Remember when Lana Del Rey was canceled last year because of her “question for the culture”? While the post overall was about Lana wanting to be able to sing about being in love while being honest about the struggles she faces in relationships without being accused of glamorizing abuse, most people who read the post could not get past her seemingly judgemental tone in the first paragraph. She starts the post by pointing out how Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé all sing about “being sexy” and “cheating” and are not judged while she sings about “being beautiful” and instead is “crucified”. This sentiment did not sit well with the majority of her audience due to her naming many prominent women of color in the music industry. Lana later clarified that she was mentioning all of these women in a complimentary way but those on Instagram were still angry.
As a fan of Lana Del Rey, it is clear to see what she truly meant by the post however even her biggest supporters understood by everyone was mad. An edit by a PR team would have allowed her to voice her frustrations without her valid criticisms being overshadowed by a scandal. It’s difficult to watch an artist I admire tarnish her brand which got me thinking about which is better: celebrities being themselves or being their brand?
Lana Del Rey fans have always loved her authenticity. From her homemade music videos and album covers to her excitedly announcing album release dates prematurely that inevitably have to be pushed back, fans see the charm in the real person Lana is. Lana always being herself unapologetically has given her a relationship with her fans that few other artists have. However, being famous has its downsides, including millions of people being able to have an opinion on every word you say. For this reason, I think it is important for celebrities to have a PR team to ensure what they say cannot be interpreted incorrectly. While a PR team is an important asset to have, we would never want to lose the special nature of celebrities viewing their fans as friends that can share all of their thoughts with, as Lana Del Rey does.