The continuing argument about the "indieness" of Lana Del Rey continues to control many blog posts and internet articles. The speculation of whether Elizabeth Grant is "authentic" to the indie music industry is debated by many, but undoubtedly her success, in particular views on YouTube videos, demonstrates with or without an indie title, Lana Del Rey is definitely appreciated. Lana Del Rey was presented as an indie artist who wrote songs on a trailer park and was swooped up by a record company and revealed to the world. When looking deeper into this story we can find that in fact Elizabeth Grant had already had a shot at the music industry, aged 20, which failed and so she tactically reinvented herself with a new name and possibly a collagen lip enhancement she became a mysterious and deep character - but it worked. In October 2011 she signed a joint record deal and released Video Games to YouTube in August gaining in excess of 20 million views in the first five months.
Video Games and other earlier videos shown on YouTube are grainy and worn which links to the whole indie artist look that was desired, not clean cut or manufactured. The videos seem to have been done with a handheld camera as the footage seems personal and spontaneous with meaning instead of a random compilation of shots showing cars and naked girls. The earlier videos have consistent cuts to Lana singing, I am personally hypnotized by these shots as the emotion and mystery in her eyes as she sings to the camera are extraordinary. The videos seem to tell a story but ones that only the people involved really understand, the story portrayed to us is confusing and follows no particular structure apart from the cuts to singing. The shakiness of the shots and fast cutting pace to random seemingly irrelevant things add to the beauty of the video which in my opinion represents Lana remembering past times and the videos show these many memories and recollections. The earlier videos are very raw and could be seen as authentic with reference to her producing her own videos, there is an edge of unprofessional as the videos seem unstructured, as more videos are released in particular Born To Die this changes. As the videos progress the "indie" label is challenged even further as we see high focus more artistic videos with a lot of cinematic material. This could be seen as Lana Del Rey losing the last of her "indie" credibility as her rise to fame story has been crumbled by online critics and her original videos were the thing that kept her clinging to indie away from mainstream. The story that is used in more recent videos is clear and easy to follow where as before it has been more personal and less understandable, to me this does not take any credit away from the videos although I think the worn and grainy representations of her memories were extremely effective. The consistent use of Lana wearing white contrasts against the lyrics and videos she presents which seem anything but innocent with the hints of domestic violence and alcohol or drug use, this does however work effectively to show her personality as vulnerable regardless, or maybe due, to the events. The close up shots of Lana Del Reys face are what I think makes the videos as successful as they are as the expression she gives off or how little of it work so well with the tone and style of her voice and the lyrics also.
The themes I have picked up on throughout the videos are the consistent reference to her past and in particular a boy/man/lover that has been involved in her life and clearly left a lasting mark, with possible violence. The attraction to Lana Del Rey comes from her videos and lyrics which give so much away but don't include the vital information we need to understand what is being told, this leaves a mysterious edge to her as she is revealing and telling so much with such deep lyrics but actually hardly giving anything away. It seems Lana is a damaged girl that has gone through some experiences that have shaped her and in particular her music, there is consistent link to alcohol or drug use particularly in the song Boarding School: "Baby, let's do drugs.....Had to do drugs to stop the.....If you wanna get high with me, I'm in the back doing crack".
Whether you credit Lana Del Rey with an indie title or you now consider her a mainstream pop artist she remains such a strong talking point to many online articles show bloggers questioning " Lana del Rey confuses me. Where did she come from? How did she get so popular so quickly? Why does she remind me of Daisy Buchanan if Daisy had spent at least six months in Stepford? Why do her lyrics make me so uncomfortable?" and this is her exact talent, unlike other artists instead of forcing their personal life on others she remains mysterious although we know quite a lot about her. With criticism already rife from the revelations of the multi-millionaire father it seems other stories were now to be quickly criticized and deemed as corrupt with comments on her revealing she had an alcohol addiction not being taken well, one article comments "and potentially create a sympathy-based narrative. Of course, leave it to some 'soft ass' UK publication to guarantee puff-piece treatment". Despite this criticism the internet is littered with fans commenting things such as "That's seriously unbelievable that such a simple lyrical order which would sound totally ridiculous and banal from mouths of ordinary people, sounds absolutely spectacular from Lana del Rey's lips... words fail me.. that's all I can say.." showing negative comments may not be swaying opinion anytime soon.With a shaky performance on Saturday Night Live critics also attacked Lana like ducks on bread and hit her with the unoriginal "she can't sing live" comments, in my opinion this criticism is not even worthy of comment as this is such an overused statement that is consistently proved wrong by a later performance - people are quick to build someone up then shoot them down from the top. Lana Del Rey has effective advertising and promotion with a twitter account accumulating in excess of 2 million followers, an extremely professional website and perfectly timed magazine cover releases acting as a catalyst in her musical success - this is tactical but doesn't make her a traitor.
