The "Plus" in iTunes Plus meant "no DRM" (Digital Rights Management). When you purchased this Japan Edition in the early 2010s, you truly owned the file. You could transfer it to any device, burn it to a CD for your vintage car (as Lana would approve), or archive it on a NAS drive. Streaming services can delist "Flipside" tomorrow; your M4A file remains.
Unlike the polished, orchestral pop of Born to Die, this album (produced largely by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach) is raw, live, and lo-fi.
The main reason to seek out this specific edition is the inclusion of bonus tracks that were oddly left off the standard international versions. Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence -Japan Edition- -iTu...
Yes—but for specific reasons.
If you listen to Ultraviolence on Apple AirPods in a noisy subway, the difference between a standard MP3 and the iTunes Plus M4A is negligible. However, if you listen on wired IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), studio monitors, or a high-end car stereo, the Japan Edition M4A reveals the ghost in the shell. The "Plus" in iTunes Plus meant "no DRM"
Furthermore, the inclusion of "Flipside" and "Is This Happiness" is non-negotiable for completionists. These tracks re-contextualize the album. Without "Flipside," the album ends on the nihilistic "The Other Woman." With it, there is a final, desperate attempt at moving on.
Often maligned by critics as the weakest track on the album, “Guns and Roses” functions differently in the Japan Edition. Stripped of context, it’s a lethargic ode to a tattooed rockstar. But placed at the end of the sequence, it acts as a comedown. The lyric, “He used to call me DN… That stood for Deadly Nightshade,” encapsulates the album’s thesis: beauty as poison. On iTunes, the crisp digital master actually highlights the backing vocals and the subtle organ swells that get lost in the vinyl’s noise floor. Streaming services can delist "Flipside" tomorrow; your M4A
The Japanese market has long demanded exclusive content to offset the higher cost of imported physical CDs. For Ultraviolence, the Japan Edition (and its corresponding iTunes digital listing) included three critical bonus tracks: “Flipside,” “Is This Happiness,” and “Guns and Roses.”