Taylor Swift has unveiled a new music video paying homage to the legendary Hollywood star Dame Elizabeth Taylor - but it has been greeted with mixed reviews from fans.
The visual accompaniment for the US pop sensation’s song, which shares the late actress’s name, premiered on Apple Music and Spotify on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old singer does not feature in the video herself; instead, it comprises a curated collection of archive footage of Taylor, interspersed with clips from some of her most iconic films. These include the critically acclaimed Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966), alongside classics such as Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), Suddenly Last Summer (1959), and Cleopatra (1963), all set to Swift’s track.
Born in London, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 79, was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated movie stars, living much of her life under intense public scrutiny.
At one point, she held the title of the world’s highest-paid actress and was equally renowned for her tumultuous personal life, having been married eight times. Beyond her cinematic achievements, Taylor was a dedicated philanthropist, known for her activism and advocacy for humanitarian causes, particularly Aids research.
The video concludes with a special acknowledgement to the House of Taylor and the Elizabeth Taylor Trust, as well as the Todd and Wilding families.
Fans were left slightly lukewarm at Swift’s latest video for just being clips of the actor and nothing else.
“I’m disappointed in this video. Clipped together from Elizabeth Taylor movies. I was hoping for so much more,” wrote one fan.
“I love you, Taylor, for life, but you could have invested in another type of a music video,” said another.
Others were more enthusiastic, though. “This was the perfect video for this song & perfectly encapsulated the person the song was about. If Taylor was in it, portraying Elizabeth Taylor, it would have been weird & almost disrespectful?” said a fan.
“Taylor Swift paying tribute to the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor is just iconic. nobody expected this kind of a music video and y’all just have to stan honestly,” a second added.
The song itself is the latest in a series of Swift’s works that reference famous personalities, with lyrics alluding to the film star’s distinctive "violet eyes" and "white diamonds." Taylor was famed for her unique eye colour and extensive jewellery collection, which also inspired her popular perfume, White Diamonds.
In an interview on the Elvis Duran Show last year, Swift expressed her profound admiration for Taylor, describing her as "someone that I’ve looked up to" and hailing her as a "very glamorous, very beloved" figure. The chart-topping artist previously disclosed that the inspiration for the track stemmed from a conversation with her fiancé, American football player Travis Kelce.
Swift has referenced Taylor in her music before, notably acknowledging the actress’s famous relationship with Welsh actor Richard Burton in her track “…Ready For It?”
“Elizabeth Taylor” marks the third single from Swift’s record-breaking album, The Life Of A Showgirl, which was released on 3 October last year. The video is currently available on Spotify and Apple Music, with a YouTube release scheduled for Thursday.
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