With this album, Swift is proving her knack for merging past and present influences to craft her own narrative.

On the eve of the release of her 12th album, Taylor Swift received a thank-you note from George Michael’s estate for including his work in her version of “Father Figure.”

“Thank you for appreciating that the album cover is a reference to the famous Ophelia painting, which then ends up being referenced in the music video,” Swift said, teasing the visual for the album’s ...