generic Katy Perry Calls Elizabeth Taylor the ‘First True Influencer’ in New Podcast
Katy Perry is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth — no, not that one. On Thursday (Sept. 15), the 37-year-old pop star uploaded to Spotify a two-minute sneak peek of her new podcast series Elizabeth the First, in which she’ll examine the life and social power of the woman she regards as the O.G. influencer: Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor.
Narrated by Perry and produced in partnership between her company, Kitty Purry Productions, and Taylor’s legacy brand House of Taylor, Elizabeth the First will emphasize how people once looked to the Cleopatra star for fashion, lifestyle and political cues — long before there were such things as Instagram models and YouTube personalities.
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“There is a woman who went the distance, who went beyond the dazzle, who broke ground as the first true influencer by living a remarkable life,” the “Firework” singer says in the teaser. “She had power, real power, and longevity, influencing generations. Her name? Elizabeth Taylor.”
According to a Spotify description, the podcast will span a total of 10 episodes and focus on how Taylor “defined the meaning of influence and transformed its power.” One key topic of examination — and perhaps the greatest example of how the Little Women actress used her social capital for good — will be her devotion to raising awareness and support for victims of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
In addition to exclusive audio clips curated from the House of Taylor archives, the podcast will feature stories about Taylor told by people who were closest to her, according to Variety. Perry will cover topics including the activist’s fight against the male-dominated film industry, her historic salary negotiations that eventually made her the highest paid actress in the world at one time, and her unprecedented transparency when speaking about her struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse.
“Like most people, I was attracted to her glamour. And in my own life, I continue to find myself referencing her through some of my visuals,” Perry said in a statement shared with Variety. “I’m inspired by her bold activism, her constant boss moves in business, and through it all, an unapologetic way of loving — all things I try to live in my own life. It’s an honor to be able to share her story in this way.”
At the end of the podcast’s teaser, an audio clip of Taylor, who in 1991 established the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation, is played in which she answers a young girl who asks how she can make people suffering from AIDS feel better. “Love them,” she says. “Put your arms around them. Kiss them. Make them feel real and warm — loved.”
Listen to the teaser for Katy Perry’s new podcast Elizabeth the First — premiering Oct. 3 — below:
