(August 14, 2025). Djrobblog is calling it now—Taylor Swift’s newly announced 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, could be her best yet. And here are two reasons.
First, it’s just 12 tracks long. In an era where albums balloon to 25 to 30 (or more) songs to game streaming numbers, Taylor’s keeping it lean this time—presumably including the crème de la crème from likely dozens she recorded. Even better, she’s promised no surprise deluxe edition that makes Day-1 buyers feel duped, a rollout misstep that marred The Tortured Poets Department in 2024.
Second—and here’s the big one—Track No. 4 is a remake of George Michael’s 1988 No. 1 hit “Father Figure.” That’s right, the same brooding, synth-soaked ballad that gave late-’80s pop one of its most memorable classics. For this ’80s kid, the idea of hearing Taylor’s spin on Michael’s paternal plea is already worth the price of admission. But if it goes all the way to No. 1–a distinct possibility—she could pull off something no one’s done in more than two decades: it would become the first remake of a No. 1 hit to also reach No. 1 in more than 24 years.
The last time it happened was in 2001 when Christina Aguilera (with Mya, P!nk, and Lil Kim) topped the chart with a remake of “Lady Marmalade,” which was originally a No. 1 hit for Patti LaBelle’s self-named trio LaBelle in 1975.
The “Father Figure” double-No. 1 would make it the tenth time in Hot 100 history a song had become a No. 1 hit for multiple artists and the first time an ‘80s original joins the list. All nine of the previous No. 1 covers involved tunes that first topped the chart in 1975 or earlier.
Here are the first nine instances:
- “Go Away Little Girl” – Steve Lawrence (1963) and Donny Osmond (1971)
- “The Loco-Motion” – Little Eva (1962) and Grand Funk (1974)
- “Please Mr. Postman” – The Marvelettes (1961) and The Carpenters (1975)
- “Venus” – Shocking Blue (1970) and Bananarama (1986)
- “Lean on Me” – Bill Withers (1972) and Club Nouveau (1987)
- “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – The Supremes (1966) and Kim Wilde (1987)
- “When a Man Loves a Woman” – Percy Sledge (1966) and Michael Bolton (1991)
- “I’ll Be There” – The Jackson 5 (1970) and Mariah Carey (1992)
- “Lady Marmalade” – Labelle (1975) and Christina Aguilera / Lil’ Kim / Mýa / Pink (2001)
As readers can see from the above list, if Taylor’s version of “Father Figure” were to reach No. 1, it would also mark the longest time between two artists topping the chart with the same tune. George first topped the Hot 100 with it in February 1988, more than 37 years ago. The current longest gap between double No. 1s is the 26-year-span between the LaBelle and Aguilera versions of “Lady Marmalade.”
The prospect of hearing Taylor’s twist on the most outwardly paternalistic pop song ever to hit No. 1 is in itself intriguing, particularly given Swift’s own history with the domineering men in her professional life, including Scooter Braun, the guy from whom she was famously freed twice (first by re-recording most of her earlier albums after he’d famously purchased the rights to the original masters, and then by ultimately buying back those rights earlier this year), and arch-nemesis Kanye West, whose 16-year “association” with the “Karma” singer is legendary, and about whom this new album has been wildly speculated to have been recorded.
Conversely, George’s original “Father Figure” portrayed a protagonist’s desire to reconcile his lover’s daddy issues. Think of the song’s first chorus while the British superstar ad libbed these words: “Oh baby, I’d love to…be your Daddy…it would make me…very happy…please let me.”
Taylor is sure to alter the 38-year-old tune’s lyrics — even if only slightly — to suit her circumstances, akin to last year’s “Jolene,” which Beyoncé famously transformed from Dolly Parton’s wistful 1974 plea to a more self-assured warning, 2024-style.
While we all wait to see what Taylor will do with George’s 1987 gem, one thing’s certain: whether Swift’s ‘Father Figure’ becomes history’s tenth double-No. 1 or just a fascinating “what if,” Taylor knows exactly how to keep us all watching the scoreboard.
Aug. 15 Update: Sources are now saying the new song isn’t a straight remake but an interpolation of George’s original song, which means it would likely not qualify as a No. 1 remake of a No. 1 song unless there is significant use of the song’s original lyrics and melody. We will have to wait and see just how much “Father Figure” Taylor’s new song has in it.
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
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