George Michael Estate Praises Taylor Swift’s ‘Father Figure’

As Taylor Swift launches her showgirl era, she’s paying tribute to another great musician also known for pushing boundaries in his career.

George Michael‘s estate recently teased Swift’s update of the late artist’s 1987 hit ‘Father Figure’ as “such a special moment,” appearing on the 14x Grammy-winning artist’s upcoming 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl, which debuts Friday.

“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,” George Michael Entertainment shared in a statement on Facebook.

“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,” the estate continued. “George Michel Entertainment wishes Taylor every success with The Life of a Showgirl and ‘Father Figure’.”

In August, Swift announced The Life of a Showgirl as her next album. Deadline later exclusively reported that AMC had secured an Oct. 3-5 release for the album’s accompanying film of the same name.

Michael died at age 53 on Christmas morning in 2016 of natural causes, suffering from an enlarged heart and fatty liver disease.