Did Taylor Swift Sample a Luis Miguel Classic on ‘Opalite?’
Art by Stephany Torres for Remezcla. Taylor Swift (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File), Luis Miguel (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Is Taylor Swift a Luis Miguel fan? The internet seems to think so, considering one of the songs on her new album sounds similar to a classic by El Sol de México.
Last Friday (Oct. 3), Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. From the LP’s artwork, she pulled inspiration from iconic showgirl and vedette looks of the past. Swift might have also been inspired by one of Mexico’s most legendary showmen, Luis Miguel. Since the album’s release, her song “Opalite” has drawn comparisons to the LuisMi classic “1+1=2 Enamorados.”
If Swift was looking into Luis Miguel’s vast discography, she went way back into his archives. “1+1=2 Enamorados” is a hit single from his debut album Un Sol, which came out in 1982 when he was only 11-years-old. The song is about using simple mathematics to describe romance, and was written by Rubén Amado and Javier Santos. Luisito Rey, Luis Miguel’s father, produced the track, and Chucho Ferrer handled the arrangement.
“Opalite” is the third song on The Life of a Showgirl album. In an interview, Swift said the song was inspired by her relationship with fiancé Travis Kelce. She added that it’s his favorite song on the LP and that his birthstone is an opal. “Opalite” plugs into the early ‘80s style of “1+1=2 Enamorados.” Swift even sings in a similar cadence to Luis Miguel. The credits for Taylor’s song don’t include any of the people involved with the LuisMi banger.
While the question remains if the “Bad Blood” singer is aware of the similarities between “Opalite” and “1+1=2 Enamorados,” she has plenty of people revisiting the Luis Miguel classic. According to a Luis Miguel fan page on X, the 1982 song is experiencing a resurgence on music streaming platforms. Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album is projected to debut at No. 1 on next week’s Billboard 200 chart.