Elizabeth Taylor (song)

For the 2022 song by Pete Yorn, see Hawaii (Pete Yorn album).

"Elizabeth Taylor"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Life of a Showgirl
Released	October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Studio	MXM Studios (Stockholm) Shellback Studios (Stockholm) Studio 112 (Jonstorp)
Genre	Electropop soft rock
Length	3:28
Label	Republic
Songwriters	Taylor Swift Max Martin Shellback
Producers	Taylor Swift Max Martin Shellback

Elizabeth Taylor is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, from her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl (2025). Written and produced by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, "Elizabeth Taylor" is an upbeat electropop record with soft rock elements. Titled after the American actress Elizabeth Taylor, Swift references the late actress and Hollywood, reflecting on how fame affects love and relationships.

Background and release

Taylor Swift announced her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl on August 13, 2025 in an episode of the podcast New Heights , hosted by Swift's fiancé, NFL player Travis Kelce. ^{[1] [2]} Upon the revealing of the tracklist and the release date, "Elizabeth Taylor" was also announced as the album's second track – titled after the American actress of the same name. The song was released on October 3, 2025. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

In her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017), Swift previously referenced Elizabeth Taylor and her relationship with her ex-husband Richard Burton in her song "Ready for It?" in the lyrics: "And he can be my jailer / Burton to this Taylor". ^{[7] [8]}

Composition

"Elizabeth Taylor" is an upbeat ^[9] electropop song, blending elements of soft rock and disco. The track is written and produced by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, comprising a length of three minutes and twenty-eight seconds.

In the record, Swift unveils multiple references to the late actress – Portofino, Italy which marked the place where Welsh actor Richard Burton proposed to Taylor in the lyrics "That view of Portofino was on my mind when you called me at the Plaza Athénée" ^[7] and the actress's perfume, White Diamonds in "All my white diamonds and lovers are forever / In the papers, on the screen, and in their minds". ^{[7] [8] [10] [11]}

Aside from the references to the actress, "Elizabeth Taylor" is about Swift conveying her desire to love amidst her fame and public life. ^{[8] [12]}

Reception

"Elizabeth Taylor" received mixed receptions after the album's release. Alexis Petridis of The 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 and Balenci' shades" and also dubbed the track as the only "killer chorus" of the album. ^[13] Similarly, Charlotte Karner of The Daily Texan named "Elizabeth Taylor" a track that honors the "quintessential" showgirl in a reputation-esque love song. ^[14]

In contrary, Chris Willman of Variety stated that the record might be the album's "closing flirtation", calling the production "truly big" and "overwhelming". ^[15] Likewise, Josh Mercado of ABS-CBN News expressed his dislike to the album. Moreover, he mentioned "Elizabeth Taylor" sounded "rushed, unseasoned and did not live up to the album's title" with the other tracks. ^[16] India Block of the Evening Standard wrote that it was "a bit tone deaf" for Swift to complain about a lack of glamour given her wealth. ^[17]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from album liner notes. ^[18]

Studios

• Produced at MXM Studios and Shellback Studios, Stockholm
• Recorded at Shellback Studios, Stockholm
• Strings and harp recorded and engineered at Studio 112, Jonstorp, Sweden
• Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach
• Mastered at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, New Jersey

Personnel

• Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriting, production
• Max Martin  – production, songwriting, programming, keyboards, piano, string arrangements, recording
• Shellback  – production, songwriting, programming, bass, drums, guitar, Omnichord, percussion, recording
• Erik Arvinder  – violin
• Matthias Johansson – violin
• Hanna Helgegren – violin
• David Bukovinsky – cello
• Helena Stjernstrom – harp
• Mattias Bylund – string synthesizer, strings arrangement, recording, engineering
• Lasse Mårtén – recording, engineering
• Serban Ghenea  – mixing
• Bryce Bordone – assistant mixing
• Randy Merrill  – mastering

Charts

Chart performance for "Elizabeth Taylor"

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA) [19]	3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [20]	13
Germany (GfK) [21]	4
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [22]	3
Ireland (IRMA) [23]	3
Italy (FIMI) [24]	32
Lithuania (AGATA) [25]	8
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [26]	7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [27]	3
Norway (IFPI Norge) [28]	4
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [29]	3
UK Singles (OCC) [30]	3
US Billboard Hot 100 [31]	3

References

1. Cain, Sian (August 12, 2025). "Taylor Swift announces new album The Life of a Showgirl". The Guardian . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
2. Magramo, Kathleen (August 12, 2025). "Taylor Swift announces new album, 'The Life of a Showgirl'". CNN . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
3. Jeyaretnam, Miranda (August 14, 2025). "Everything We Know So Far About Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl". Time . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
4. Madani, Doha (August 14, 2025). "'The Life of a Showgirl' era: What we know so far about Taylor Swift's new album". NBC . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
5. Serna, Vanessa (September 19, 2025). "Everything you need to know about Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' album release". Variety . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
6. Karpen, Elizabeth (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' puts Elizabeth Taylor — and her Jewish identity — back in the spotlight". Unpacked . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
7. Brower, Kate Andersen (October 3, 2025). "How Taylor Swift Found Inspiration in Elizabeth Taylor (And You Should Too)". Town and Country Magazine . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
8. Puckett-Pope, Lauren (October 3, 2025). "Why Taylor Swift Name-Dropped 'Elizabeth Taylor' in Her The Life of a Showgirl Track". Elle . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
9. Budiansky, Jared (October 3, 2025). "Review: Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl'". The Spectrum . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
10. Vivinetto, Gina (October 3, 2025). "Why Does Taylor Swift Reference 'Elizabeth Taylor' on 'The Life of a Showgirl'? Lyrics, Explained". Today . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
11. Sullivan, Corinne (October 8, 2025). "Taylor Swift Just Revealed the Inspo Behind Her Song "Elizabeth Taylor" and It's So, So Sweet". Cosmopolitan . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
12. Waxman, Olivia (October 3, 2025). "What to Know About Elizabeth Taylor When You're Listening to Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl". Time . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
13. Petridis, Alexis (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl review – dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled". The Guardian . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
14. Karner, Charlotte (October 6, 2025). "Review: Taylor Swift misses stage marks in 'The Life of a Showgirl'". The Daily Texan . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
15. Willman, Chris (October 2, 2025). "With 'The Life of a Showgirl,' Taylor Swift Has Made Such a Contagiously Joyful Record, Even Her Score-Settling Detours Sound Sunny: Album Review". Variety . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
16. Mercado, Josh (October 6, 2025). "Music review: Taylor Swift's new album lacks 'showgirl' energy". ABS-CBN . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
17. Block, India (2025-10-03). "The Life of a Showgirl review: Penis metaphors from a poor little rich girl". The Standard. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
18. The Life of a Showgirl (booklet). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2025.
19. "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
20. "Taylor-Swift: Elizabeth Taylor" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
21. "Taylor Swift – Elizabeth Taylor" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
22. Trust, Gary (October 13, 2025). "Taylor Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts". Billboard . Retrieved October 14, 2025.
23. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
24. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 41 (dal 03.10.2025 al 09.10.2025)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved October 11, 2025.
25. "2025 41-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 10, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
26. "Taylor Swift – Elizabeth Taylor" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
27. "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. October 10, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
28. "Singel 2025 uke 41". IFPI Norge . Retrieved October 10, 2025.
29. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 41" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved October 11, 2025.
30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
31. Trust, Gary (October 13, 2025). "Taylor Swift Takes Top 12 Spots on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'The Fate of Ophelia'". Billboard . Retrieved October 14, 2025.