It’s the second song off The Life of a Showgirl to reach the top spot
Taylor Swift has danced her way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 once again with “Opalite.” It marks the pop superstar’s 14th song to reach Number One. With the achievement, Swift ties Rihanna for the third-most Number One songs on the Hot 100, behind only the Beatles and Mariah Carey.
The track debuted at Number Two on the Hot 100 when it was released as part of Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. Her lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” just came off a record-breaking run as her biggest hit, charting at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks and marking the star’s longest-running feat. Now that “Opalite” has reached Number One as well, it’s a defining moment in the legacy of her most divisive album to date. The only other time Swift has secured two chart-topping songs on the same album was for 2014’s 1989.
“Opalite” also reinforces Swift’s unshakeable chart dominance. The song marks the singer’s ninth one to top the chart this decade; she leads as the artist with the most for the 2020s. According to Luminate via Billboard, the song drew 11.4 million official streams and sold 168,000 (up 2,290 percent) in the U.S. the week of Feb. 13-19. Its success comes after Swift released CD singles, remixes, and vinyl versions of “Opalite.” Of the total sales, 144,000 were physical.
Earlier this month, Swift shared a Nineties-throwback music video for the song. Notably, the pop superstar did not initially share the glittery visual on YouTube; instead, she chose to premiere the “Opalite” video on two of the largest streaming platforms exclusively: Spotify and Apple Music. The move coincides with YouTube’s decision to withdraw its data from Billboard charts following changes to the charts’ methodology. Of course, neither music video for The Life of a Showgirl has had a traditional release. She premiered “The Fate of Ophelia” in theaters across the country as part of the her album release parties in October. A few days after its premiere, the “Opalite” video was available on YouTube.
