Lana Del Rey: My Secret Shame
DISCLAIMER:I really love a lot of her music and sound, she really has a beautiful soft voice however when she speaks I want to punch her. Lana can not word properly or cut herself off to save her life, which is why I can no longer listen to her publicly without feeling ashamed or attracting side eyes. She really needs a better PR team because sweetheart is not the brightest. DO NOT JUDGE ME.
Lana Del Rey, born Elizabeth Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, is an Manhattan based singer-songwriter. Her music is largely based on 1970s and 1960s Americana.
Born To Die – Paradise Edition (2012):
Number of songs: 24 songs (1 hour 38 minutes)
Personal Rankings: Only Ranking Songs Not Interludes
1.) Video Games: I want this song played at my wedding, in the hospital when I am giving birth, every life changing moment. I would pay money to hear this song for the first time again. It is slow and melodious and her lyrics is basically her confessing her need for this one person, tell me that is not beautiful.
2.) Born To Die: The music video made me cry because nine year old me thought she actually died. That being said this is one of her best songs I want this song played at my funeral. Her sad overwhelming vocals paired with the dramatic sleeping beauty instrumental leaves an impact on whoever listens to the song.
3.) Ride: I wanted to run away to the MidWest when this music video came out. The song makes me feel free and long for rebellion to be quite frank.
4.) National Anthem: “Money is the reason we exist, everybody knows it, it’s a fact. kiss kiss” This song is the epitome of what I imagine being a rich American is like and I am wildly jealous even if it is not as ideal.
5.) Carmen: Before Conan Gray made Heather, Lana gave the world Carmen. This song is the reality of being the it girl.
6.) Radio: This song is how she copes with fame, and when analyzing the lyrics there are a lot of underlying lyrics which is why it is one of my favorite songs.
7.) Summertime Sadness: Does this need explanation? You hear this song you should already expect people to sing it, although I know the kids who work at any retail store practically weep when hearing it.
8.) This Is What Makes Us Girls: My eighth grade girl anthem very empowering themes to the song. Very light-hearted
9.) Blue Jeans
10.) Lucky Ones
11.) Without You
12.) Off The Races
13.) Dark Paradise
14.) Diet Mountain Dew
15.) Blue Velvet
16.) Cola
17.) Body Electric
18.) Gods and Monsters
19.) Million Dollar Men
20.) Burning Desire
21.) Belair
22.) American
23.) Lolita
24.) Yayo
Number of songs:15 (1 Hour 9 minutes)
Personal Rankings: Only Ranking Songs Not Interludes
1.) Shades of Cool: It is really the chorus that does it for me in this song Lana proves time and time again she has vocal range.
2.) West Coast: This is what I imagine the birth of Rock n Roll was like in the 60s personified in song form.
3.) Money, Power, Glory: Is this not what everyone truly wants in life, The piano and slow instrumental of the song paints a picture of a girl that is determined to make it to the top and I love that.
4.) Sad Girl: Her Voice that is all I can say
5.) Brooklyn Baby: This song is basically her confessing her daddy issues but overall very much great. The instrumental, lyrics and vocals scream naivety and blissful ignorance.
6.) Ultraviolence
7.)Florida Kilos
8.) Old Money
9.) The Other Women
10.) Is This Happiness
11.) F**ked My Way To The Top
12.) Cruel World
13.) Black Beauty
14.) Pretty When You Cry
15.) Guns and Roses
Number of songs:14 (1 hour 5 minutes)
Personal Rankings: Only Ranking Songs Not Interludes
1.) Music To Watch Boys To: One of my favorite songs simply because of the chorus “I like you a lot” and the bridge. The shift in the song that then dives back into the original sound takes you on a calming roller coaster
2.) Honey moon: The perfect way to describe this song is it is a sirens call, simply enchanting.
3.) Freak: This song is a trip. Literally makes me sway and want to try drugs to be blunt.
4.) High by the Beach: The lyrics, The video, Her voice , The nonchalance of it all is simply divine.
5.) Art Deco
6.) 24
7.) Salvatore
8.) Religion
9.) God Knows I Tried
10.) Terrence Loves You
11.) The Blackest Day
12.) Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
13.) Swan Song
Number of songs: 16 songs (1 hour 12 minutes)
Personal Rankings: Only Ranking Songs Not Interludes
1.) Love: This song is not the best song on the album but it brings me so much joy. The music video was so beautiful and she looked so happy I teared up. This song is just overall has very good vibes and makes me optimistic.
2.) Lust for Life: Ever since prisoner I had been craving a collaboration between Lana and The Weeknd and they delivered. There’s a reason why this song is the title song. Her and his vocals mesh so well it is like Ice Cream on a warm summer day. Seriously we need a collab album between these two because every time they come together it is gold.
