Hours after Taylor Swift brought her claws out in a fight over her early hits, fans were gifted on Friday with “Beautiful Ghosts.”
Swift penned the lyrics and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music for her contribution to the soundtrack of the Cats movie, which leaps into cinemas on Dec. 20. The pop star plays Bombalurina in the big screen adaptation of the 1981 stage musical.
"There was an ambition and an aspiration to have an original song in the movie,” Swift explained in a video recently. “Just very much this understanding of like, ‘Let’s write the best song we can.’”
The song is performed by Francesca Hayward in the film and then reprised by Judi Dench. Swift sings her version during the end credits.
“Beautiful Ghosts” could score Swift some nominations during awards season because it will be eligible for Best Song at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Swift has never been nominated for an Oscar but was up for Globes in 2013 (for “Safe & Sound” from The Hunger Games) and in 2014 (for “Sweeter than Fiction” from One Chance).
Webber won an Oscar and Golden Globe in 1997 for “You Must Love Me” from Evita starring Madonna and was nominated in 1973 and 2004.
Cats also stars singers Jennifer Hudson and Jason Derulo.
Listen to "Beautiful Ghosts" below: