{"id":8131,"date":"2025-12-29T13:27:39","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T13:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/29\/tyra-banks-and-santa-smize-debut-new-music-video-and-declare-war-on-each-other\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T13:27:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T13:27:39","slug":"tyra-banks-and-santa-smize-debut-new-music-video-and-declare-war-on-each-other","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/29\/tyra-banks-and-santa-smize-debut-new-music-video-and-declare-war-on-each-other\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyra Banks and Santa SMiZE Debut New Music Video and Declare War on Each Other"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62622161&#038;width=2000&#038;height=1167&#038;coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Tyra Banks has never been to Basement but loves drag queens. Santa SMiZE, her Christmastime arch-nemesis and doppelg\u00e4nger, has also never been to Basement and has mixed feelings about drag queens. I was privileged to learn these facts during our interview about their new music video for &#8220;Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>In the waning light of 2025, a most peculiar email crossed my desk concerning an interview opportunity with the supermodel and former <em>The Tyra Banks Show<\/em> host. Just one catch: our interview would be held jointly with the definitely-not-an-alter-ego Santa SMiZE, self-professed ice cream innovator and South Pole resident Santa SMiZE. How could <em>PAPER<\/em> turn it down? I&#8217;ve been riddled with questions about the proliferation of Banks&#8217; latest hot ice cream venture, and to my extreme pleasure, the interview would be about just that. <\/p>\n<p>Well, hot ice cream was one topic up for discussion. The other? A new music video together for their latest song, &#8220;Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE.&#8221; It&#8217;s Banks&#8217; first single since her last single about ice cream, &#8220;I Want That Smize Cream&#8221; with DJ Splitz featuring Banks and STORi.<\/p>\n<p>Check out that new music video, premiering exclusively on <em>PAPER<\/em>:<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"87d640f0f61925c6a666f7159f2636a2\" style=\"display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"auto\" lazy-loadable=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S1qT-acC7TM?rel=0\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>I had many questions for them both, primarily concerning Banks&#8217; newfound life as an ice cream mogul and near-constant state of self-reinvention. In the chaos of her feud with the holiday doppelg\u00e4nger and flurry of concerned TikTok videos from fans and critics about what exactly &#8220;hot ice cream&#8221; is, the skeleton of some master plan emerges. Banks wants to provoke, entice, keep people guessing. I ask, quite frankly, where that urge comes from. &#8220;I don\u2019t mess with people\u2019s heads. I invite them to think differently. Calling it &#8216;crazy&#8217; is just what happens when imagination shows up somewhere it\u2019s not expected.&#8221; She adds that &#8220;If a comedian did what I do, people would say, &#8216;That\u2019s just their bit.&#8217; But when you don\u2019t come from that lane, especially in fashion, people freeze.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Note the ice cream pun.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Despite our extensive conversation, I&#8217;d say I left with more questions than answers. They talked amongst themselves about their feud, which seems to be based in Santa SMiZE&#8217;s belief that she owns the intellectual property to both Christmas and ice cream. Despite popping up in NYC, they did not make any hot reservations, nor did either make an appearance at Basement or Mansions or any Brooklyn hotspots that <em>PAPER<\/em> staff can be found. They did tussle with some drag queens though, and jet off to Los Angeles to premiere the video in person together.<\/p>\n<p>Selfishly, I also got the answer I&#8217;ve been looking for about the potential successor theme park to Banks&#8217; gone-too-soon ModelLand experience, which was shut down after the onset of the pandemic all those years ago. &#8220;My passion for immersive theatricality is still strong. Building worlds people can step into in unexpected places \u2014 especially through ice cream \u2014 that\u2019s the dream I\u2019m living now. ModelLand is gone for now, but her spirit lives on inside these other worlds. And yes, I\u2019ll be introducing a new world early next year.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>I mean this genuinely: <em>PAPER<\/em> cannot wait to see how that turns out. In the meantime, read our full conversation with these warring Christmas divas below.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Is Santa SMiZE in the room with us right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: What do you mean, am I in the room? I\u2019m right here. You\u2019re talking about me like I\u2019ve stepped out \u2014 as if the Diva of the South Pole would ever miss an entrance. Please. Don\u2019t confuse me with the North. I show up. I show out. And today, I\u2019m showing up seated right next to Miss Banks.<\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: Yeah, she\u2019s here. Trust me.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span><\/span>How did \u201cSanta SMiZE, Santa SMiZE\u201d come into existence?<\/strong><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: It started with hot ice cream. I wanted to help ice cream shops around the world stay alive during the winter. When it gets cold, scoops slow down and businesses get hurt \u2014 but I wanted to keep it happy, energetic, and joyful. Not sad.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: I don\u2019t need your charity, Miss Banks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: Honey\u2026 yes, you do. So I created hot ice cream, and then I wrote Santa SMiZE a song to keep cold ice cream alive too.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>What about you, Santa SMiZE? Did seeing Tyra drop a single make you want to jump into the studio?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: Yes, music is in my South Pole bones. I\u2019ve had an ice cream tavern there for years. Some of the best ice cream on the planet. We do open-mic nights every day. I perform on the weekends. But when I step onto my own stage? I light the whole place up. I sing. I rap. Santa Claus used to be my backup dancer \u2014 many, many years ago. That\u2019s where the jealousy began.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra, what was it like to return to the studio after all these years?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: She thought about <em>shaking her body body <\/em>again.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: I did not. But it did remind me how much I love using music to tell a story. And I do need to give credit where credit is due. Santa SMiZE\u2026yes, you can sing. Yes, you can rap. But you cannot write lyrics.I wrote every single word that came out of your mouth. Even the ad-libs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: Yeah\u2026 well. I made them words sound damn good.And catchy as hell.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You both are in Australia during the wintertime. Was it weird to adjust to a country where it&#8217;s beach weather during Christmas? