When Taylor Swift first released her Midnights track, “Snow on the Beach,” fans were confused. The song featured Lana Del Rey, but the singer was barely heard throughout the track.
Swift listened to her fans and soon released an updated version in May titled, “Snow on the Beach (Feat. More Lana Del Rey).” The track highlights Del Rey more, as she sings the entire second verse. In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar shared on Tuesday (Nov. 21), Del Rey explains that she actually had a huge role in the first iteration of the song.
“That was actually the song Taylor wanted me to sing on. If I think someone’s song is perfect, I will act as a producer in it,” she explained. “I can mimic almost anyone, so I am all over the first version of ‘Snow on the Beach.’ I layer and match her vocals perfectly, so you would never even know that I was completely all over that first song. She wanted me to sing the whole thing, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The original version of “Snow on the Beach” became Del Rey’s highest charting song on the all genre Billboard Hot 100 to date — following the release of Midnights in November, the track debuted and peaked at No. 4 on the chart, where it spent a total of six weeks on the all genre tally. In a previous interview with Billboard, Del Rey that she wasn’t aware she should have added more to “Snow on the Beach.”
“I had no idea I was the only feature [on that song]. Had I known, I would have sung the entire second verse like she wanted. My job as a feature on a big artist’s album is to make sure I help add to the production of the song, so I was more focused on the production,” she said. “She was very adamant that she wanted me to be on the album, and I really liked that song. I thought it was nice to be able to bridge that world, since Jack [Antonoff] and I work together and so do Jack and Taylor.”
Elsewhere in the Harper’s Bazaar interview, Del Rey gushed over having the same tattoo as Adele — the word “paradise” written on the side of their hands. “I think we must have been on the same wavelength,” Del Rey said. “That’s actually a cool little connection. I like that. That’s amazing.”
Watch the full interview below.