Before I had to investigate Lizzy Grant I had no particular opinion on the artist but I know would argue her corner till death, a bit too far. An hour spent watching Lana Del Rey's videos is enough to convince anybody who needs it of how credible she is. Lana commented “to keep things small. All I wanted to do was make something beautiful, and I think I’ve done that.” the people who wish to criticize Lana Del Rey as not being "indie" are hypocrites themselves, if its all about the music then why do they care how much money her father has? Lana Del Rey should be appreciated as an artist who has talent and produces stunning videos showcasing her song writing talent and natural, questionable, beauty. The ability this artist has to encapture an audience is astounding, Lana Del Rey seems naïve, mysterious, passionate and possibly damaged which is all portrayed in her songs. I am obsessed with how free and experience she seems with lyrics like "I am fucking crazy. But I am free" making me want to get a plane to Texas and ride around with bikers so I can adopt this mindset. Artists want to be popular as they want as many people as possible to hear their material, if this means adopting a different music video style or reinventing themselves visually then this is just a part of the process to achieve a foundation which they can then express their musical ability. It's about the music and talent "selling out" is not a relevant question when you're an artist like Lana Del Rey producing such stunning material. Lana's quote "Elvis is my daddy, Marilyn's my mother, Jesus is my bestest friend." sums up why I now have an unhealthy obsession with this artist.
Not even they can stop me now Who are they?
Boy, I’ll be flying overhead
Their heavy words can’t bring me down Critics?
Boy I've been raised from the dead
No one even knows how hard life was Mysterious
I don't even think about it now because Both lines suggest very negative
I've finally found you You being a person or the career?
Oh, sing it to me
Now my life is sweet like cinnamon Negative to positive
Like a fucking dream I'm living in Strong expression
Baby love me cause I'm playing on the radio Radio - big promotion, recognition
(How do you like me now?)
Pick me up and take me like a vitamin Drug reference?
'Cause my body's sweet like sugar venom oh yeah Sexualised
Baby love me cause I'm playing on the radio
(How do you like me now?) Dig at critics?
American dreams came true somehow Another link to America
I swore I'd chase until I was dead Never given up (Lizzy to Lana)
I heard the streets were paved with gold
That's what my father said Multi-millionaire father
No one even knows what life was like
Now I'm in LA and it's paradise LA for her career, success
I've finally found you Content
Oh, sing it to me People are singing her songs
You are a fucking idiot. No wonder the world hates Americans. Acting all superior and shit. Please.
Brooke Robinson · Boss haha at Justin Biebers Bed <3
Shes so inspiring :').
João Manuel 28 minutes ago
She is so perfect and beautiful
BalletAnny 52 minutes ago
Its amazing!! I love the style of her songs ~will you still love me when im no longer young and beautiful...
Kaira Stirling 43 minutes ago
Lana Del Rey is amazing! Everyone's so judgemental nowadays. Her voice is amazing!!
minniemouseears 2 hours ago
so you're mad people like her more now? how is that bad?
Meli Hampton 2 hours ago
how does she have so many subscribers/views, who is she?
Aisya Mims 6 hours ago
I FUCKING hate how all these lana fans came out when Young & Beautiful came out...ive been her ride or die since 2011.
Remi DelRey 7 hours ago
we do not care if the lips lana are true or not it does not bring us anything! this is not the lips that make her music, but her voice! so shut your mouths! Lana is sexy!
HecticStylee
That's seriously unbelievable that such a simple lyrical order which would sound totally ridiculous and banal from mouths of ordinary people, sounds absolutely spectacular from Lana del Rey's lips... words fail me.. that's all I can say..
Respected Opinion
5 Things To Know About Lana Del Rey (Other Than She Was The Controversial Musical Guest On Last Weekend's SNL)
Leading up to her Saturday Night Live debut last weekend, newcomer Lana Del Rey was already facing criticism because she lacks the experience that many of the show's powerhouse musical guests have. And her critics had a point--her debut album hasn't even been released yet (Born to Die is expected Jan. 30)--she's had a more unconventional rise to fame as an Internet sensation.
It didn't help that she delivered a shaky performance during Saturday's broadcast. While she certainly looked glam, she played with her hair a lot and fidgeted--and she sort of whispered the words of her songs. (It was her big debut, so a case of the nerves seems normal.) Immediately following the show, she was ambushed with criticism--everyone from Juliette Lewis to Brian Williams (yes, the news guy!) had something to say. Though show host Daniel Radcliffe stuck up for her saying, "It was unfortunate that people seemed to turn on her so quickly. I think people are making it about things other than the performance...I don't think it warranted anywhere near that reaction."
Take a look at "Video Games":
But there is more to Lana Del Rey than one performance. Here are fun facts about the singer completely and totally unrelated to SNL drama... 1. Her name is Lizzy Grant. Make that Elizabeth Grant, but she goes by Lizzy. The whole Lana Del Rey is a creation by her "people"--they thought the new name would be a better fit with her sound--and have been marketing her as the "gangsta Nancy Sinatra." 2. She's not a Nancy Sinatra fan. In fact, she's trying to shake that label. "As soon as [that term] flew out of [my manager's] mouth, it f--king stuck like glue," she has said. "I spend eight f--king years writing gorgeous songs and someone in a meeting says ‘gangsta Nancy Sinatra’ and that’s that. It’s brutal. I know two of Nancy’s songs but she’s not someone I’ve ever really listened to. I know everything about Frank, of course, because he’s the real singer. It just goes to show how f--king stupid people can be sometimes.” for the record, she defines her style as "Hollywood Sadcore." 3. She's a Gemini. She was born June 21, 1986-- making her astrological sign a Gemini. She spent the first few years of her life living in New York City, then moved upstate to Lake Placid. In her teens, she attended boarding schooling in Connecticut. 4. This is actually her second album (but she's counting it as if it's her first). In 2010, before she was known as Lana, Lizzy Grant put out a full-length studio album titled Lana Del Rey. Her father, who is a millionaire businessman, helped market it and it was available on iTunes, but then her manager yanked so that they could rework her image and she could become Lana Del Rey instead of be Lizzy Grant (which has a tweenie bopper Lizzie McGuire feel.) 5. She hearts Britney Spears. She has cited Britney, Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain as three of her musical influences.
