Upon the release of her new album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club,” I started to have mixed feelings on how I should feel about Lana Del Rey and her projects. I always tended to be a somewhat casual fan of hers and although I previously hadn’t looked much into it, I knew that there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding Lana in the past few years. So, before fully enjoying her new album, I decided to break down her past to get a better understanding of her fickle relationship with the media, and to become more aware of how I should consume her music.
“…I’m just a glamorous person singing about the realities…”
If you’ve heard any of Lana’s songs, it’s not hard to pick up on the dark undertones that she sings about. On the title track to the respective album, “Ultraviolence”, Lana sings, “I can hear sirens, sirens. He hit me and it felt like a kiss. I can hear violins, violins. Give me all of that Ultraviolence”. A controversial, yet common theme in Lana’s music happens to be situations in which she is in either physically or emotionally abusive relationships with men who tend to be quite a bit older. So, even though she sings so softly and beautifully about these harsh topics, is it wrong and in poor choice for me to support and enjoy these songs that glamorize abuse? Lana explains these messages by explaining, “I’ve been honest about the challenging relationships I’ve had…That’s just how it is for many women”. When it’s presented like this, I think Lana’s message and her art makes a lot more sense to me; she’s singing about her life, and how these relationships have shaped her. I do think that the music tends to glamorize the abusive dynamic of the relationships that Lana sings about and relates to, but music doesn’t always have to be justified or appealing for everyone- especially if it’s coming from personal encounters and affairs.
Chemtrails Over the Country Club
In comparison to Lana’s previous albums, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” holds a much different storyline, that in a lot of ways, abandons the previous persona that Lana sang about so unapologetically. Back in the era of her “Born to Die” album, I think what stuck out to me about Lana and her music was the variety of tone, tempo, and emotions that she portrayed on the album. Both albums are similar in tone and to be fair, Lana is known for her ability to make the darkest situations sound so intriguing. Another note between most of her albums that I always enjoy, is that the tracklist and overall theme flows well in its entirety. Even for Lana, Chemtrails is definitely a more mellow sounding album, but I don’t really think this takes away from its experience at all. With deep, and hard-hitting tracks like “Breaking Up Slowly” and “Dark But Just a Game”, the more gentle flow of this album gives more meaning. So, while I do think “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” gives a much different feel and movement in comparison to her other projects, I think that there is also a lot to be said for the storyline and persona that Lana displays in this new work.
Lana Del Rey is an artist that never fails to hold some sort of shock value with her music and personality. She keeps the media’s attention, and even though her new album takes a slightly new approach, it doesn’t stray away from what her audience anticipates. So, although she may not be the most neutral of artists, Lana still takes a unique look on very real situations and relationships, and while it may not be the most agreeable point of view, variety and worldly experience in music is still something to be appreciated.