Croce: Lana Del Rey

As we close the course by sharing an artist from the current era who is reflective of the generation's concerns and social energy, I would like to showcase Lana Del Rey. The perfectly controversial star made her "Born to Die" debut when many of us were in middle school. For me, I remember many of my friends at the time enjoying upbeat songs from Colbie Callait and Carrie Underwood, and this is the first album I remember having a restriction on listening to a trendy album, but we all did it anyway (it was the fifth best selling album of 2012 after all). As other classmates have pointed out in posts, music that parents question the examples of is quick to gain criticism, regulations and be labeled as 'noise,' which is why I think Del Rey is a great example of rock's continued legacy; she continues to push boundaries. Since her debut, her music has garnered criticism for the explicit content and darkness that frequently suggest existentialism, alcoholism, and what some consider antifeminism. Few of Lana's songs are without a tone of sobriety and rawness, but they are packed with meaning. I think we need artists like her to diversify our listening and consider the issues. This is not to say be unhappy, but the singer has opened up about her struggles with alcoholism as a young adult and overcoming these challenges through her music career and self expression. She has toured with icons such as Courtney Love, as we have read, not everyone has been able to transform their pain as Lana has, and that makes her an important example. As for her position as a feminist, although her videos in particular have received backlash, she has also received awards and in essence has created her own brand of feminism by performing and writing without the influence of patriarch. One other criticism of the artist is the opulence she portrays, endorsing Jaguar for instance and writing the main track for "The Great Gatsby" to sing often about having it all. Her most recent album "Lust for Life" I feel captures the singer/songwriter's intention that life is rich and the intensity of fast cars and high fashion is what the earlier songs mean, because all of the songs point to the temporary nature of material.

Regardless of the singers image and criticism, which in part make her so relevant, her talent is incredible. Del Rey draws inspiration from many of the artists we have studied in the class, Elvis, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Eagles, to name a few. I have really enjoyed her covers like "Summer Wine." Sometimes her inspiration gets her in trouble, Radiohead has filed for copyright infringement for her song "Get Free," claiming it is too similar to "Creep." The status of the suit is ambiguous, but I do feel that Lana's works are usually original unless they are meant as covers.

I appreciate that she has embraced topics and emotions that are not always popular and continued to have a presence through so much criticism. Her projects and collaborations are vast and I cannot wait to see what she offers the music world next, drawing from so many rock legends before her, many of her tracks are songs I can imagine listening to in another decade.

Get Free or Creep?

From the most recent Lust for Life album "Coachella-Woodstock on My Mind"

"Young & Beautiful" released as a single with the movie The Great Gatsby. Del Rey has participated in many soundtracks, including Maleficent.

                                 

Jaguar Endorsement

 https://lanadelrey.com/homepage/