To celebrate Opalite hitting No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 23, Taylor Swift shared a behind-the-scenes Instagram post featuring intimate studio clips, including a makeup-free video of herself.
While she expected excitement from her followers, she instead faced a wave of speculation as several netizens questioned whether the bare-faced woman in the clip was even the pop icon at all.
Highlights
- To celebrate her 14th No. 1 hit, "Opalite," Taylor Swift shared a rare, makeup-free video from the recording studio.
- Detractors flooded the comments, claiming her nose and eye shape looked "completely different".
- Despite the "Opalite" chatter, the song marked a major career high, making The Life of a Showgirl her first album since 2014’s 1989 to produce two separate Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles.
“Is that really her? Nose is completely different,” wrote one.
Taylor Swift’s makeup-free studio clip sparked immediate speculation among fans
Image credits: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
The first slide of Swift’s Instagram post showed her in the studio wearing an oversized green sweater, with her natural blonde curls loose around her shoulders, and no visible glam.
“Just a few Opalite memories to celebrate the Hot 100 #1 you guys just got this song!!” she wrote.
“This is actually the first time I’ve had two Hot 100 #1s off of one album since 1989 came out in 2014.”
While many online viewers praised the raw look, others zeroed in on her facial features.
Image credits: taylorswift/Instagram
“That’s not her on the left,” one insisted.
“The nose isn’t nosing!!! Not her,” another commented.
Meanwhile, several users claimed makeup alone could not explain the difference.
“There is no way makeup can cause THAT much of a difference. Nose shape and eyes are completely different,” said one.
Image credits: taylorswift/Instagram
“Everything looks different! She has distinct round cheeks, a wider nose, her chin isn’t smooth, etc!” wrote another.
Others went further, speculating about whether she had undergone cosmetic procedures. “I think she looked a lot better before getting the nose job,” said one.
Another claimed Swift “had more work done than all the Kardashians put together.”
Elsewhere in the post, the singer was seen wearing a brunette wig and ‘80s-inspired workout gear, saying, "Never in my life have I felt so myself. This is actually who I was meant to be."
Despite the harsh criticism, Swifties defended the pop star’s candid looks
Image credits: taylorswift/Instagram
“Why does it matter what she looks like? It is her talent, work ethic, and kind heart that make her an admirable person,” one commenter wrote.
“She looks beautiful either way. Some of these comments… guess hurt people hurt people,” another said.
“I think she’s still a beautiful lady without the makeup,” added a third.
Some viewers admitted they were surprised by the transformation that styling can create.
Image credits: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS/Getty Images
“She could walk around without makeup and curly hair, and I feel like many would not know it’s her,” one noted.
A few comments even took a humorous turn, comparing her to longtime friend Ed Sheeran.
“I thought it was Ed Sheeran,” one said, while another wrote, “She looks like Ed Sheeran. Maybe they are the same person. They are both Uber talented.”
Taylor Swift’s Opalite milestone came after the song recently sparked plagiarism accusations
Image credits: taylorswift/Instagram
Released on February 7, Opalite is the second single from Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. It also marks her 14th Hot 100 chart-topper and the first time since 1989 that she has had two No. 1 singles from the same album.
The viral reaction to her makeup-free appearance comes just weeks after the song sparked plagiarism accusations from indie musician Gabi Gamberg of the band Daffo.
As reported by Bored Panda, Gamberg alleged that Swift’s ‘90s-style infomercial concept closely resembles her April 2025 video for Quick Fix, posting side-by-side comparisons online.
Image credits: taylorswift/Instagram
While Swift has not yet publicly responded to the accusations, supporters argued that parody infomercials are a long-standing pop culture trope.
“It was a spoof of every 90s infomercial. It isn’t that original of a concept,” one wrote.
Written and produced with Max Martin and Shellback, Opalite is an upbeat synth-pop and soft rock track built around gemstone metaphors.
"She has a superb makeup artist," wrote one netizen
