The estate of the late pop icon George Michael has issued a statement thanking Taylor Swift for incorporating one of his classic songs into her new album.
Swift’s much-anticipated 12th studio record, The Life of a Showgirl, is set to be released tomorrow, October 3.
It includes a song titled “Father Figure” which features an interpolation of Michael’s 1987 hit of the same name.
In a statement posted to Michael’s official Instagram account, his estate said: “We were delighted when Taylor Swift and her team approached us earlier this year about incorporating an interpolation of George Michael’s classic song ‘Father Figure’ into a brand new song of the same title to be featured on her forthcoming album.
“When we heard the track we had no hesitation in agreeing to this association between two great artists and we know George would have felt the same. George Michael Entertainment wishes Taylor every success with The Life of a Showgirl and ‘Father Figure’.”
Because of the nature of the interpolation, Michael is credited as a co-writer of Swift’s “Father Figure”, along with Swift herself and producers Max Martin and Shellback.
Michael’s “Father Figure” reached number 11 on the UK charts when it was released in December 1987, and topped the charts in the United States the following January. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1989 and has remained one of the singer’s best-loved songs.
Michael, who made his name as a member of Wham! before an acclaimed solo career, died of natural causes in 2016 at the age of 53.
Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl is expected to top international charts upon its release. Her last record, 2024’s Grammy-nominated The Tortured Poets Department, shattered a number of industry records within hours of its release.
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Her new record comes after Swift announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and in the wake of her buying back the rights to master recordings of her first six albums.
She is making a number of rare TV and radio appearances to promote the record, including The Graham Norton Show on the BBC on Friday night, as well as on Capital and Heart’s breakfast radio shows earlier that same day.
Friday evening will also mark the launch of The Official Release Party of a Showgirl in cinemas, which will feature the world premiere of the music video for the single “The Fate of Ophelia”, along with behind-the-scenes footage and lyric videos.
Follow updates about the release of The Life of a Showgirl here.
