Fans believe they might have proof to support the theories that Taylor Swift’s new song “Opalite” is a reference to Travis Kelce’s ex Kayla Nicole.
A resurfaced clip of Nicole, 33, and Kelce, 35, out to dinner appeared on social media. According to an X post viewed by Us Weekly that has since been deleted, Nicole can be seen filming a video of herself while holding a glass of wine. Kelce was seemingly irritated as he asked his then-partner if they could leave.
“Oh, my God. Get off your phone,” Kelce said. “Get off your phone. … You’re not even drinking your wine anymore, can we go?”
Nicole, for her part, laughed it off.
Nicole and Kelce dated on and off from 2017 to 2022 before the football player connected with Swift, 35, after attending her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City. Swift and Kelce began dating in summer 2023 and made their relationship public when the pop star attended her first Kansas City Chiefs game that September. Earlier this year, Swift and Kelce got engaged after two years of dating.
When Swift dropped her newest album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Friday, October 3, fans gave “Opalite” a close listen, figuring it would be about Kelce as it is his birthstone. While the third track is about finding The One after a series of heartbreaks, fans were quick to pick up on a line seemingly referring to Nicole.
“You couldn’t understand it / Why you felt alone / You were in it for real / She was in her phone / You were just a pose,” Swift sings. “And don’t we try to love love / And give it all we got / You finally left the table / And what a simple thought / You’re starving ’til you’re not.”
The resurfaced clip of Nicole and Kelce seemingly matches Swift’s description of a person dating a partner whose attention is on their device. The mention of the leaving table also points to Kelce wanting to get up and go.
Before The Life of a Showgirl’s release, Kelce teased that “Opalite” was one of his favorites off the new record.
“I think ‘Opalite’ might be my favorite, though, at least right now,” Travis told his cohost and brother, Jason Kelce, during an August episode of their “New Heights” podcast. “Every time it comes on, I always catch myself.”
After the album dropped, Swift confirmed that “Opalite” was still Travis’ favorite song during a Friday appearance on the U.K.’s Capital FM radio station.
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“He loves that one,” she shared. “I have favorite words, favorite phrases [and] things I’ll put in an endless file of lyrics that I’m constantly going to go and cherry-pick from when I’m writing.”
Swift also gave some insight into the meaning behind the track.
“I had written down the word ‘opalite’ because I learned that it is actually a man-made opal,” she said. “Opal can be man-made just like diamonds. Travis’ birthstone is an opal, so I have always fixated on that, and I’ve always loved that stone. And I thought it was kind of a cool metaphor that man-made opal and happiness can also be man-made too.”
