Taylor Swift says TV drama Succession inspired her song Father Figure

Taylor Swift said the TV drama Succession inspired her song Father Figure.

The tune, the fourth on the singer's album The Life of a Showgirl, samples the 1987 song of the same name by George Michael. While she uses George's melody, Taylor has developed the number for her latest album, the most-streamed album of all time in a single day on Amazon Music.

Speaking on the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the 35-year-old star said she was influenced by the relationship between the ruthless, fictitious patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his children in Succession, a popular comedy-drama on HBO. Taylor said: "It's like, protégé-mentor, and the relationship between the two, right? And the power dynamics and idea that power could flip and somebody could betray somebody — that's so fun to write.

"I kept thinking about that scene in Succession when Logan looks at his kids and says, 'I love you but you are not serious people.' And I think about that scene constantly. I just think it's one of the coolest scenes ever."

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The musician, born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, played a verse and the chorus from the song for the audience on The Tonight Show, who sang along to the tune.

Referring to Succession again, Taylor said she wanted to write a song that "has that energy" of Logan telling his kids "you bit the hand that fed you." She added: "You do not possess the vernacular to be doing this.

"But I also really have completely related to the protégé perspective in so many of these situations, right? Like, I relate to the younger one, like when I'm listening to this song, like, even though its from the perspective of the father figure character. That's why I like this song so much."

Taylor has co-credited George, who died aged 53 in 2016. Representatives of his estate said this week they had "no hesitation" in granting permission for the interpolation, believing that the Careless Whisper icon would have "felt the same".

In an Instagram post, the estate shared: "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.'(sic)."