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: I\u2019m from Los Angeles, California, so I grew up waking up on Christmas Day with the sun shining. You get a new bicycle and you can actually go outside and ride it \u2014 because it\u2019s warm and bright and there\u2019s no snow. That\u2019s my normal.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE, did you have to update your sleigh riding outfit to include a bikini and beach towels?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: See, that\u2019s where it gets weird for me. Christmas without snow is confusing. I don\u2019t know what the hell is going on. I\u2019m used to snowfall, sparkle, drama\u2026 not sunscreen. Even rocking a bikini on the beach, which I do, and look lovely, feels strange without snow falling around me. What I do love about Christmas in Australia is that it\u2019s hot, and people are lined up down the block and around the corner for ice cream.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: And hot ice cream. But whatever, take credit, boo.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE, you stormed NYC this week. Did you have reservations at any hot restaurants or invites to any clubs? Tyra, did you run into her anywhere?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: I didn&#8217;t have time to RSVP. I was in demand. From club stages to drag stages, everyone wanted me to perform. And let me be clear, I love drag queens, deeply. But they kept singing Tyra&#8217;s songs at me. &#8220;Be a Star,&#8221; &#8220;Life-Size,&#8221; &#8220;Shake Your Body.&#8221; Next thing I know, they&#8217;re dancing on bars like it&#8217;s <em>Coyote Ugly. <\/em>And honestly? I was a little insulted. This was my moment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: Icons have a way of showing up, even when they&#8217;re not in the room. Deal With it.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode lazyload\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"91ba23cd9cc416bd9a3294ed9eabacab\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"063c1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62629050&#038;width=980\"><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the topic of hot NYC spots, Santa SMiZE, have you gone to Basement? Mansions?<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: I don&#8217;t chase hot spots, I follow the heat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: She means my blazing ice cream. And she&#8217;s not wrong, everyone&#8217;s talking about my heat, and her holiday anthem is riding that wave.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE, have you tried the viral hot ice cream yet? What\u2019s your dream hot ice cream flavor?<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: I actually stayed away from hot ice cream at first. I trust Tyra&#8217;s palate, but if I&#8217;m being honest, I was sulking. It was getting a lot of attention. Then Miss Thang told me she wanted to create a flavor with my name on it, so I had no choice. I wrapped my lips around that cup and took a sip. And It pains me to admit this, but Santa SMiZE Cookies slaps. I did insist we make it as a cold ice cream too. Because hands down, the cold one is the one. It is the moment.<\/p>\n<p>The hot one is&#8230; good enough.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra, you\u2019ve had a busy year, between your businesses and now your all out war with Santa SMiZE. Have you heard the adage: \u201cNever let them guess your next move\u201d? Do you feel that applies?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>:<strong> <\/strong>I\u2019ve always been a master at a pivot, not just on a runway.Okay, that sounds so braggy. See? She\u2019s contagious. But really, for me, it\u2019s about chasing passion and then going all the way in. When I enter a new world, I study it deeply. I become a student, then an expert. With ice cream, I\u2019m a sommelier, a little bit of a scientist, a little bit of an R&#038;D nerd. I\u2019ve tasted ice cream all over the world for decades. And I don\u2019t say this lightly, what we\u2019re making is some of the best ice cream I\u2019ve ever had. Friggin ever.<\/p>\n<p>This is my ice cream era. And I genuinely believe the world will come to know me for this just as much as they once knew me for magazine covers and catwalks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: She rehearsed that answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra, you also seem to enjoy messing with people&#8217;s heads a bit, and playing with the idea that people think you&#8217;re a bit &#8220;crazy,&#8221; to use your own words. Where does that impulse come from, for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: I don\u2019t mess with people\u2019s heads. I invite them to think differently. Calling it \u201ccrazy\u201d is just what happens when imagination shows up somewhere it\u2019s not expected. If a comedian did what I do, people would say, \u201cThat\u2019s just their bit.\u201d But when you don\u2019t come from that lane, especially in fashion, people freeze.<\/p>\n<p>And I love it. If you lead with logic, people relax, but if you lead with surprise, they lean in. I\u2019ve said it a thousand times, different is better than better and now I\u2019m not just teaching it. I\u2019m living it. These ideas keep coming. I don\u2019t sleep.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>PAPER is still sad we missed our chance at going to your real world ModelLand pop-up years ago. Do you imagine there&#8217;s a Christmas themed iteration in the works anytime soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: ModelLand was an immersive world I created that was sadly ruined by Covid, a painful loss of a business. It was theatrical. A little surreal. But that spirit didn\u2019t disappear. It just evolved. My passion for immersive theatricality is still strong. Building worlds people can step into in unexpected places \u2014 especially through ice cream \u2014 that\u2019s the dream I\u2019m living now. ModelLand is gone for now, but her spirit lives on inside these other worlds. And yes, I\u2019ll be introducing a new world early next year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Santa SMiZE<\/strong>: Don\u2019t forget about me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tyra<\/strong>: I\u2019ll never forget you.You won\u2019t let me.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>Credits:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Cinematography: Ben Deigman<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Editor: Phil Meyer<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Styling: Wilford Lenov<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Makeup: Jordan Wolferstan<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Hair: Delphyne Kanuma<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Creative Direction: Byron Spencer<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/br><\/br><\/br><\/br><\/br><\/br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tyra Banks has never been to Basement but loves drag queens. Santa SMiZE, her Christmastime arch-nemesis and doppelg\u00e4nger, has also never been to Basement and has mixed feelings about drag queens. I<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8131\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}