Lana Del Rey is an American singer/songwriter and Vogue cover girl.
Born in New York in 1986, her birth name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant.
She was raised in Lake Placid, a quiet village outside of New York State. Aged 15, she was sent to boarding school in Connecticut, before moving to New York City when she was 18 to study metaphysics at Fordham University - "that was when my musical experience began. I kind of found people for myself," she told Vogue of the time.
She began performing in clubs around the city under various names, including her birth name Lizzy Grant, as well as Sparkle Rope Jump Queen and Lizzy Grant and the Phenomena. "I was always singing, but didn't plan on pursuing it seriously," she told us. "When I got to New York City when I was 18, I started playing in clubs in Brooklyn - I have good friends and devoted fans on the underground scene, but we were playing for each other at that point - and that was it."
Aged 20, she signed a record contract for $10,000 and moved into a trailer park outside of the city. The album she recorded was later shelved, causing her to shift her focus. Instead, she began to work in community service. "Homeless outreach, drug and alcohol rehabilitation - that's been my life for the past five years," she told Vogue in 2012.
She decided to rebrand herself as Lana Del Rey and in October 2011, she signed a joint record deal with Interscope Records and Polydor.
Del Rey released the song Video Games online in June 2011, following it up with an accompanying video on YouTube in August. "I just put that song online a few months ago because it was my favourite. To be honest, it wasn't going to be the single but people have really responded to it. I get very sad when I play that song. I still cry sometimes when I sing it," she told the Observer in 2011.
Video Gamesaccumulated in excess of 20 million YouTube views in its first 5 months of upload.
On October 24th 2011, it was announced that Del Rey had won theQ award for "Next Big Thing".
Her debut album Born To Die was released in January 2012. It charted at number one on the Official UK Album Chart.
She has described her unique look - auburn hair in VeronicaLake waves, full lips and permanently artistic talons - as "Gangster Nancy Sinatra" and "Lolita got lost in the hood".
Of her stage name, she has told us: "I wanted a name I could shape the music toward. I was going to Miami quite a lot at the time, speaking a lot of Spanish with my friends from Cuba - Lana Del Rey reminded us of the glamour of the seaside. It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue."
She appeared on the cover of the March 2012 issue of British Vogue. Alexandra Shulman said in her editor's letter: "I am one of the many thousands of people enraptured by the throaty, seductive voice of Lana Del Rey... Once I had seen Lana play at a small event in London, I was convinced that she would be a greatVogue cover girl, even though she is probably one of the newest stars in her field that the magazine has ever had on the cover."
Del Rey said in the accompanying interview that she may not release a second album, stating: "Oh, I don't think I'll write another record. What would I say? I feel like everything I wanted to say, I've already said."
·Write a 1000-1500 word analysis of the construction / representation of Lana Del Rey as an “indie” artist. Your analysis should include: ·Some textual analysis of her music videos ·The identification of recurring themes / images in her music videos and lyrics ·Some analysis of the effect of media “hype” on the construction / representation of Del Rey ·Links / quotes / images from articles, interviews, reviews etc. ·A personal opinion on the success of Lana Del Rey
Lana del Rey confuses me. Where did she come from? How did she get so popular so quickly? Why does she remind me of Daisy Buchanan if Daisy had spent at least six months in Stepford? Why do her lyrics make me so uncomfortable? What are all the things she wants to do? Why did she ever pen the line “my pussy tastes like Pepsi-Cola”? Why did I listen to a loop of that lyric for twenty minutes alone in my room two Saturdays ago? Why do I put on Born to Die whenever I need guidance in my life? Why do I feel compelled to share this advice with others? Why won’t my friends talk to me anymore? Put your Pabst Blue Ribbon on ice. Nobody likes a warm beer, especially if it’s PBR. The subtle aromas and nuanced bouquet of America’s premier beer are ruined completely if the cans lose their chill. Plus, it has been rumored that if you stand in front of a mirror and whisper “Pabst Blue Ribbon on iiiiiice” three times, LDR herself will appear and make over-the-shoulder doe eyes at you until you die. Do a lot of cocaine. Drugs are really cool. Lana del Rey does a lot of them. She’s also really into guys who do them. LDR especially likes when you do so much cocaine that it literally turns your heart into cocaine. Don’t play your video games. She even put her favorite perfume on. Kiss her on her open mouth in the pouring rain. On Born to Die, LDR makes no less than three references to kissing her on her open mouth. She is remarkably specific about this, so it’s clear this is important to her—and by extension to all girls, as Lana is the epitome of femininity. Do not kiss her on her closed mouth. Do not kiss her on the neck. Do not kiss her anywhere other than in the pouring rain. Do not leave without kissing her, on her open mouth, in the pouring rain. Keep your genitals clean. As previously mentioned, Lana del Rey’s pussy allegedly tastes like Pepsi-Cola. This is probably a bad thing, and could be potentially lethal if she does not visit a gynecologist in the near future. Perhaps she is just playing a character in order to demonstrate the importance of genital hygiene. Perhaps she is crying out for help. Perhaps I am crying out for help. Help. —Matt Watson is the current and future blog exec, the incoming comp director, and an aspiring corpse. His spirit animal is Paula Deen riding a bald eagle made of butter.
