Taylor Swift discusses working with Ice Spice: "her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start"

Ice Spice and Taylor Swift's recently collaborated on the track "Karma", which featured on Midnights (3AM Edition) – the deluxe edition Swift's 2022 album, Midnights. The unlikely collaboration has blossomed into a friendship and creative partnership, which has catapulted Ice Spice into an entirely new level of stardom, considering she only released her debut single, "Bully Freestyle" in 2021.

Speaking to Variety, Ice Spice explains that she met Swift after watching her 2020 documentary, Miss Americana: “What I took away from Taylor’s documentary is you really do need to work hard, and not everything is going to be as easy as it seems,” she said. “My manager heard me talking about that and had reached out to her team, and then they had a song for me.”

“I relate to Ice in many ways, but I think her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start,” Swift told Variety via email, when asked about Ice Spice. “She’s extremely professional without being cold. Playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize. She knows what is and isn’t ‘her’ and sets those boundaries with grace. She studies the industry and other artists’ careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path. It’s her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ice Spice (@icespice)

Earlier this year, Ice Spice revealed that Swift is like a mentor to her. Speaking to The Guardian, she said: "I was so obsessed with how humble she was and willing to work. She gives me so much advice – we talk all the time and she’s so funny."

Elaborating on their time together in the studio, Swift continued: “Working with someone new in the studio, you immediately get a window into their creative process. She showed up with her verse not only written but had recorded and sent me a vocal pass beforehand just to make sure we were on the same page. Recording, she was quick and laser focused, but intuitive and decisive and knew when she had it nailed.”

Ice Spice has also collaborated with Nicki Minaj on "Princess Diana" – which made history as the first track featuring two women to top the Hot Rap Songs chart since its launch 34 years ago – and "Barbie World", which features in the closing credits of the Barbie movie soundtrack.

“Them supporting me and just encouraging me gives me all the motivation I need," says Ice Spice on being able to reach out to mentors and collaborators such as Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj.