Say what you want, but Lana del Rey is an artist. She definitely has a polarizing effect on audiences, but if you love her music you REALLY love her music. However, what I find most fascinating is Lana del Rey’s personal story.
Born to former Grey Group copywriter turned entrepreneur, Rob Grant, and former Grey account executive, Pat Grant, Lana was given a heavy dose of creativity. As an Advertising major, I find this extremely interesting. I even learned that her father helped with the marketing of her first full-length studio album titled “Lana Del Rey A.K.A. Lizzy Grant” in January of 2010. Lana Del Rey, or Elizabeth Grant, had a troubled childhood. At fourteen she was sent to Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut, to deal with her alcohol dependence. She returned to New York at 18 and began singing in bars around Brooklyn.
At the age of 20, Del Rey signed a record contract for $10,000 and moved into a trailer park outside the city. But when her album got shelved she lost sight of her music career temporarily. Del Rey began working in community service. “Homeless outreach, drug and alcohol rehabilitation—that’s been my life for the past five years,” she told Vogue in 2012. Del Rey admits that music is not her first passion. At the Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore Del Rey told interviewers, “Although I love music, it is not my first passion. When I decided to stop drinking 10 years ago, my passion was working with homeless outreach, drugs and alcohol rehabilitation. I lived in New York for 10 years so that’s my job for real. I would say music doesn’t really feel like my true calling.”
What makes her different? Del Rey has truly created a brand for herself, which is why I believe she has experienced so much success. She has a beautiful voice, but she also has a style and personality different from any other artist. As “Woman of the Year” Del Rey recently posed for British GQ.
When asked about her past, Del Rey responded, “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.” Although her past has not been easy, Del Rey found inspiration for her album, stating much of ‘Born to Die’ stemmed from her years in the so called ‘wilderness’ of her past.
Del Rey chooses her endorsement deals wisely and in keeping with her personal brand. She recently endorsed the clothing line H&M, even creating a music video promoting the Fall and Winter 2012 collection with the fashion brand. Recently, Del Rey endorsed the Jaguar F-Type automobile, posing for shots with the luxury car.
She also performed “Burning Desire” for the VIP audience at the Musee Rodin in France at a Jaguar sponsored event. Del Rey embodies the style and feel of Old Hollywood but with an edginess. She has even coined herself “gangster Nancy Sinatra.” Her lyrics and music videos have dark elements and are composed to suggest an otherworldly oddness. She herself dresses in an alluring, but dark manner. Del Rey incorporates modern elements to her lyrics and style, but also a 60s retro theme. In accordance with her style and music videos, Del Rey makes appearances that match her brand. For example, Lana Del Rey performed at the Chateau Marmont as mentioned in her song. She has made an incredible impact on the music industry and I believe she will only continue to do so if she stays true to her music and her personal brand.
Sources:
http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/men-of-the-year/home/winners-2012/woman-of-the-year-lana-del-rey/page/3
http://www.vogue.co.uk/person/lana-del-rey
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs…
Images:
http://soundisstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Lana-Del-Rey.jpg
http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/642×390/a_c/2242-GQBMV-05C-110_053-copy_GQ_28Sep12_pr_b_642x390.jpg