Taylor Swift fans are getting a special treat this week as the singer released a re-recorded version of her 2012 album Red (Taylor's Version) that features one of her most heartbreaking songs: "Ronan."
This song tells the story of Ronan Thompson, a four-year-old who passed away from neuroblastoma in 2011. The boy's mother, Maya Thompson, wrote about his experience on her blog Rockstar Ronan throughout his fight against cancer.
It was the blog that inspired Swift to write the song in 2012. She co-wrote the track with Thompson, and it's an iTunes-exclusive charity single.
The song was originally recorded and released in September 2012 for Stand Up to Cancer, with all proceeds going to help fight cancer. Big Machine Records, Taylor's first record label, only released it on iTunes that year, but the song has since become a popular download worldwide.
Despite the popularity of this song, Taylor Swift never included it on her latest studio album Red. It was only re-released on November 12 as the 21st track of Red (Taylor's Version).
When Swift re-recorded the song, she asked for Thompson's blessing to include it on her newest record. She also credited the blog as inspiration for the lyrics of the song.
This isn't the first time Swift has re-recorded a song for her fans. In fact, her re-release of "Shake It Off" was very popular among fans.
This is a testament to the way that Taylor Swift's songs always connect with her fans on a personal level. Whether it's her song "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" about her late friend Jeff Lang, or her ballad "Shake It Off" about her relationship with Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift knows how to write the perfect song for every single one of her fans.