St. Vincent has been keen to re-imagine tracks from her latest album, 2017’s Masseduction. She dropped a remix album last year, and now she has linked up with X Japan’s Yoshiki for a new version of “New York,” which adds a distinct classical flair to the track.
St. Vincent said of the rework, “It was an honor to work with the amazing Yoshiki on this new version of ‘New York.’ Yoshiki’s arrangement added to the song in the way time or distance transform longtime friends or relationships: the original is still recognizable, but subtly and significantly altered.”
Yoshiki also noted, “As an artist, I admire how St. Vincent approaches music in an innovative and courageous way. Her music breaks the boundaries of genres, which is a mindset I can completely relate to. My band X Japan played the Coachella Festival in 2018 at the same time that St. Vincent performed, but at that time we didn’t meet. But this year, through mutual friends, we were introduced. In terms of ‘New York,’ it’s a great song to start with, and I’m grateful that she trusted me to fully rearrange the song with my classical approach. I hope St. Vincent’s fans enjoy it, and that my fans will too.”
Listen to the new version of “New York” above.