- 2017-12-10
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MUSIC
Sufjan Stevens Premieres New Song “Tonya Harding”
American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens premiered a new song "Tonya Harding". Originally, he wrote the new song for American biographical sports film "I, Tonya", directed by Steven Rogers, starring Margot Robbie as figure skater Tonya Hardin. But Steven Rogers didn't use his song on the film.
However, Sufjan Stevens provieded a few songs for a romantic coming-of-age drama film "Call Me by Your Name" directed by Luca Guadagnino in 2017. He performed "Mystery of Love", "Futile Devices", "Visions of Gideon" and "John My Beloved" on the soundtrack.
About Tonya Harding, Sufjan Stevens said;
“Tonya Harding's dramatic rise and fall was fiercely followed by the media, and she very quickly became the brunt of jokes, the subject of tabloid headlines and public outcry. She was a reality TV star before such a thing even existed. But she was also simply un-categorical: America's sweetheart with a dark twist. But I believe this is what made her so interesting, and a true American hero. In the face of outrage and defeat, Tonya bolstered shameless resolve and succeeded again and again with all manners of re-invention and self-determination. Tonya shines bright in the pantheon of American history simply because she never stopped trying her hardest. She fought classism, sexism, physical abuse and public rebuke to become an incomparable American legend.- He continued;
"I admit, early drafts of this song contained more than a few puns, punch lines and light-hearted jabs — sex tapes and celebrity boxing make for an entertaining narrative arc. 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.”
Tonya Harding was the 1991 U.S. champion and 1991 World Championship silver medallist, as well as a two-time Olympian and a two-time Skate America Champion. She was the first woman to successfully execute two triple Axels in a single competition, and the first to complete a triple Axel in combination with a double toe loop.
In 1994 she was banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association after pleading guilty to hindering the prosecution following the attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan. - source : Vox