Lana Del Rey Talks Childhood Alcohol Addiction
Lana Del Rey Talks Childhood Alcohol Addiction In British GQ October 2012
Getting ready to drop seven new tracks on her "Paradise" reissue of "Born to Die" in November, Lana Del Rey garnered herself a little added exposure by landing on one of five special edition covers of the October 2012 issue of British GQ magazine.
The 26-year-old singer strategically posed naked for the Mariano Vivanco front page shot wearing nothing but sapphire and diamonds by Chopard while dishing about everything from her career to her childhood addiction to alcohol.
Highlights from Miss Rey's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to check out British GQ!
On becoming a successful artist: "Just to have someone acknowledge the material I write is incredibly touching. It's an affirmation of sorts. I just didn't think that this was going to happen. Not any of it."
On her alcohol addiction: "It's been nine years since my last drink. That's really why I got sent to boarding school aged 14 - to get sober. A lot of the time when I write about the person that I love, I feel like I'm writing about New York. And when I write about the thing that I've lost I feel like I'm writing about alcohol because that was the first love of my life. Sure, there have been people, but it's really alcohol."
On her "stranger searching" hobby: "It's still my passion. I would just walk out of my front door in Brooklyn or Manhattan with an intention to meet someone who has the same energy. You just put it out there."
Lana Del Rey is famous 4 tanking on SNL. Now she is in 'scramble mode' to create a narrative that protects her album from tanking. It seems like in an interview with the Telegraph, she took some time 2 'address the haters', and potentially create a sympathy-based narrative. Of course, leave it to some 'soft ass' UK publication to guarantee puff-piece treatment. Say what u will abt mean ass American blogs, but at the end of the day, Americans are better buzz manufacturers, buzz panners, and have better taste in music. Is this the beginning of a new image 4 Lana Del Rey? Has she clarified 'who she really is'? Did u know that she isn't actually a 'rich girl'?
Her father is a real-estate investor, her mother an advertising account executive and, while they were comfortably middle-class, she snorts that, contrary to internet speculation, “they’re not millionaires. There wasn’t any money. It was just a life.” Despite the setting, it would appear that Del Rey’s inner life, at least, was anything but placid. “When I was very young I was sort of floored by the fact that my mother and my father and everyone I knew was going to die one day, and myself too. I had a sort of a philosophical crisis. I couldn’t believe that we were mortal. For some reason that knowledge sort of overshadowed my experience. I was unhappy for some time. I got into a lot of trouble. I used to drink a lot. That was a hard time in my life.”
Lana Del Rey is afraid 2 die... Then 1 day she realized that she was in fact #Born2die... Anyways, she recovered from her serious teen drinking problems and volunteered in the community.
In her years in New York, working “odd jobs” and “helping out in the community, in alcohol and drug awareness programmes” and playing the singer-songwriter open-mic circuit, Lizzy Grant reinvented herself as Lana Del Rey.
While we have heard that she lived in a trailer for a while, the teen drinking + sobriety angle is a new one. I wonder if she just wants interviewers to ask her about overcoming teen alcoholism instead of being asked, "So... what do u think abt the internet and the things that ppl say abt u on it?' She is just like U.
At 18, she moved to New York, studied metaphysics at college, and taught herself guitar.
Do u think listening to her leaked album 'Born To Die' is sorta like studying metaphysix?
Lana Del Rey doesn't want to disrepect God, so she cannot comment on internet hatred.
What the gossip-mongers and trolls of the internet haven’t seen is the effect all this cyber bullying is having on the person at its centre. Del Rey has made a record that deserves to be heard, but says she doesn’t want to tour, doesn’t want to leave New York, that she wants “to keep things small. All I wanted to do was make something beautiful, and I think I’ve done that.” Her nervous appearance on popular US TV show Saturday Night Live last weekend led to more internet abuse. But the thing is, Del Rey is nervous, and with good reason. “I don’t want to talk about how it made me feel because I think it’s disrespectful to God to go to a dark place with this kind of thing. People just want to see me go off the rails. That’s the only reason they’re watching. They just want to see what happens.” Her critics have questioned her authenticity, but Del Rey seems all too human. I ask if she is afraid of what she has unleashed. “Do you think I am?” she ponders, voice trembling, hand dabbing at her eyes. “Well, you might be right. But I wouldn’t tell.”
Did u know that we are all human after yall? Lana Del Rey wants u 2 know that she knows what u think abt her. She is self-aware, understands what is happening. Srsly though. WHY? Why are yall doing this 2 her?
It gets colder in the room as the interview progresses, as the New York chill penetrates. “I know what people think about me,” says Del Rey, pulling her suede jacket around her shoulders. “I don’t understand it, I don’t see why that’s the angle. And I’m a smart person. I mean, like, why that?”
'Get a new fucking angle, bloggers. I am a person.' -Lana Del Rey Will Lana Del Rey rebrand herself? IS it '2 late'? Will she sell mad albums in Europe? Can #LDR 'make it'? R u starting to feel sad 4 her? Can #LDR save her career? Did u have a teen drinking problem, and did it eventually help u to become an internet sensation?
