Overview

• The Life of a Showgirl arrived on Oct. 3 with “Father Figure” as track four, crediting George Michael alongside Taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback.
• George Michael Entertainment said it had “no hesitation” approving the interpolation and publicly thanked Swift for including Michael’s work.
• Coverage clarifies Swift used an interpolation rather than a sample, meaning she re-recorded elements of the composition with the approval of the rights holder.
• Reporters note the new song borrows melody and chorus elements from Michael’s 1987 hit, which is why Michael receives a co-writing credit.
• Early analyses interpret Swift’s lyrics as reframing the ‘father figure’ motif into a story about industry power and betrayal, with some commentary linking the narrative to former label boss Scott Borchetta.