The second song on ’s twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, bears the name of
It is hardly surprising that a prominent pop icon would allude to one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors. This isn’t her initial reference to the film legend either. Entertainment Weekly that her popular song “Ready for It?” includes the line “Burton to this Taylor,” which points to Richard Burton, one of the actor’s notable romantic partners.
Swift references Taylor once more in “Elizabeth Taylor,” a track seemingly dedicated to her fiancé , where she queries, “Do you think it’s forever?”
“That view of Portofino was on my mind when you called me at the Plaza Athénée,” Swift vocalizes. Portofino occupied a significant spot in Taylor’s affections—Burton to her there.
Taylor’s presence resonates throughout the track. Swift expresses that should her romance conclude, “I’d cry my eyes violet,” a well-known description of the actress’s eyes. Subsequently, Swift solidifies her devotion by alluding to Taylor’s fragrance, White Diamonds.
“All my white diamonds and lovers are forever,” Swift croons. “Don’t you ever end up anything but mine.”
Elizabeth Taylor, whose career commenced as a child performer, secured an Academy Award in 1961 for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Butterfield 8, followed by another in 1967 for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
“She typically portrayed women characterized by common sense and extraordinary passion,” stated Richard Corliss, TIME’s former film critic, in her 2011 . “Within each part, she identified the genesis for a creative exploration at the intersection of modern femininity, or proto-feminism, and enduring star power.”
She graced the cover of TIME magazine in 1949, at a time when she was MGM studio’s foremost star. In the accompanying profile, she disclosed her desire to step away from portraying glamorous figures: “When Elizabeth discusses her cinematic future, her eyes emit sapphire glints. ‘What I’d genuinely enjoy playing,’ she exclaims enthusiastically, ‘is a monster — a hellion.’”
Beyond her screen roles, her personal life was turbulent, marked by eight marriages and seven divorces. In her philanthropic endeavors, she co-founded the American Foundation for and generated approximately $100 million for individuals suffering from various ailments. Despite these challenges, she retained her charm. As Corliss observed in her obituary, “She persisted as a dedicated advocate through numerous health struggles: skin cancer, a (benign) brain tumor, and injuries to her hips and back. ‘I move around now in a wheelchair,’ she remarked in 2005, ‘but I do get around.’ The distinguished lady was also a spirited individual.”
