Taylor Swift shared in an interview how a drive with her fiancé Travis Kelce sparked her song 'Elizabeth Taylor' from the album The Life of a Showgirl. She recounted passionately discussing Elizabeth Taylor's life during the ride, leading to an sudden melody. Swift described this spontaneous process as typical for her songwriting.
In a recent interview with The New York Times Magazine, Taylor Swift explained the origins of 'Elizabeth Taylor,' a track from her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl. Riding in the car with Travis Kelce, Swift delved into her admiration for the late actress. 'She fought for artist rights. She was exploited in so many ways, and yet she kept her humanity, she kept her humor, she kept her passion for life,' Swift said. She debated the color of Taylor's eyes, insisting they were violet, not blue. Upon arriving home, a melody struck: 'I cry my eyes violet, Elizabeth Taylor.' Swift quickly opened her phone's voice memo app to capture it. This 'intrusive melody' exemplifies how most of her songs emerge, Swift noted. 'It floats down like a cloud in front of you, and all you have to do is grab it, and the song transpires from there,' she said. Swift also discussed 'All Too Well (10 Minute Version),' tracing it to an emotional rant captured during a Speak Now tour sound check in 2012 for the Red album. For the re-recorded Taylor's Version, she pieced it together from diaries after losing the original recording. She praised songwriter Sombr for his confessional lyrics, saying they advance opportunities for women artists. Criticism has fueled hits like 'Blank Space,' Swift added, advising new artists: 'Don’t respond to like trolls in your comments. That’s not what we want from you. We want your art.'