Taylor Swift is the biggest-selling artist in the world by most reliable measures, so when she makes an unconventional business move — no matter how random or trivial it may appear — it’s worth paying attention.
On Friday, Swift unveiled the self-directed music video for “Opalite,” her latest single from “The Life of a Showgirl.” Upon release, the cameo-laden clip was available exclusively on Spotify and Apple Music, with its YouTube premiere scheduled for a two-day delay.
Streamers like Spotify and Apple Music specialize in hosting songs, albums, podcasts, and playlists — not visual works. Meanwhile, YouTube is famously a destination for music video lovers. So what gives?
As usual, when it comes to Swift, the answer seems to lie with her bottom line. In December, YouTube announced it would withdraw its streaming data from Billboard’s chart formulas because the music company tweaked its methodology so that streams from YouTube subscribers were weighted even more heavily than free streams. YouTube’s stance is that the ratio is unfair to fans.
Swift recently scored her longest reign yet on the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Fate of Ophelia,” the lead single from “Showgirl,” which charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks. With “Opalite” officially serving as its follow-up, Swift appears to be making moves to boost the song’s chart performance.
If fans were flocking to YouTube today to watch her new music video, none of those views would help “Opalite” reach No. 1 — and nobody wants to follow a personal best with a personal flop, least of all an athlete-style competitor like Swift.
Of course, this savvy tweak to the song’s promo schedule was paired with a physical release: a seven-inch vinyl single in “pearlescent blue,” only available in Swift’s online store for 48 hours.
How Taylor Swift moves, other artists tend to follow
Swift’s unyielding commitment to commerce isn’t just something to behold. It’s something to study. Swift’s sales tactics often become instructive for other artists.
Much has been made about Swift’s push to sell physical albums, for example, but many fellow pop stars have followed suit. Charli XCX released about two dozen vinyl variants for her 2024 album “Brat” and its deluxe editions. Sabrina Carpenter, a self-professed disciple of Swift’s work, released 13 vinyl variants last year for “Man’s Best Friend,” in addition to seven-inch singles, cassettes, and CDs. As a result, “Man’s Best Friend” scored the ninth-biggest vinyl sales week of the modern era, according to Billboard. (Seven of the top eight slots on that list belong to albums by Swift.)
So, it could very well mean that Swift’s strategic video rollout will start a trend as well. Although YouTube is the customary platform for music videos, customs can be changed, and she isn’t the only artist who cares about climbing the charts.
It could also be that Swift’s premiere delay will inspire YouTube to rethink its attitude toward Billboard. If one of the most influential celebrities in the world is delaying their content to your product, that could be bad for business — and it wouldn’t be the first time Swift convinced a major company to change its tune. Back in 2015, she criticized Apple Music for refusing to pay artists during a new user’s free trial. Within 24 hours, Apple updated its policy and tagged Swift in the announcement online.
It remains to be seen whether “Opalite” will affect the music industry beyond Swifties, but if the song’s lyrics are any indication, Swift is content to manufacture success on her terms — or, in her words, to make her own sunshine.
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