‘Showgirls on ice’: Taylor Swift hypes Team USA figure skaters with ‘Opalite’
Taylor Swift, hype woman for the Winter Olympics.
In an Instagram video posted Monday by NBC, the Grammy winner hypes American women figure skaters competing at the games in Italy. The video was set to Swift’s hit, “Opalite,” from her latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
The video promotes members of the U.S. Figure Skating Olympic team known as the Blade Angels — Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Amber, Alysa and Isabeau,” Swift says in the voiceover. “Three American showgirls on ice who will capture your heart with their stories.”
“They call themselves The Blade Angels. Tomorrow night, they are taking center stage when the show starts in Milan,” she says.
She goes on to introduce each skater and their stories while “Opalite” plays in the background. She calls Levito “destiny personified” and manages to include a reference to her favorite number, 13.
“Her mom grew up in Milan, and her nonna, her grandma, lives exactly 13 minutes from the Olympic rink. When you can skate like you’re meant to be out there, history has a fun way of showing up.”
Swift’s fans appreciated the superstar’s shoutout for the female athletes.
“This is such a huge spotlight for the women’s team! Hopefully, this brings a lot of new eyes to the sport before the Games,” one wrote on Instagram.
Since it dropped in October, “Opalite” has been considered an ode to Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce, who this offseason is mulling retirement from the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a story of finding lasting love after heartbreak.
The trio will compete in the Women’s Short Program on Tuesday, airing on Peacock and USA Network beginning at 11:45 a.m. CST. The event will be replayed during NBC and Peacock’s prime-time Olympic coverage beginning at 7 p.m.
The Women’s Long Program is scheduled for Thursday.
Swift is not far from mind in Milan. On Tuesday, as the women skaters warmed up, the arena played Swift’s hit, “Shake It Off.”
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