Lana Del Rey came close to collaborating with Angel Haze on a remix of her 'Blue Velvet' cover, but record label issues forced the female stars to scrap the track.
American rapper Haze published the lyrics for the verse on twitter, saying "Sucks that you guys can't hear it," because the label 'didn't like it'. Haze wrote additional lyrics for Lana Del Rey's cover, but her label (Island) were unwilling to let Del Rey's label (Polydor) release the track.
Lana originally covered the famous 50's song during a H&M advert last year, after she became the new face of the fashion brand's 'LA Noir' collection.
The track also appeared on the Paradise Edition of her debut album, Born To Die.
Curves-and-chrome Americana … Lana Del Rey. Photograph: Ross Giilmore
The elaborate stage set for Lana Del Rey's European tour is an art deco marvel framed by a pair of lion statues that look as if they were half‑inched from The Great Gatsby. Yet the 26-year-old glides out to a very different movie theme: Giorgio Moroder's grim synth madrigal from Scarface. Perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising. Both are classic American texts about glamour, excess and reinvention.
Since her breakthrough in 2011, Del Rey has been roughed up by critics obsessed with her authenticity, unwilling to be seduced by her sultry repackaging of curves-and-chrome Americana. If the artist formerly known as Lizzie Grant is indeed a ruthless gloom-pop replicant perfected in a record industry laboratory, the public seems unbothered. Del Rey's debut, Born to Die, has shifted over 3.5m units.
She begins with the sullen Cola, a track with an already notorious opening line that the audience sings along with her, although their reading is far less aloof. Perhaps most striking is how poised Del Rey remains, highlighted by continuous video close-ups. She sings huskily, adopts characters, throws in some Spanish – but every frame projected on to the giant screens could double as a cover shoot. It's a remarkably controlled performance. She even manages to keep a straight face while singing, on Body Electric: "Elvis is my daddy, Marilyn's my mother, Jesus is my bestest friend."
There are missteps. Any subversive David Lynchian subtext is made text during a soporific cover of Blue Velvet. But Young and Beautiful, her contribution to the Gatsby soundtrack, sounds magnificent. After an enthusiastic reaction to Video Games, National Anthem initially seems an underwhelming finale. But then Del Rey hops down from the stage to facilitate cameraphone portraits with dozens of fans. She gives great Gatsby but takes even better selfies.
C- | 01.31.11 | Interscope | MP3 | CD | Vinyl Most people — let’s call them The Lucky Ones — live in blissful ignorance of Lana Del Rey and the insufferable debate she has ignited. If you know her name, you’ve already entered the fray, however unwittingly. As is the case with too many music blog hullabaloos, the Del Rey controversy has nothing to do with music. How could it? When her most frothing detractors pummeled to judgment earlier last year, only a couple of her songs were even public. The blogosphere instead roiled over the notion of her status as an indie artist (pop singer?) as such. “Authenticity,” that tired shibboleth of rock criticism, whizzed about as if Del Rey already warranted her own NYU American Studies seminar. Lines were drawn. Tempers blazed. Fingers wagged. We will not stand for this, shrieked the internet. Oh lord, here come the vapors!
The issue at (fiercely wrung) hand is trivial and, sadly, perennial. It’s the nerve struck whenever “coolness” and “calculation” collide. You see, Lana Del Rey was born Elizabeth Grant. Her father, an active participant in her rise to notoriety, is a wealthy investor. She went to boarding school. Her stage name was seemingly chosen by committee. A recent SNL appearance was her version of a cotillion. Del Rey’s self-described “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” persona, which is characterized by gauzy press photographs, aloof interviews, and winking hipness, only fuels the rage. (To be fair, the ridiculous term “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” is redundant, if not utterly unintelligible.) To her haters, Lana Del Rey is the construct of dirty cash, the product of unscrupulous corporate marketing, a rich brat swathed in Anthropologie, a gilded Rebecca Black, a phony-hipster Wicked Witch to be doused with bucketfuls of righteous indignation.
Talking about Lana Del Rey requires you wander into an infinite regress. It’s uncertain if the controversy is the result of tastemaker cynicism or the cunning of Del Rey’s people, a ploy to get us to ponder a nobody. If so, this review is a sign that it worked royally. Figuring out who is the chicken and what is the egg in this scenario is mind-numbing and fruitless. After all, we now have a hotly anticipated album to evaluate. Born to Die is neither a fiasco nor a triumph, but a sometimes competent, mostly mediocre album, unworthy of the tidal wave of infernal nattering it rides in on. In other words, it is a goosed-up disappointment. The mea culpa doesn’t belong to Del Ray and her people, but to those who worked themselves into such a lather over this. Apart from containing the genuinely terrific “Video Games,” Born to Die should have come and gone with the fanfare of a shrug. The collective and unbridled hate of Del Rey’s antagonists had the opposite effect: it didn’t bury Born to Die; it only imparted more and more importance on an unexceptional work.
If you’ve heard the Lana Del Rey EP, you already heard the best Born to Die has to offer. The four-track EP opens the album, a move that, it turns out, guarantees the rest of Born to Die will be a slog. The stifling melodrama, swelling strings, and cooing Del Rey vocals found throughout are only tolerable when the material can muster their burden and transform them into engaging songs. “Video Games,” a standout among slouches, establishes Del Rey as the bored chanteuse. All doubts of Del Rey’s talent momentarily evaporate when she’s carried into the chorus on a crescendo and delivers the phrase “Honey is that true?” with fragile falsetto. It’s a miraculous touch. Savor it. She never gives us better.
