Taylor Swift Fans Compare “Opalite” Video To Friends & Napoleon Dynamite

Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” music video has arrived, and it’s one of the most glittery, playful installments in her visual catalogue.

The video follows Swift as a lonely woman wanting to transform her drab life. She purchases a bottle of a miracle spray called Opalite from a ’90s-esque infomercial. Soon, she finds love with a new man played by The Paper star Domhnall Gleeson (one of several cameos from fellow guests on Swift’s October appearance on The Graham Norton Show). Their adorably awkward romance culminates in a dance competition, where they perform in The Life of a Showgirl-approved orange and mint-green tracksuits.

“I had more fun than I ever imagined,” Swift wrote of the video, which she wrote and directed. “Made new friends, metaphors, and fashion choices. It was an absolute thrill to create this story and these characters.”

Fans had just as much fun watching the “Opalite” video, of course, and were quick to point out a few unexpected pop culture references along the way.

Monica & Ross, Take 2

For many viewers, Swift and Gleeson’s dance was reminiscent of Ross and Monica from Friends. In Season 6’s “The One with the Routine,” the brother and sister perform a ridiculous (but iconic) duet while angling to be featured on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

“The dance at the end of the opalite video reminds me so much of ross and monica’s routine from friends and I honestly think that was taylor’s dream,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter). Another said the dance scene felt “familiar” to them too, ultimately arriving at the same connection. “Oh taylor the friends lover that you are,” they wrote. Indeed, Swift once told Vogue that Friends is her favorite show of all time!

What makes this parallel even sweeter is that fans made edits of Ross and Monica’s dance to “Opalite” all the way back in October, when the song made its debut. Clearly, they weren’t alone in thinking that the track’s lively beat lent itself to some delightfully awkward dance moves.

The Napoleon Dynamite Vibes

Friends isn’t the only reference fans think they spotted in the “Opalite” music video. As one fan noted, the video’s playfully “weird” vibe reminded them of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite.

“Opalite mv is so napoleon dynamite i’m living for this,” wrote another. And of course, Napoleon Dynamite also features a climactic dance routine that fits perfectly to the tune of “Opalite,” as one viral TikTok pointed out in October.

If the “Opalite” video is any indication, Swift seems to be just as obsessed with nostalgic shows and movies as you are.