she feels so secure that she doesn’t even feel the need to knock on wood for good luck.

Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet,” she sings in the lyrics, “to know difficult times are coming.

She turned out to be correct. Taylor and Travis revealed they were getting married in August 2025, following a two-year relationship.

The song-filled with suggestive lyrics-also references New Heights, which Taylor says is where their relationship began.

On track 10, Taylor is mentoring someone who has faced public backlash – a situation she herself understands well.

She told me, “Let’s go, because people will flee when they see us.” She then added, “Something ominous is approaching / Luckily, my friends cancelled / I prefer them mysterious, dressed in Gucci and surrounded by controversy.”

People have guessed the song might be about her sometimes debated friendships with Brittany Mahomes or Blake Lively.

The singer explained that this feeling comes from her ability to understand others, stemming from her own very public struggles. This likely relates to the Kim Kardashian and Kanye West conflict that happened in 2016.

After going through public scrutiny and being involved in several high-profile, controversial situations throughout my career – times when it felt like everyone had an opinion – it’s changed how I navigate life,” she explained to Amazon Music. “Those experiences have definitely shaped my perspective and how I move through the world.

Taylor went on to say, “It’s interesting to consider that when others face challenges, you often expect them to grow and improve as a result. If they’re able to overcome those difficulties, and if they possess the resilience needed, they can genuinely gain valuable lessons from the experience. It’s a learning process.”

“Cancelled!” is really about demonstrating that I don’t automatically dismiss someone simply because others disapprove of them. I form my own opinions of people based on how they behave around me and their individual actions. It’s about making independent judgments rather than following the crowd’s decisions.

“Honey” truly lives up to its name! On the 11th song of the album, Taylor shares that Travis has completely changed the meaning of certain words for her. Previously, terms like “honey” and “sweetheart” might have brought up unpleasant memories, but now, she associates them with Travis instead.

Taylor softly sings, “Let me chase away your sadness / Whenever you call me ‘honey’.” She continues, “Think of warm summer days, bubbly drinks, and rosy sunsets / You’re welcome to call me ‘honey’ if you’d like / Because I’m exactly what you’re looking for.”

In fact, Travis did call Taylor “sweetie” during her debut appearance on New Heights in August.

For her final act, Taylor teamed up with friend Sabrina Carpenter.

The song connects with “Elizabeth Taylor,” offering a look at the life of a showgirl from behind the curtain. Although it appears dazzling, there’s always a cost, and the experienced performer needs to make the rising star aware of that reality.

The song’s words create a vivid image: “She confessed, ‘I would give anything, even my soul, to experience a truly wonderful life, completely my own’ / But that’s not the reality for showgirls / They’re simply discarded and forgotten.”

Finally, having experienced what it’s like to be a showgirl, the performers come together for one last bow, exclaiming, “That’s our show / We love you so much, goodnight!”

She explained to Magic radio that the song is about encountering someone you admire, and instead of living up to your expectations, they actually advise you *not* to pursue the same path. They’re just being truthful about the difficulties of the industry, she said. “And yet, you still go for it anyway.”

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2025-10-03 22:49