Music Friday: White Diamonds Shine Bright in Taylor Swift's 'Elizabeth Taylor'

Welcome to Music Friday, when we feature songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Taylor Swift draws dazzling parallels between herself and one of Hollywood’s most glamorous legends in her 2026 hit “Elizabeth Taylor.”

Released as the third single from The Life of a Showgirl, “Elizabeth Taylor” climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 while captivating fans with its references to fame, romance and, of course, diamonds.

At the heart of the song is one especially glittering lyric: “All my white diamonds and lovers are forever.”

The line works on multiple levels. First, it reflects the shared love of diamonds that linked both Swift and the iconic actress. Elizabeth Taylor famously amassed one of the world’s most celebrated private jewelry collections, while Swift has built a modern image closely associated with vintage-inspired diamond glamour.

But the phrase “white diamonds” is also a clever nod to Taylor’s wildly successful 1991 fragrance, "White Diamonds," which became one of the best-selling celebrity perfumes of all time and generated more than $1.5 billion in sales. More than three decades after its debut, the fragrance remains available worldwide, making it one of the most enduring celebrity luxury brands ever created.

In the song, Swift uses diamonds as symbols of permanence, beauty and public fascination. The lyric suggests that both love affairs and glittering treasures can become part of a celebrity’s lasting legacy — even when those relationships unfold under intense media scrutiny.

Few stars embodied diamond glamour more completely than Elizabeth Taylor. Her legendary collection included the 69.42-carat pear-shaped Taylor-Burton Diamond, gifted by actor Richard Burton, as well as the famed 33.19-carat Krupp Diamond, which she wore almost daily. Taylor’s passion for extraordinary gems became so renowned that she authored the 2002 book Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, detailing the stories behind many of her most treasured pieces.

Swift, meanwhile, has developed her own affinity for statement diamonds. Her much-discussed engagement ring from NFL superstar Travis Kelce reportedly features a massive old mine-cut natural diamond set in yellow gold — a style celebrated for its antique romance and old-world craftsmanship.

The singer also frequently incorporates diamonds into her public image. She was decked out in diamonds for the cover art of The Life of a Showgirl and has become known for the opulent diamond earrings, necklaces and rings worn during major performances, award shows and red-carpet appearances.

In “Elizabeth Taylor,” those sparkling references become part of a larger story about two women navigating fame, romance and relentless public attention. Swift even alludes to Taylor’s famously violet eyes in another lyric, while weaving Cartier references and glamorous imagery throughout the song.

More than a half-century after Elizabeth Taylor defined Hollywood luxury, her diamonds — and the mystique surrounding them — continue to inspire a new generation of stars.

Please check out the audio track of Swift performing "Elizabeth Taylor." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"Elizabeth Taylor"
Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback. Performed by Taylor Swift.

Elizabeth Taylor
Do you think it's forever?

That view of Portofino was on my mind when you called me at the Plaza Athénée
Ooh-ooh, oftentimes it doesn't feel so glamorous to be me
All the right guys promised they'd stay
Under bright lights, they withered away
But you bloom
Portofino was on my mind (And I think you know why)

And if your letters ever said, "Goodbye"
I'd cry my eyes violet, Elizabeth Taylor
Tell me for real, do you think it's forever?
Been number one, but I never had two
And I can't have fun if I can't have…

Be my NY whеn Hollywood hates me
You're only as hot as your last hit, baby
Been numbеr one, but I never had two
And I can't have fun if I can't have… you

Hey, what could you possibly get for the girl who has everything and nothing all at once?
Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust (Just kidding)
We hit the best booth at Musso and Frank's
They say I'm bad news, I just say, "Thanks"
And you look at me like you're hypnotized, and I think you know why

And if you ever leave me high and dry
I'd cry my eyes violet, Elizabeth Taylor
Tell me for real, do you think it's forever?
Been number one, but I never had two
And I can't have fun if I can't have
Be my NY when Hollywood hates me
You're only as hot as your last hit, baby
Been number one, but I never had two
And I can't have fun if I can't have… Uh - you

Elizabeth Taylor
Do you think it's forever?
If I can't have you…

All my white diamonds and lovers are forever
In the papers, on the screen, and in their minds
All my white diamonds and lovers are forever
Don't you ever end up anything but mine

I'd cry my eyes violet, Elizabeth Taylor
Tell me for real, do you think it's forever?
Been number one, but I never had two
And I can't have fun if I can't have…
Be my NY when Hollywood hates me
You're only as hot as your last hit, baby
Been number one, but I never had two
And I can't have fun if I can't have…

All my white diamonds and lovers are forever
Elizabeth Taylor
Do you think it's forever?
In the papers, on the screen, and in their minds
All my white diamonds and lovers are forever
Don't you ever end up anything but mine, oh

Credit: Photo by Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.