"Elizabeth Taylor" is a song by the American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift, from her twelfth studio album,The Life of a Showgirl (2025). Titled after the British-American actressElizabeth Taylor, Swift references the late actress andHollywood, reflecting on how fame affects love and relationships.
Swift announcedThe Life of a Showgirl on August 13, 2025, in an episode of the podcastNew Heights, hosted by American football playersJason andTravis Kelce.[1] The song was subsequently released on October 3, 2025.[2] Upon the revealing of the tracklist and the release date, "Elizabeth Taylor" was also announced as the album's second track, titled after British-American actressElizabeth Taylor.[3] In Swift's albumReputation (2017), she previously referenced Taylor and her relationship with her ex-husbandRichard Burton in her song "...Ready for It?" in the lyrics "And he can be my jailer / Burton to this Taylor".[3]
"Elizabeth Taylor" is an upbeat[4] song. The track is written and produced by Swift,Max Martin andShellback, and is three minutes and twenty-eight seconds long. Swift's lyrics include multiple references to thelate actress, and its chorus is partly inspired by the perception that Taylor's eyes were a shade of violet.[5] The line, "That view of Portofino was on my mind when you called me at thePlaza Athénée" referencesPortofino, Italy where Welsh actorRichard Burton proposed to Taylor.[3] The lyrics also name-checkMusso & Frank Grill, a Hollywood restaurant Taylor frequented.[6] "All my white diamonds and lovers are forever / In the papers, on the screen, and in their minds" refers toWhite Diamonds, the scent Taylor created.[3][7][8][9]
Aside from the references to the actress, "Elizabeth Taylor" is about Swift conveying her desire to love amidst her fame and public life.[7][10]
"Elizabeth Taylor" received mixed reception after thealbum's release.Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian resembled the track's theme to Swift's song "Wish List" of the same album with the lyrics "that yacht life under chopper blades ... those bright lights andBalenci' shades" and also dubbed the track as the only "killer chorus" of the album.[11] Similarly, Charlotte Karner ofThe Daily Texan named "Elizabeth Taylor" a track that honors the "quintessential" showgirl in a reputation-esque love song.[12][unreliable source?]
In contrast, Chris Willman ofVariety stated that the record might be the album's "closing flirtation", calling the production "truly big" and "overwhelming".[13] Josh Mercado ofABS-CBN News expressed his dislike of the album, writing that "Elizabeth Taylor" sounded "rushed, unseasoned and did not live up to the album's title" with the other tracks.[14] India Block of theEvening Standard wrote that it was "a bit tone deaf" for Swift to complain about a lack of glamour given her wealth.[15]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 41. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 41. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
