Singer-songwriters Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain are generating a great deal of buzz among pop-culture fans as they publicly engage in an on-going feud. The two artists, known for their haunting and alternative music, have unexpectedly become involved in an internet dispute, upsetting fans of both singers.
The initial beef began in 2022 when Del Rey posted a photo to Instagram with her now ex-boyfriend, Chicago-born rapper Jack Donoghue, in front of a jail in Chicago. The presumably harmless photo stirred up attention when shortly after, Cain posted an old picture to Twitter, also with Donoghue in Chicago. The photo, taken just a year prior, went along with the caption “ok wait now it’s my turn,” seemingly dissing his and Lana’s relationship. Both posts has since been taken down, both Ethel and Donahue denying any romantic engagement.
Shortly after this controversy, Cain was interviewed for the New York Times in an article titled, “The Most Famous Girl at the Waffle House,” which pictured her sitting in a booth at the chain restaurant Waffle House. Del Rey proceeded to go viral on social media in 2023 for working a shift at Waffle House, sparking an internet meme.
In August of this year, the beef between the two artists was revived when Lana teased a new snippet of a song rumored to be titled “All About Ethel.” The lyrics shown in the short video posted by Del Rey directly disses Cain, saying “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / think it’s cute re-enacting my Chicago pose / the most famous girl at Waffle House / I don’t regret it, the most famous girl at Waffle House.”
Promptly after Del Rey’s snippet released, Cain posted an Instagram story reading “update: lana del rey has blocked ethel cain on instagram.” Supporters of both artists are left open-mouthed as the beef has begun to separate fans of the two artists online. Torn between the singers, the two fanbases have become violent with the other, defending their favorite indie star.
In response to Cain taking the disagreement to her story, Del Rey left a comment on an Instagram post discussing the feud, expressing that it was brought to her attention that Cain had previously fat-shamed her. Del Rey insists that Cain had, throughout the years, posted “disturbing and graphic side-by-side images,” showing Del Rey next to “unflattering creatures and cartoon characters, making constant comments about [Lana’s] weight”. Del Rey also claims that Cain insulted her “behind closed doors” and “started inserting herself into my [Lana’s] personal life.”
Many fans are upset that Cain resorted to insults about Del Rey’s body, declaring that there were a variety of other ways to go about the argument. Additionally, the feud is viewed as unexpected by fans of the singers, as Cain was previously in full support of Del Rey and her music, even calling her one of her favorite musical artists as of recently.
The motives behind Cain initiating this quarrel can only be explained by the constant comparisons she has received to Del Rey throughout her career as a result of being in the public eye as an alternative artist. Cain has gone on record in the past, arguing that “it’s kind of a detriment to the expansive work of two female artists just to reduce them to being similar to each other.” As the two singers start to become more and more publicly associated with the other in the limelight, Cain’s irritation is growing, causing her to resent Del Rey herself. From Cain’s perspective, these comparisons are actively preventing her from being her own original artist, which therefore influences her to take her frustration out on the source itself, even if unfair to Del Rey.
The major buzz around this battle of the two popular singer-songwriters has caused people to feel forced to choose sides, fueling controversies between the two fanbases. Although both sides of the rivalry appear to be overly dramatic and virtually unnecessary, the two are still on poor terms and have yet to come to a resolution.