By: Halle Fisher
In July of 2012, Elizabeth Grant, professionally known as Lana Del Rey, entered the music scene with her debut album “Born to Die.” This forlorn indie-pop record stood out from her chart-topping counterparts, like Katy Perry’s bubblegum “Teenage Dream” and Drake’s hip-hop LP “Take Care.”
A bright future for gloomy Lana didn’t seem likely. Yet, her bold personality and lyricism took her straight to the top. “Born to Die” debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 77,000 sales, and as of September 28, 2022, with 450 weeks, holds the record as the second longest charting female album of all time.
Every one of the twelve tracks was gloomy and full of sorrow. The music video for her lead single “Video Games” was created on a MacBook. She touches on topics the public preferred to hide from; the capitalism of womanhood in “Carmen” and a world where women are trained to fight in “This Is What Makes Us Girls.” Every move she made was against what was popular.
Since her 2012 debut, she has inspired countless artists been adored by fans worldwide. Her work has influenced some of musics’ biggest names, like Taylor Swift who said that Del Rey is “the most influential artist in pop,” with her musical style being “repurposed everywhere in music.”
We’ve seen a vast increase in the amount of successful alternative and indie-pop records, especially among women. Billie Eilish, currently dominating the 2020’s decade, alternative records have broken insane records. Just as Taylor Swift’s first indie record “Folklore” has continued to prove popularity can be found in sorrow and melancholic music.
The pop landscape has changed forever- all thanks to a Miss Lana Del Rey.