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Lana Del Rey

So in the beginnings of a new blog, I figured I'd start off writing about my biggest celebrity inspiration, Elizabeth Woolridge Grant AKA 'Lana Del Rey.'
Lana is best known for her music career, releasing chart topping hits such as 'Summertime Sadness' and internet (Tumblr) sensations like 'Video Games.'  I discovered Lana's music when I was 14, an age when I was only just starting to figure out my musical preferences.
I was first struck by the song Born To Die as I was aimlessly scrolling through Tumblr, and later on listened to the entire deluxe edition of the album 'Born to Die: Paradise.'  This has stayed my number one favourite album ever since, my favourite track being 'Yayo.'
Image result for born to die cover
The album tells a story of freedom, alcoholism, drug abuse and youth.  One of Lana's best known phrases stemmed from this album, as she recites during the intro to the 1o minute long video to 'Ride' "Live fast, Die Young, Be Wild and Have Fun..."



This album has inspired me as a person in many ways, but the most important thing I personally took from this album was to spend a lot less time worrying about the trivial things in life as they can be irrelevant in terms of the bigger picture.  Born To Die is a cinematic album that is full of drama and melancholia, and through it being one of my obsessions, I have learnt that in order for Lana Del Rey and her producers/ co writers to compose the way they did, they couldn't be in the studio thinking about everyday issues.  They were delving deep into their thoughts to find their darkest fantasies and sorrows, creating pictures and stories, a character with a crazy context and sounds that send consumers into the land of the 'American Dream.'   This album really does transport me to somewhere else when I'm listening to it, feeling like i'm in Coney Island, San Francisco or Santa Monica (all destinations mentioned on the album.) This is probably why I adore the album so much, it takes me out of my own life and helps me to realise there is a lot beyond where I live now (and far more desirable places.)

My second favourite album of Lana's is ULTRAVIOLENCE.  It is one of my favourites for all the same reasons I loved the debut album, however it adds some more melancholia to the picture.  On the album's front cover, Lana is to be seen posing moodily in front of her own white vintage car.  Neil Krug (Ultraviolence photographer) stated that he took the cover photo in a way where it is "a window into the narrative."  It achieved exactly that for me personally, when listening to this album, I picture the vintage car, Lana Del Rey living through darkness although still in the life of a free spirit.   The album title 'Ultraviolence' was suspected to of been taken from the classic film 'a clockwork orange' (an incredibly dark film.)  Musically, this album is more experimental that the first, it contains some more genre influences such as blues rock and psychedelic.  One of my favourite tracks is 'West Coast.'  I've always thought this was an absolute masterpiece and after researching it I found it took influences from surf rock, indie rock and even reggae (the drum beats in particular.)  To the side you can see Lana at Coachella on April 13th (2014) and this is where she debuted the track West Coast.
Image result for lana del rey coachella april 13 2014This album lives with an aesthetic and a story.  Lana struggles through  drug addiction, heartbreak, violence and blown American Dreams and struggles to deal with them separately.  So you find a mix of issues being demonstrated in each song, emotionally created with vocals swoops and moans.  Another one of my favourite tracks from this album is 'Old Money.'  It contains some beautiful lyrics and vocals but still with an undertone of longing and sadness in each note sung.  It's the most nostalgic track on the album and you're almost standing in the corner of Hollywood and Vine and experiencing it's past atmospheres with lyrics like
"Blue hydrangea, cold cash divine
Cashmere cologne and white sunshine
Red racing cars, sunset and vine
The kids were young and pretty."


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