If the rest of Born to Die matched the skill of the remaining EP tracks, Dey Rey’s talent wouldn’t appear so tenuous. The title track is silly; Del Rey’s invocations of mortality are superficially applied like mascara to the lashes, but there is a palpable sexuality in her brooding. Same goes for “Blue Jeans,” where the sartorial is made sensual. It’s a tired trope, but the song’s fractured sonics and sprightly refrain work to temper Del Rey’s dourness. “Off to the Races” sounds like Del Rey’s pop take on PJ Harvey’s vamping, especially when she squeaks about her lover, calling him the “fire of [her] loins.”
After “Video Games” ends, Born to Die settles into a funereal march of overwrought dirges that make four minutes feel like twenty. Even when Del Rey takes loopy detours (“Diet Mountain Dew”, “National Anthem”), Born to Die sinks fast, a calcified hunk of lugubrious atmospherics, glottal vocal performances, boilerplate pop melodies, and games of naughty girl dress-up. As I listened to Born to Die, I realized the shouts that gave birth to Del Rey will eventually undo her. It puts her wooden SNL performance into context. Lana Del Rey wasn’t prepared for fame.
One sound overcomes the cacophony of argument and analysis that surrounds Lana Del Rey, and encapsulates my opinion of Born to Die: the noise of my hand, scraping the top of my head.
This isn't a music video as such as it is more of a performance video with just Elvis Presley performing the song the whole way through. It is just black and white and there is no use of colour. The video is trying to sexualise Elvis with his dancing throughout. The camera mainly focuses on Elvis with no changes of camera angles or cuts although there is the occasional cut to close ups of the guitar player.
Great balls of fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (1957)
Similarly to 'hound dog' this video is also purely performance with no use of colour. However there are more cuts to close ups and long shots used in this between the different members of the band, but these are always slow cuts. The cutting speed does speed up with the lyrics "mine, mine, mine" which adds effect and fits in with the music.
Tutti Frutti - Little Richard (1955)
Again this video has no narrative and is just performance based. It has an introduction to the song at the beginning before the song begins. The video begins with a long shot with the singer performing in the background, the dancers in the foreground and an audience at the side. The dancing and the reactions from the audience make the music seem fun and enjoyable to listen and dance to. There is then a cut to a closer shot of the singer with the band in the background showing they are also enjoying themselves. There are the different slow cuts throughout the video to different camera angles of the audience shown clapping and having a good time, the dancers who seem to be enjoying themselves and the singer who is entertaining everybody. Again, the whole video is in black and white.
1960's
Hard days night - Beatles (1964)
This video is from the film 'hard days night.' At the beginning there are the use of titles on the screen with the name of the song. In this music video the bands characters and personalities are shown more through narrative. A big crowd of people are shown chasing the Beatles wanting to see them which shows they are a well known, popular band. There is the use of comedy throughout with people falling over and the crowd running past the band while they are on the phone. There are many different cuts to different scenes, settings and mise en scene which keep the music video interesting and help to explain the narrative of the video. The cuts also show the crowd are chasing the band everywhere. There are close ups of members of the bands' faces juxtaposed with close ups of the crowds faces to show their reaction when they get a glimpse of the band. The crowd are all female and we come across a few male throughout the video who don't seem to be bothered about the band while the female are chasing them, this sexualises the band.
Be my baby - The Ronettes (1963)
This video just contains performance and is entirely in black and white. There are cuts from long shots of the 3 singers to close ups of their faces as they are performing. There is a crowd in the background shown to be enjoying the music and we can hear cheering from them throughout the video. There are also dancers behind the singers who add to the entertainment of the video. Different camera angles are used to show the singers and dancers. The singers also dance which could possibly show them in a sexual manner and make them appeal to men.
Good vibrations - The Beach Boys (1966)
This music video begins with a fade in with an angled camera shot of the band performing the song. There are cuts to different close ups of members of the bands and instruments from different angles. It is entirely in black and white with just performance shots. The camera zooming in on the band is an effect used. As the song slows down there is a cut to a close up of a girl smiling as she hears and sees the band, this could make the band appeal to women. There are then cuts between the band performing and the girl watching.
1970's Space Oddity - David Bowie (1972)
This video begins with the special effect of a blue squiggly line which cuts to the singer, this line then keeps appearing through the video. Colours are now used with special effects to make them more vivid. There are cuts to different camera angles of the singer with the camera occasioanly zooming in. Strange camera angles are used and the camera sometimes wobbles to make the music video seem slightly strange, along with the vivid colours, which may be the appeal to the audience of the band and the song. The video is quite simple with just the use of the singer and no extra people but the special effects make it more interesting for the audience so they want to carry on watching and listeing. They will also help the audience to remember the song.
It's only rock and roll - Rolling Stones (1974)
This video contains no narrative with just the band performing, The mise en scene used, the bouncy castle and the sailor outfits make the video seem a but strange but this may add to the fun of the video and appeal to the audience of this type of music. There are cuts between long shots of the whole band and close ups of separate members of the band. They are shown danicng which may also add to the fun and humour of the video as they band are shown having a good time while they are performing. The bouncy castle begins filling up with foam towards the end of the video which adds to the strangeness but also the humour as the drummer seems to be drowning in the film. Mainly white is used with some blue aswell and there are no special effects.
