Until recently, I had never listened to Lana Del Rey. I mean sure, I’d heard hits like Summertime Sadness on the radio every now and then. However, I had never sought out her music until a couple of days ago, when I finally bought her newest album (Lust for Life).
In a world with so many emerging artists, it’s hard to keep track of all of them. What finally turned my attention towards Lana Del Rey after years of brushing her off was a headline that appeared in Teen Vogue: “Lana Del Rey Has Some Strong Feelings About Drumpf, Sexism, and America.”
This headline surprised me at first. When I think about Lana Del Rey, I don’t picture an artist who is outspoken about their political opinions. Instead, I picture a young woman standing in front of an American flag, singing about iconic American imagery. For the past few years, Del Rey has been presented as a beacon of Americana and nostalgia, symbolizing the bright days of her country’s past through both her lyrics and her style. However, she’s finally carving herself an identity beyond that of a reminiscent songstress; she’s transitioning into an artist with something to say.
The Teen Vogue article explains that, like the rest of us, Lana Del Rey is uncomfortable with recent American politics. “I feel less safe than I did when Obama was president,” she told an interviewer at Pitchfork. Considering Donald Drumpf’s policies and his demeanour, Del Rey admits that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to convey romantic ideas about America. Her discomfort towards the country has grown so strong that she has stopped using the American flag in her imagery altogether. Whereas in the past it often appeared in her music videos and served as the backdrop for all of her concerts, Del Rey has decided to entirely omit the flag from her art: “I’m not going to have the American flag waving while I’m singing ‘Born to Die.’”
At first glance, Del Rey’s decision might seem insignificant. After all, why would a change in visuals have any impact at all? Well, here’s the thing; whether or not you choose to accept it, pop-culture has an increasingly large impact on the conversation surrounding social and political topics. When celebrities voice their opinions about politics, their ideas resonate and create discussions within their audiences.
Of course, Del Rey isn’t the first American artist to express dismay towards Donald Drumpf; in the past, artists like Katy Perry and Shakira have also voiced their opinions about the president. However, she’s one of the first to truly allow recent politics impact her artistry. Keep in mind that for years, she has built her identity around Americana, featuring it in both her songs and her appearance. Her decision to remove the American flag from her imagery is more than just a decision; it’s a political statement. Del Rey is showing her fans just how strongly she feels towards Drumpf, which is particularly important since her demographic includes a lot of young Americans. Her listeners are being given the opportunity to think critically about politics, and to see that Lana Del Rey is more than the idealized version of ‘American Beauty’ that a lot of people have pegged her as; she is a real person, with thoughts, emotions, and yes – political opinions.
Album Art from Genius.com
Del Rey’s political awakening goes beyond a change in her visuals. In an interview with BBC she explains that her newest album, Lust for Life, delves into topics she’s never discussed in her music before: “I kind of got jolted into the real world again… my studio became like a think tank – during the elections it was a constant conversation with my producer and engineers and assistant engineers.” You can hear these changes in Del Rey’s lyrics, which have taken on an air of vulnerability and concern. Lust for Life maintains the artist’s nostalgia and the sounds of the 60s while highlighting both the good and the bad of the modern American landscape. While there are positive songs like God Bless America – And All the Beautiful Women in It, which is a celebration of modern women, there are also darker pieces which offer up meaningful commentary. In Coachella – Woodstock In My Mind, Del Rey discusses the mounting tensions in North Korea, while When the World Was At War We Kept Dancing, criticizes modern society and asks; “Is this the end of an era? Is this the end of America?”
With Lust for Life, Del Rey combines poetic lyrics with musical elements from different eras; she manages to maintain her nostalgic sound while establishing herself as an artist who has a lot to say. The result is an album that is both warm and dynamic, conveying a unique perspective about what it’s like to be young in modern-day America. If, like me, you haven’t listened to much of Lana Del Rey’s music in the past, Lust for Life a great place to start.
