need to know
- Taylor Swift Confirmed succession Fans tell how the show inspired her song 'Father Figure'
- “I keep thinking about that scene. I just think it's one of the coolest scenes ever,” she said of a specific part from Season 4
- showgirl life It's out now
Looks like Taylor Swift is a succession fan.
during the appearance The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonThe 14-time Grammy winner gave an in-depth look at several songs from her latest album, showgirl life.
Swift, 35, said the album's fourth song, “Father Figure,” was influenced by succession and the relationship between the cruel, fictional patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his children.
Taylor Swift and Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in October 2025.
Todd Owyoung/NBC Photo: Getty
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She played a verse and chorus from the song for the audience, who sang along, with an interlude of George Michael's 1987 song “Father Figure.”
“I paid the check before it kissed the mahogany / Said, 'They want to see you rise. They don't want you to rule' / I showed you all the tricks of the trade / All I ask is your loyalty… / My dear disciple,” Swift sings in the second verse.
“I'll be your father figure/I drink that brown wine/I could make a deal with the devil 'cause my dick is bigger,” the chorus goes. “This love is pure profit/Just walk into my office/They’ll know your name on the street/Leave it to me…”
“It's like, protégé mentor, and the relationship between the two, right?” Swift began. “The power dynamics and the idea that power could flip and someone could betray someone — it was very interesting to write.”
“It's written from the perspective of a mentor to a protégé,” she continued, before getting into pop culture inspiration for a scene from season four. succession.
“I've been thinking about that scene succession I kept thinking about that scene when Logan looked at his kids and said, “I love you, but you're not serious.” I just think it's one of the coolest scenes ever. “
Taylor Swift appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in October 2025.
Todd Owyoung/NBC Photo: Getty
She added that she wanted to write a “powerful” song that would have Logan telling his children that “you bite the hand that feeds you.” “You don't have the vernacular to do that,” she added.
“But in a lot of cases, I also do totally relate to the disciple perspective, right? Like, I connect with young people, like when I listen to this song, like, even though it's from a father figure perspective. That's why I love this song so much.”
Fallon, 51, noted that Swift “always finds a way” to get fans to react with, “Wait…did she just say that?” referring to an NSFW lyric about making a deal with the devil.
“This is entertainment,” Swift concluded.
Taylor Swift and Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in October 2025.
Todd Owyoung/NBC Photo: Getty
The estate of Michael, who died in 2016, responded to the inclusion a day before “Father Figure” was removed from shelves along with the rest of Swift's songs.
“When we heard the song, we had no hesitation in agreeing with this connection between two great artists, and we knew George would feel the same way,” they said in a letter shared on Instagram.
showgirl life Can be streamed.
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For more on Taylor Swift, read PEOPLE's newly updated special edition Taylor Swift A to Z: Showgirl Lifecome out now.