3.) Summer Bummer: Finally this woman gave me a song with not only A$ap Rocky but Playboi Carti as well. This song is amazing, her sultry voice mixed with Playboi’s ad libs and Rocky’s verses is simply a match made in heaven.
4.) Cherry: This song deserves it’s own movie. The songs instrumental and Lana’s whispering plus ad libs really bring the song to life. This song remind me of Bonnie and Clyde
5.) White Mustang: Being the inspiration for this song was the best thing G Eazy could do for me. This chorus literally lingers in my mind every time I hear it for days. I love how fragile she sounds in this song also the chorus is ” White Mustang” but can be interpreted as ” Why am I staying” and that is really cool to me.
6.) Groupie Love: This song is the national anthem music video in song form, more particularly the JFK and Marilyn Monroe Birthday scene. The harmonizing and layering of Lana’s vocals behind A$ap’s verse paired with them both singing at the end is just *chef’s kiss*.
7.) In My Feelings
8.) Coachella-Woodstock In My mind
9.) 13 Beaches
10.) God Bless America
11.) Heroin
12.) Get Free
13.) Beautiful People, Beautiful Problems
14.) Change
15.) When The World Was At War We Kept Dancing
16.) Tomorrow Never Came
Norman F**king Rockwell (2019):
Number of songs: 14 songs (1 hour 5 minutes)
Personal Rankings: Only Ranking Songs Not Interludes
1.) Hope is a dangerous thing for a women like me to have-but i have it: The song makes me cry and think about some hardships women go through, but it also made me really concerned for Lana. Overall the basic instrumental matched with Lana soft voice and powerful lyrics really make an impact.
2.)Cinnamon Girl: This song is so soothing to me because of her voice and the beat yet the lyrics are so sad, how much pain has men put this poor women through. She was really vulnerable as always but this song made me hurt for her
3.) Norman F**king Rockwell: Lana basically said “you disappointed me, but your a man so it is expected oh well.” For that message alone this song is one of my favorites.
4.) Doin’ Time: Let me start of by saying the music video was very good. Second, she did this cover so well I forgot it was not her own song. Last this song makes me what to cause mischief and get caught on purpose just because it is summer time. The drums and her harmonizing really makes this song.
5.) Happiness is a butterfly: This lady needs therapy. Another sad love song, she is literally begging a man for the bare minimum. Great song very calming .
6.) Mariners Apartment Complex
7.)Love song
8.)How to Disappear
9.) Bartender
10.)F**k it I love you
11.) California
12.)The greatest
13.)Venice Bitch
14.) The Next Best American Record
RANKINGS: (Side note- Her unreleased music hits harder than her released music sometimes)
1.)Born To Die era: This is a classic, this album literally birthed so many Wattpad fanfics it is insane. The album is timeless truly, no matter what time I hear it I am ready to croak to the music. This album alone could save anyone’s career and she did it with no features. Let’s talk about the music videos- all cinematic masterpieces(except for Ride the cultural appropriation was very sketchy). This album is like my personal time machine. 10/10
2.) Lust for Life: This album was a close second, I feel like people disliked the album because they don’t like seeing Lana happy or in love. This album was good she finally gave us collaborations and really diversified her sound adding a lot more hip hop and 70s hippie rock elements. 9.5/10
3.)Norman F**king Rockwell: I am not gonna lie I did not really attach myself to this album, it had a few great songs but for me it was overall mediocre compared to her last works, I guess I expected more. However, after relistening again I clearly was wrong because this album really hits hard. I guess I was not prepared to see Lana sad again but she is clearly making progress. It was really the lyrics of this album that got me and makes this album a great one for me. Also she was snubbed at the Grammys. 9/10
4.)Ultraviolence: Lana again did what she had to do. This album made me want to try certain substances and live in the west coast with a man who is slightly toxic for me. This album makes me feel like a mysterious Hollywood junkie but in a cool way I promise. The vibe for each song was very similar and there was a consistent aura/essence to the album but I can not really describe it. 9/10
5.) Honeymoon: This album is really a hit or miss for me, I feel like if she never released it I would not be upset. It was basically the Ultraviolence throw aways for me, with that being said some songs did hit. It was not a bad album at all but I wanted more from her. 8/10
I really loved and enjoyed your explanations and they are all so true. Some of them had me laugh out loud. I think Lana is one of the few artists today who can really song-write instead of just having catchy background music and easy lines. She really brings it back to “what am I trying to say” and though not every song hits, she tries to challenge herself and the music industry today.
I have heard and liked some of Lana Del Rey’s songs, but I wouldn’t consider myself a fan. The one that I remember the most and feel the most nostalgic about is Summertime Sadness. I swear when it was released it was the only thing being played on the radio where I lived.
I loved reading your fun explanations as they make your descriptions come to life! I am a big fan of Lana Del Ray, but only started listening to her because my brother played one of her songs in the car as we were going to get lunch one day. I am excited to now listen to more of her music based upon your recommendations!