On Oct. 21, Taylor Swift released her new album Midnights, and one song, “Snow on the Beach,” features Lana Del Rey. While Swift hyped up the collaboration leading up to the release of Midnights, some fans of Swift and music listeners remained pessimistic over Del Rey’s involvement. Once Midnights dropped, it was revealed that some fans’ pessimism was well-placed, and Del Rey did not have a verse in the song.
(L-R) Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift | Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Taylor Swift promoted the collaboration with Lana Del Rey
On Oct. 11, Swift revealed that “Snow on the Beach” featured Del Rey, and the singer released an Instagram video giving more details about the song.
“… I am such a massive fan of Lana Del Rey. More on that later. ‘Snow on the Beach’ the song is about falling in love with someone at the same time as they’re falling in love with you,” Swift shared on Instagram.
The singer-songwriter continued, “Lana Del Rey in my opinion is one of the best musical artists ever. The fact that I get to exist at the same time as her is an honor and a privilege. And the fact that she would be so generous as to collaborate with us on this song is something I’m going to be grateful for for life.”
Lana Del Rey only provided vocals for ‘Snow on the Beach’
When Swift announced “Snow on the Beach,” anticipation was formed around the song, though some fans exercised caution.
In the past, Swift’s much-hyped collaborations, particularly ones that feature women, have resulted in the featured artist being relegated to background vocals. Because of this, female artists not having a verse when featured in Swift’s music has become a running theme of criticism about Swift.
In “Snow on the Beach,” Del Rey does not have her own verse, and instead provides harmonies and background vocals throughout the song.
“not Lana getting the Colbie Caillat/HAIM/The Chicks/Maren Moriss treatment lol,” a Reddit user wrote.
“What a waste of a Lana feature,” another Reddit user wrote.
One Reddit user wrote, “I barely heard any Lana on Snow on the Beach. Taylor’s refusal to share the spotlight with other female artists is a stain on her career.”
While some fans expressed how much they thought Del Rey should have had a verse in “Snow on the Beach,” other music lovers thought Del Rey’s vocals were a great addition to the song.
“You can hear Lana in the background throughout the song, I think she utilized her pretty well. I actually like that she’s just in the background too it adds a layer that I can’t really explain,” another Reddit user wrote.
Taylor Swift’s collaboration history
While Swift is known for being generous with songwriting and production credits, her collaboration history is a bit rockier.
Phoebe Bridgers is the only female artist to have a verse of her own on one of Swift’s songs from when the two collaborated on “Nothing New” from the 2021 album Red (Taylor’s Version). Meanwhile, artists like Colbie Caillat, Maren Morris, Haim, The Chicks, and now Del Rey only provided background vocals on songs with Swift.
In comparison, male artists have primarily been given full verses when featured in Swift’s songs, with the exception of Chris Stapleton on “I Bet You Think About Me” from Red (Taylor’s Version).
Even on Swift’s 2019 album Lover, The Chicks provided background vocals for “Soon You’ll Get Better,” while Swift later released a remix of the song “Lover” featuring Shawn Mendes, and Mendes’ feature included a new verse and new lyrics in the song’s bridge.
Why Taylor Swift’s ‘Snow on the Beach’ elicited so much criticism
In “Snow on the Beach,” Del Rey is an effective presence, giving the song an ethereal feel. Her influence is noticeable throughout the song. However, given the praise Swift gave Del Rey and how well Del Rey fits into the track, the singer not having a verse feels like a missed opportunity.
If Swift did not have a history of almost exclusively having female featured artists on backing vocals while male featured artists perform full verses and duets, the disappointment surrounding “Snow on the Beach” might not be that strong.
“Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)” further fuels speculation about why Swift’s discography has this pattern. Is she afraid to be overshadowed by other female artists? Is it because of a consistent stylistic choice? Does she prefer singing duets with male artists?
While “Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” seemed to hint at a change of direction for Swift, “Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)” only confirmed some fans’ suspicions that Swift has a controversial pattern and bias.
