Sufjan Stevens song previously shared with only one fan to be released

'Lonely Man of Winter' was shared with one fan in 2007 as part of a contest

Musician Sufjan Stevens performs onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on 4 March, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)

A mysterious Sufjan Stevens song previously shared with one fan only will finally be released to the public.

"Lonely Man of Winter" dates back to 2007, when Stevens gifted it to Alec Duffy as part of a Christmas contest.

Per the terms of Stevens's Xmas Song Xchange Contest, the rights to the song went to Duffy.

The fan, meanwhile, gave Stevens the right to an original tune he had written himself.

Duffy has held listening parties to enable other fans to enjoy "Lonely Man of Winter", but the song has never been shared publicly.

That is about to change, NME reported.

The mystery song is set to be released to the public this Friday, on 9 November, 2018.

All fans will be able to hear the original tune, as well as a revamped version.

The song with which Duffy won the contest 11 years ago, titled "Every Day Is Christmas", will be released too.

On 7 December, a vinyl of the songs will go for sale to support JACK, a nonprofit performance venue located in Brooklyn and co-founded by Duffy.