St. Vincent and Yoshiki have teamed up to reimagine St. Vincent’s 2017 song, “New York.” St. Vincent invited the Japanese artist to join her on the track, admiring his use of classical-inspired arrangements.

“It was an honor to work with the amazing Yoshiki on this new version of ‘New York,'” St. Vincent said in a press statement. “Yoshiki’s arrangement added to the song in a the way time or distance transform longtime friends or relationships: the original is still recognizable, but subtly and significantly altered.”

“New York” takes on a more sweeping tone with its inclusion of Yoshiki, the strings and piano dancing over the track as St. Vincent sings about New York City. While the instruments were still found in the original, they take on an entire new sound and meaning with Yoshiki’s involvement. St. Vincent’s voice shines more thoroughly in the reimagined version, taking on a vibrant sound and becoming more crisp, along with each of the instruments.

“As an artist, I admire how St. Vincent approaches music in an innovative and courageous way,” Yoshiki said in a press statement. “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 ‘New York,’ it’s a great song to start with, and I’m grateful 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.”

Back in May, St. Vincent had delivered an acoustic version of the song during the BAM Virtual Gala live stream. St. Vincent has also given virtual performances of Led Zeppelin’s “Dancing Days” and “Stairway to Heaven” over the course of quarantine. St. Vincent had also performed a cover of Tool’s “Forty Six & 2” earlier this month.

Japanese artist Yoshiki had performed with Kiss several times last year, once in Tokyo and another time on New Year’s Eve. In 2018, Yoshiki appeared alongside Skrillex at Fuji Rock. In 2017, Yoshiki had to have an emergency cervical disk replacement surgery, with the issues being caused from his intense drumming style.

Photo credit: Owen Ela