Lana Del Rey has announced multiple titles and release dates for her next album. With it being her tenth studio album, many fans are anticipating the release. Lana also said this album would lean towards a more country feel, and after releasing singles Henry, Come On, and Blue Bird, she proved it is a very suitable genre for her.
Previously deemed Lasso, the upcoming album has now been changed to Stove, although it is unclear if this will be the final decision. Lana previously said the album would be released in September 2024, then again pushed to May 2025, and again to January 2026… Yet when the day came, instead of an album release, Del Rey announced a single and a longer delay. Many fans were disappointed, with some even saying they will not listen to the album if it is ever released.
All of these negative reactions make me wonder, are artists just expected to pump out creativity to their fans’ will? Is it impossible to exist as an artist without producing art in a way that is bound to a time crunch? I find it ridiculous that people believe Lana owes them anything. If people expect something as unrestrained as art to exist within the same bounds as deadlines, then I believe they do not truly wish for real art. If the creativity is forced, there is no worth in it. An artist should have the ability to share and not share their art whenever they please. They do not owe anyone any sort of material; that is what makes it art.
Art and money
I understand that art and capitalism now coexist. And as much as I dislike that fact, it is the way it is. And that means art does, in some ways, exist on a timeline. I’m not saying that artists cannot make quality pieces while being managed and constrained. However, I am saying that artists should not have to adhere to their consumers’ will. They should simply be able to produce what they want, when they want, and we should appreciate whatever it is they have to give. Creative expression is not something that should be rushed or demanded.
Criticism over exploration
I noticed amongst artists who have already created a large platform and produced multiple pieces, that when they no longer feel the need to shape their creativity to gain attention, they often will switch to a music style more authentic to them. And with that, they tend to get a lot of negative reactions. Even in a place where these artists are already successful enough, they choose to release pieces of themselves. Yet instead of being grateful, people criticize and say they are failures.
Lana Del Rey has faced this criticism since Chemtrails Over The Countryclub, but she is not the only one. Taylor Swift is another example; she is widely criticized and picked apart with every new release. As soon as these artists try to show themselves a little more and give their fans more content, it is never good enough. They are picked apart and told that they have long surpassed their “peak”. Artists can be multifaceted and still produce quality art; people are simply critical of change.
This is all to say that I think people should cut artists a little slack. No matter how much you’ve been looking forward to their next album, they’re still people too. And they should be given the time to create things at their own pace. I’d rather be able to consume something that is authentic than timely, or simply appreciate what I’ve already been given.