Taylor Swift’s re-release of her 2012 albumRedincludes emotional new tributes to Ronan Thompson, whose death from cancer days before his 4th birthday inspired the ballad named after him.
“This is how I’ll be all day. I just listened AND watched Ronan, Taylor’s version. I couldn’t tell you about the music video until now,“saidMaya alongside a tearful selfie. “It is beyond perfection and I can’t wait for you all to see it. @taylorswift13 You are one of the greatest loves of my life. TY for loving him.”
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Reacting to the lyric video, Mayawrote, “Forever ours, thanks to @taylorswift13. I am sobbing. It is so painstakingly perfect.”
The end of the video reads, “For more information on pediatric cancer, pleasevisit the Ronan Thompson Foundation.”
Back in July, Maya revealed in a blog post that Swift, 31, asked herpermission to include the song on this updated album. “Ronan” was originally a charitable standalone single, which Swiftperformed at the 2012 Stand Up to Cancer telethon. The song grabbed direct quotes from Maya’s blog and was written from the grieving mother’s perspective,according toBillboard, and she got a co-writing credit.
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In the email, a partial version of which Maya shared, Swift reportedly penned, “I’ve recently completed the re-recording of my 4th album,Red. It’s really exceeded my expectations in so many ways, and one of those ways is that I thought it would be appropriate to add ‘Ronan’ to this album.”
“Redwas an album of heartbreak and healing, of rage and rawness, of tragedy and trauma, and of the loss of an imagined future alongside someone,” Swift said at the time, according to Thompson. “I wrote ‘Ronan’ while I was makingRedand discovered your story as you so honestly and devastatingly told it.”
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The pop star continued, “My genuine hope is that you’ll agree with me that this song should be included on this album. As my co-writer and the rightful owner of this story in its entirety, your opinion and approval of this idea really matters to me, and I’ll honor your wishes here.”
Ronan’s mother “of course” gave Swift permission to include the song on the upcoming album, she wrote in her blog post: “I tried my best to articulate how much this meant to me through my tears, but there are not enough words in the English language that will ever be able to appropriately convey my feelings about this.”
Her blog post was addressed to her late son.
“Taylor has anchored you to this world so you will never be lost, and now she has ensured you will forever be safe in a new, permanent home,” Maya wrote. “She is once again going to give a voice to the often voiceless, the bereaved parents of the world.”
source: people.com
