Seven years after his last album appeared on shelves, David Byrne has kept himself occupied, and the proof comes today in the shape of a deluxe edition. The deluxe version of Who Is The Sky? adds four tracks to the original Matador release, among them a live staple and two songs that were cut from the sessions.
The deluxe edition is out now digitally on Matador. Byrne recorded the LP with Kid Harpoon, who worked on Harry Styles’ records, and the original album featured collaborations with Hayley Williams and St. Vincent. Since the record’s release, Byrne has toured with an elaborate new live show, covered Olivia Rodrigo, and written a new song of nothing but Elon Musk quotes.
What’s In The Deluxe
Among the four bonus tracks, their provenance is divided: one comes from a performance given before an audience, one is drawn from a studio session, one is a revised version of a duet, and one is a fresh recording made anew.
Soon after the album appeared, Byrne put out a live staple called “T Shirt”. Two tracks from those recording sessions have since been added to the set: “My Madness” and “What And Where.”. The fourth track is a fresh take on the Hayley Williams duet “What Is The Reason For It?”, this time recorded with Natalia Lafourcade (who co-wrote it) and the Mexican Institute Of Sound.
Here is the full breakdown:
| Track | Origin |
|---|---|
| “T Shirt” | Live staple |
| “My Madness” | Session cut |
| “What And Where” | Session cut |
| “What Is The Reason For It?” (with Lafourcade and Mexican Institute Of Sound) | Reimagined |
Byrne Explains Why Albums Feel Different Now
Byrne addresses the concept of the album itself in the press release. He opens with a question: “WHAT’S AN ALBUM?”
The idea that an album is a fixed object with a particular arrangement of tracks has always been central to vinyl culture and crate digging. Fans assume that the artist intended a specific sequence for a cohesive listening experience. Streaming and downloads changed all that. Now albums can run extremely long or extremely short, and their contents can shift over time. The one constant may be that the songs were created and recorded around the same period, which means they share a certain time and place and carry a similar sound.
The deluxe edition is presented as a natural expansion of that reasoning. He does not claim the two songs that were cut were poor, only that they were removed to provide the original record with a varied mix of grooves and topics. One of his personal favorites, he writes, is “My Madness”, which includes a singer who treats their “madness” as something apart from themselves, an entity that grows into love, understanding, and respect over time.
Images of T Shirt slogans were shown while the old song “T Shirt” played. A new version of “What Is The Reason For It?”, made by Mexican Institute Of Sound and sung alongside its writing by Natalia Lafourcade, was also performed.
The Four New Songs
Soon after the album came out, Byrne put out “T Shirt”, a live staple, and added it to the set list along with images of the statements people wear on their T Shirts.
“My Madness” and “What And Where” were cuts from the LP sessions. Byrne’s note suggests they were left off the original release to diversify the album’s grooves and subjects, not because they were weak. He calls “My Madness” one of his personal favorites, and the song imagines madness as a separate entity from the singer — one that they come to love, understand and respect.
Lafourcade co-wrote and sang a new version of the track, teaming up with the Mexican Institute Of Sound on the reimagined “What Is The Reason For It?”.
Tour Dates Remain
Two shows remain on Byrne’s year-long tour, and the first of them lands on September 17, at Saratoga’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The second is September 19 at Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium.
What This Means For Fans
For anyone who purchased the original release, the deluxe edition delivers a practical benefit: it includes four additional tracks that were omitted from the standard version, along with a reworked “What Is The Reason For It?”, which gives listeners a fresh take on a song they already know.
Byrne sees the deluxe release as a way to offer a more complete look at the Who Is The Sky? recording sessions. The live staple and the reworked version demonstrate how a single track moves from studio recording to concert performance and then back into a new arrangement.
The Verdict On The Four Tracks
Byrne asked what an album is, and the deluxe edition responds to that question by demonstrating how one can expand, change shape, and gain new layers over time.
Each of the four new tracks on this album has its own specific purpose, with “T Shirt,” “My Madness,” and “What And Where,” appearing as original compositions and the Lafourcade version of “What Is The Reason For It?” serving as a cover.
The tracks recorded for broadcast and those cut for sessions tell the whole story behind the album’s creation. The remake pairs the original material with Lafourcade and the Mexican Institute Of Sound, giving listeners a new reason to return to the record.
A Quick Look At The Deluxe Edition
The extended version expands the original with four extra tracks, each one contributing something distinct. The complete list follows:
| Track | Origin |
|---|---|
| “T Shirt” | Live staple |
| “My Madness” | Session cut |
| “What And Where” | Session cut |
| “What Is The Reason For It?” (with Lafourcade and Mexican Institute Of Sound) | Reimagined |
The analysis makes clear how the expanded edition stretches out the record past its initial form — from the song that has already passed the test of live performance, to the tracks left behind, all the way to the fresh take on the duet.
The Bottom Line
A small but rewarding package, the deluxe edition of Who Is The Sky? answers a question Byrne himself raised: what is an album anyway? It shows how one can grow, shift, and keep adding layers over time.
On their own, these four new tracks hold up well. “T Shirt” has earned its place as a concert favorite, “My Madness” stands out as a personal favorite, and the Lafourcade version of “What Is The Reason For It?” truly reimagines the song. As a set, they justify the deluxe edition for anyone who connected with the original record.
Matador has released the deluxe version digitally, and the tour closes with two final shows.
See the video the story is built around at Stereogum.
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