Representatives for George Michael's estate had "no hesitation" in authorising Taylor Swift to interpolate Father Figure in a new song.
On Friday morning, the music superstar released her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl.
The fourth track, Father Figure, interpolates late singer-songwriter George's 1987 single of the same name.
Reacting to the news, executors of the former Wham! star's estate issued a statement in which they confirmed Taylor sought permission to incorporate the track earlier this year.
"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," they commented. "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."
To conclude, reps for George Michael Entertainment insisted they wished Taylor "every success with The Life of a Showgirl and Father Figure".
In an accompanying Instagram post, they also thanked the Cruel Summer hitmaker for honouring the Careless Whisper icon.
"Thank you @taylorswift for including George in such a special moment. Father Figure (Taylor's Version) is out tomorrow," they wrote.
George died at the age of 53 in December 2016. His passing was attributed to natural causes related to heart disease and fatty liver disease.
