Taylor Swift and Ice Spice Double on ‘Karma’ — and, Hallelujah, We Can Hear Lana Del Rey on ‘Snow on the Beach’ Now – Variety

With Del Rey not only cranked up louder in the ‘Snow’ mix but contributing a new lead vocal, what originally seemed like a ghost feature has manifested itself satisfyingly in the flesh.

Taylor Swift lived up to her self-proclaimed “Mastermind” status with the Thursday night/Friday morning release of new versions of two “Midnights” songs. In one, she spices up “Karma” with a brand new verse from arguably the hottest rapper around, Ice Spice. In the other, bluntly captioned “(Featuring More Lana Del Rey)”, Swift practically cedes the aural limelight to guest artist who was previously inaudible on the track, Lana Del Rey.

Ice Spice makes a few interjections here and there in Swift’s lines in “Karma” – she adds an affirmative “Facts”! after Swift sings, “Karma takes all my friends to the top” — and she also gets the first and last words of that remix (“Karma is that girl, like” and a “Karma’s gonna hold you down” ending). Most of the time, though, she’s treated to an all-new second verse, with lyrics like, “Karma is your checks by the bounce / Karma is the fire in your house / And she’s about to appear at unexpectedly.”

It’s hard to top these two for a dynamic duo in May 2023, but “Midnights” aficionados will have just as much interest in the simultaneous release of “Snow on the Beach (More Lana Del Rey Version).” Is this the ultimate example of after-sales service…or is this just top-notch customer service? Fans complained that they couldn’t hear Del Rey’s vocals on the original “Snow,” despite featured billing for the star who co-wrote it with Swift. It wasn’t just about boosting a channel in the audio – maybe there was never really much of Del Rey on tape, judging by the reveal that Del Rey returned to the studio. to mute new vocals for the song.

Now, if anything, Del Rey’s voice might be more important than Swift’s. The balance, in any case, is finely tuned enough to tickle the ears, as you anticipate who will sing alone, or louder, or in equal balance at any point in the song. If you’re a fan of both artists, it’s frankly a much more satisfying release, now that what seemed like a ghost feature has finally manifested itself in the flesh.

These are two of the three tracks that were added to “Midnights (3 am Edition)” to turn it into “Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition)” – yes, it’s a deluxe edition of a deluxe edition, which now comes to 23 of the tracks.

The third additional track isn’t new to many Swift fans: it’s “Hits Different,” which was previously an exclusive bonus track on the Target-exclusive “Midnights” CD. This is his first release on DSPs.

The biggest reveal is yet to come on Friday when Swift releases a physical version of ‘Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition)’ which includes a song that has never been released before or even known to exist in any form. : “You’re losing me. It’s the first time Swift has added what she calls a “Vault Track” to an album that isn’t a re-recording of one of her Big Machine releases. And given fan interest in her changing personal status in recent months, the title makes sure the lyrics will be quickly skimmed through for clues as to why her long-term relationship with Joe Alwyn took hold. end, although it could still turn out to be one of the great red herrings of the year.

The bad news for fans not already in or near New Jersey is that this CD version will only be available at the sales booths for his shows at East Rutherford Stadium. That’s what Swift announced on social media, even noting the opening time for this merchandising – 12:30 p.m. ET – ensuring thousands of fans will start showing up to shows and looking for the end of the line. The morning. There may be plans for a later distribution of the CD, but if so, Swift hasn’t mentioned it yet.

The race will be on, inevitably, to see which fan can buy the CD, return to the car and burn it and upload it to the rest of Swift’s waiting audience via a hotspot, however illicit that may be.

As for the universally available digital version without “You’re Losing Me,” it’s sure to give “Midnights” a huge boost for streaming and sales, with the album already at No. this week a week before such bonuses are known. Her reasons for releasing this deluxe-deluxe version can be boiled down to just one factor: she wants to save everyone that Morgan Wallen’s latest album enjoys a historic 13th week at No. 1, which it probably would have had it not been for Swift’s unexpected intervention. Only one of these two has ownership over the number 13.