Sufjan Stevens just released a song about 'American star' Tonya Harding

Tonya Harding might seem an unlikely muse for Sufjan Stevens.

But on Wednesday, ahead of I, Tonya's Friday film release, the singer shared a new song about the Olympic figure skater and her rocky experience in the spotlight.

Though one might assume Stevens' interest in Harding coincides with news surrounding her upcoming biopic, Stevens writes in a blog post that his desire to pen a song about the athlete dates back to 1991 when Stevens first saw her skate.

And though Stevens says previous versions of "Tonya Harding" contained more "light-hearted jabs," the final version – the one he shared Wednesday – is something softer. Sample lyrics: "May God bless you with incense/You're my shining American star."

From Stevens' blog post:

"But the more I edited, and the more I meditated, and the more I considered the wholeness of the person of Tonya Harding, I began to feel a conviction to write something with dignity and grace, to pull back the ridiculous tabloid fodder and take stock of the real story of this strange and magnificent America hero. At the end of the day, Tonya Harding was just an ordinary woman with extraordinary talent and a tireless work ethic who set out to do her very best. She did that and more. I hope the same can be said of us all."

Read the lyrics in full on YouTube.

[H/T: Jezebel]