Highlights
- New music video for Elizabeth Taylor built entirely from archive footage of the late actress
- Taylor Swift does not appear in the visual release
- Clips drawn from films including Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Estate of Elizabeth Taylor approved use of imagery and receives royalties from streams
- Video arrives alongside ongoing trademark lawsuit involving Swift’s album title
Archival tribute built from Hollywood legacy
Taylor Swift has released a surprise music video for her track Elizabeth Taylor, constructed as an archive-based montage rather than a conventional performance visual.
The video features only footage of the late Hollywood actor Elizabeth Taylor, drawing from her film career and public appearances. Scenes include material from Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the cult film Boom!, alongside newsreel clips of Taylor being pursued by photographers.
Swift does not appear in the video. Instead, the release is structured as a continuous “supercut” of the actor’s screen work and media life, focusing on her status as one of the most photographed figures of the 20th century.
References to life, lyrics and inspiration
The song and visuals are closely tied to references from Elizabeth Taylor’s life story and screen legacy.
The lyrics open in Portofino, the Italian coastal town linked to Richard Burton’s proposal to Taylor, and where she spent several honeymoons. Another line, “I’ll cry my eyes violet”, references her famously distinctive eye colour. The song also includes a nod to one of her film titles through the phrase about what could be given to “the girl who has everything”.
Swift has previously described Taylor as one of her personal inspirations, saying she admired how the actor navigated fame, public scrutiny and a highly visible personal life while continuing to work in film.
She has also linked the song’s themes to her own experiences with fame and attention, describing parallels between their public lives.
- YouTube youtu.be
Estate approval and family response
The estate of Elizabeth Taylor granted permission for the use of her image and film material in the project.
Royalties generated from streaming the video will go to the actor’s estate, which manages her archive and supports the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Quinn Tivey, Taylor’s grandson, responded positively to the song’s release, saying the family appreciated the tribute and felt it reflected the actor’s personality and legacy. He described the work as capturing both the glamour and emotional complexity associated with her public life.
Elizabeth Taylor by Taylor Swift on Apple Music
Elizabeth Taylor by Taylor Swift on Apple Music music.apple.com
Music Video \xc2\xb7 2025 \xc2\xb7 Duration 3:48
Release strategy and legal backdrop
At the end of the video, credits list ©2024 Taylor Swift, suggesting the song was written during her Eras Tour schedule, which has already drawn attention from fans.
The release has initially been made exclusive to Spotify and Apple Music, with plans for a YouTube upload at a later stage. The decision has prompted industry discussion, with analysts linking it to changes in US chart eligibility rules.
The video arrives shortly after Swift was named in a trademark lawsuit filed in California. Writer Maren Wade, who publishes a column titled Confessions of a Showgirl, claims the album title The Life of a Showgirl has affected her own brand identity. Swift and her label Universal Music Group have not commented on the case
