“Father Figure” is the track on Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl that interpolates George Michael’s 1987 song of the same name. The interpolation gives Michael an additional songwriting credit on Swift’s track.
An interpolation reuses or adapts musical or lyrical material from an earlier composition without necessarily using the original sound recording. In this case, Swift’s album track draws on George Michael’s “Father Figure,” released in 1987, so the connection is a songwriting reference rather than a featured vocal performance.
The title can cause confusion because both songs are called “Father Figure.” George Michael recorded the original, while Taylor Swift’s version appears as track four on The Life of a Showgirl. Max Martin, Shellback, and Swift are credited across the album’s songs, with Michael additionally credited on this track because of the interpolation.