St. Vincent, Yoshiki Release Classical Version of ‘New York’

St. Vincent has partnered with classical composer Yoshiki for a new version of her song “New York,” first released in 2017 for the album Masseduction.

This reimagined version features Yoshiki’s beautiful string arrangement backing Annie Clark’s voice as she mourns the loss of a relationship in Manhattan: “I have lost a hero/I have lost a friend/But for you, darling/I’d do it all again.”

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

Yoshiki added: “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.”