London Calling - The Clash (1979)
This music video uses colour but these seem to be dull and faded. At the beginning there are cuts between the close ups of peoples feet tapping to the music and long shots of the band performing the song). Different camera angles are used to show the band performing, it is raining which shows the band are enjjoying themselves and don't care but just want to carry on performing. The mise en scene used of the band performing on a river fits in with the lyrics "i live by the river" there is a cut to this when these lyrics are sung and at different points throughout the video.
1980's Run DMC and Aerosmith - Walk This Way 1986
This music video begins instantly with music and narrative, the camera shots explain the narrative by panning across the two rooms showing the wall in between them to insinuate they are separate physically. We then see the two contrasting groups dressed differently and the speech infers one side is not happy with the other. The high angle wide shot allows the audience to see in one shot the contrast between the two groups which is also contributed to by the variations in lighting and props. The music video has begun with music and the song plays quietly in the background as the guitars play over it seemingly practicing their instruments instead of going straight into the song which has become a typical feature. The narrative at the beginning of the piece shows how music videos have become more like short films. Before the singing starts there are a series of close up shots on both groups which again exaggerate the differences and also highlight the contrasting genres - rock and hip hop. When the vocals begin we see close up shots on Aerosmith's face which is typical of a rock music video as the expression is usually exaggerated, we see wider shots on the side of Run DMC which is also common of hip hop music videos where we see more people in the shot and movement towards the camera. This feature is again shown when Aerosmith break through the wall and there is a high angle close up shot of his face singing which cuts to a low angle wider shot of the two men on the other side stood with their arms folded. This video also uses the feature seen in earlier decades of using performance in the video, this has been consistently replicated in music videos but, as shown in this video, is not used for the duration of the video.
The Police - Every Breath You Take 1983
The video begins with a high angle shot zooming into an ash tray with a smoking cigarette which then fades into a drum. The video begins and remains in black and white a typical feature of videos from earlier decades when colour wasn't used. There are numerous shots of the instruments as the camera begins zoomed in and zooms and pans out to another instrument. The black background with the members of the band dressed blandly makes the video seem quite understated and bland, this however plays to the feel of the song which is morbid and also draws attention to the playing of and the instruments. Fading is used to bring the other band members into shots so they are all playing together, a mirror reflection is also used in this way. The video uses fading, lighting and shadows to create a specific feel on the audience, the fading works well with the rhythm of the song and instruments are faded in when heard. When the tempo and dynamics of the song increase there is more editing with zooming in and out of a piano and numerous instruments faded into shot. There is only small inclusion of narrative as we see a man cleaning a window in much brighter lighting than the performance. This video reflects earlier music video trends such as the video being plainly on the performance and little narrative which had now become a popular feature.
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 1983
This video uses a popular feature of modern videos by using contrasting music at the beginning to the actual song that is being promoted. We see a woman in a kitchen doing typical womanly tasks with a quick cut as soon as the music begins to a girl running round bright streets in colourful dress moving frantically unlike the character we first saw who was sat in a dull kitchen, this links to the name of the song as the second character is young and representing the title. Like the Run DMC video this video uses contrasting sides to emphasise a narrative, we see the daughter talking to her mother and their clothing shows the contrast in characters. The mother is linked with close up shots where as the daughter has wider shots as she moves round the house possibly suggesting the mother is more confined. We see a use of special effects as the daughter rings her friends and they all come into one shot from editing. We see more special effects when the girls are dancing and the shot goes into a bubble with other colourful bubbles on the screen, this would seem very outdated in a video in 2013 but fits with this music video with the mise-en-scene. There is consistent use of close up shots when it is just girls probably to show clearly their expressions and jewellery but wider shots when men are involved to show the contrast more clearly.
1990's
Similar to the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun video, this video begins with sound that is not the actual song that is being promoted. This video however uses the diagetic noise of a tapping foot, tapping pen, ticking clock and finally school bell before the song begins. This is used to promote the narrative of the video as in this time we can see the girl is at school bored and with the low to highangleshot we can see she is a school girl. This video contrasts with songs in later years as it has the feature of consistency, throughout this video all the shots are of Britney Spears in her school uniform and in the school which altered in later years as there would be lots more outfit changes and lots of different settings. This video uses two outfits and two settings which is used to express the contrast in the character and help the narrative. This video includes the now common trends of lots of shots in sync with the music including various types of shots and angle with a repeated pattern which includes close up shots of the artist singing with wide shots of dancing. It is obvious how popular dancing in music videos became in this decade as this video is nearly completely dancing with the artist at the front and numerous backing dancers. The sexualized singer uses mise-en-scene and narrative to attract the audience of young boys and girls, Britney doesn't seem too sexualized that she is intimidating to girls but still enough to keep boys interested.
This video shows how much music videos became short films as this video by Eminem is practically all narrative and the story that goes on in the music video is what brought attention and popularity to both music video and song. The wide shot zooming into the television allows the audience to see the setting of the video but then see the artist in the television presenting "The Slim Shady Show" this introduces the narrative with the artist and almost instantly suggests it is a parody. Eminem uses the video to portray the message and meaning of his lyrics to the audience. The between the fat man stuffing his face watching his song with his wife and the various characters Eminem takes on in the television express a strong narrative. There are various wide and on angle shots to include both the viewers of the television and Eminem on the television in shot with sometimes just shots of the couple and then close ups on the television. The video is consistently about humour and humouring his own lyrics referring them back to a situation, there are numerous performance shots included in this video probably to keep it as a music video and not too much of a short film. There are many low angle shots which is common in this genre of video with the artist knelt and making gestures towards the camera. The use of special effects and bright lighting makes the video seem modern and professional which contrasts with the content bringing the desired parody effect.
2000's
Beyoncé - Single Ladies (2008)
Beyoncé's video brings into play old and new trends and features of music videos. The use of black and white consistently throughout the video incorporates trends from early decades where colour was not used but is not used for the feel of the song like The Police did as the song is fast paced. The video also uses features such as just the three girls dancing which is a typical feature of the first music videos and ones in the next decade where the artist performing was the only thing included. The music video shows how just simply performance shots can be effective as this video was extremely popular and voted in the Top 10 00's music videos on Billboard. The use of black and white and little special effects with only the changing of background colour makes the video effective as it is so different to what is popular in this decade. There is a range of shots used in the video where the camera pans around the girls from a high angle and zooms in and out but the camera for the majority remains at one level and at a medium shot, this allows the audience to concentrate on the dancing but for the video to be sexualized with the camera movement as the girls bodies with little clothing is exaggerated. 2010's
This video is simple but effective as it uses a simple narrative with quite advanced special effects. The narrative is a simple concept of one character singing to another which is reflected in the lyrics. The bright lighting makes the setting visible and the expressions of the characters are clear. The main part of the video is the use of video tape to draw and spell out certain parts of the song, special effects are used in music videos but not as bluntly as this and in earlier decades where this would be the main focus of the video. Although Bruno Mars is singing in the video I wouldn't label it a performance video as although sometimes he is playing the piano this is just variation and the main part of the video is the concept and narrative expressed through the special effects.
This music video is a boybands first song and so sticks to the typical conventions of a breakthrough video. The video shows a lot of the band wearing white and this is a typical convention of boyband videos such as Five. The video shows the bands doing a lot of typical teenage things such as driving cars and playing on the beach which can be associated with care free teenagers and lets them appeal to a wide audience and seem young and fresh to the market. The lighting is consistently bright to show the band as lively and the outfits have some consistency between the band but also has individual styles which makes the band seem together but also have their own character. The setting of the beach and scenes on the road make the band seem to be doing desirable fun things that teenage girls and boys would enjoy.
This video subverts the typical pop music video and this is probably because the artist is Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran came to fame after a struggle with busking and didn't take the usual route of a talent show like the X Factor. This means Ed Sheeran although probably very steered by management has kept a lot of his original style. His videos rarely show him and instead rely heavily on narrative. In this particular video the narrative is very fictional and we see a typically attractive young woman who is meant to be cupid showed by blatent wings and the dress that is white. Instead of advertising his wealth Ed uses dimmed lighting and a range of characters, props and mise-en-scene to narrate a story that he thinks relates to the lyrics of his songs and instead his video is a short story.
Contrasts Same song: TLC Waterfalls 1990s & Stooshe 2010s
2012
The TLC video contrasts with the Stooshe video in numerous ways. It is obvious which decades these videos are from as the TLC video shows very exaggerated and obvious special effects such as the women coming out of the water and strong emphasis on close up shots of the band members singing and gesturing on water and with very strong costumes and make up. The music stops to allow a narrative in the TLC video which splits the video up, this adheres with modern videos where the videos are dominated by narrative but these are juxtaposed with the music instead of separated. The TLC video does have features which would not be misplaced in 2010 music videos as the quality is above average and shows a vast movement since 1960's. The Stooshe video shows typical features of earlier decades as the band are stood performing on a podium and then also share that of later decades as there is a lot of dancing. Both videos share the quality of appealing to the working class Stooshe uses graffiti and stays away from expensive sets whereas TLC uses narrative of crime. It is interesting how the Stooshe video uses less special effects and relies heavily on bright lighting, bright clothing and the use of paint to promote and appeal to the girlband stereotype when technology is so much more advanced than the time of the TLC video.
Same artist: Madonna Vogue
Hung up
Analysing one artist over a period of time shows how music videos have changed. Although the songs vary slightly in tempo the songs share some similar features. The medium and close up shots of the artist remain constant in the video in an almost pattern which is juxtaposed with shots of dancers and narrative. The dancing controls both videos and is a significant feature, the differences appear most in the outfits as in the video where the artist is younger the clothing is a lot different to that of the most recent video. This may suggest that now music videos are controlled by the sexualisation of the artist as Madonna wears little clothing and dances provocatively in the recent video but in the earlier video exudes her sexuality with dance moves and cuts to her looking more womanly and singing. The variety in shots is wider in the more recent video as this uses more narrative. The colours are brighter in the second video and there is more make up, less clothes and more narrative.
With a shaky performance on Saturday Night Live critics also attacked Lana like ducks on bread and hit her with the unoriginal "she can't sing live" comments, in my opinion this criticism is not even worthy of comment as this is such an overused statement that is consistently proved wrong by a later performance - people are quick to build someone up then shoot them down from the top. Lana Del Rey has effective advertising and promotion with a twitter account accumulating in excess of 2 million followers, an extremely professional website and perfectly timed magazine cover releases acting as a catalyst in her musical success - this is tactical but doesn't make her a traitor. 
