Lana Del Rey – the poetic side of the prom queen complex

Lana Del Rey is the latest internet musical sensation - everybody on my Facebook wall (and their mother) share her videos. She’s any music producer wet dream: an amazingly polished “IT girl” style wise and a very distinct voice – the fatal combination of looks and talent.

Her debut album hasn’t been yet released (it’s programmed for the end of January 2012) but the buzz is already overwhelming. Here are some interesting facts about this pouty lips beauty that got people talking:

• Lana Del Rey is her stage name (a poetic combination of the first name of old Hollywood actress Lana Turner and a Ford model from 1981), she's 25 years old, her actual name is Elisabeth Grant and she’s the daughter of millionaire Robert Grant
•  She first launched her career in 2010 under a different name (Lizzie Grant) and with different lips and style which brought a lot of accusations about her being totally manufactured.

There's something fascinating about Lana Del Rey – she’s such a beauty, perfect on the outside, obsessed with the Hollywood aesthetic, yet somehow broken, fragile and decadent personality wise, an introvert who’s constantly trying to make sense of the world.

What really gets me it’s the contrast between her nostalgic retro look and the dark mood and feel of her songs. So emotionally charged and sad!
The girl is a huge drama queen, if I’d ever seen one! I love that about her!

Her deep, husky voice, sometimes described as a “gangsta” Nancy Sinatra makes her distinct. The Daily Transmission called her sound “Cinematic dark pop wrapped in smoky, sultry and glamorous overtones” which I think is a brilliant way to put it.

What makes Lana Del Rey even more memorable is her retro style inspired by the 50’s and the 60’s with a modern “California girl” vibe that’s very in right now. I also see a lot of Lauren Bacall and Brigitte Bardot influences in the way she looks and what she wears.

While her lyrics may be sometimes cliché, her songs are quite addictive – her voice is mesmerizing, very soulful and cold at the same time.

 
And then came the videos!!! So far they were perfect, refreshing and sad (far from the usual hoe fest that the music videos have become nowadays).

First we have Video Games – a strange combination of David Lynch influences and old home made video montages that stirs a bit of emotion out of anybody.

Then we have Born to Die that’s a beautifully edited, tragic story that goes perfectly with the hallucinatory song. It also happens to be laced with symbolism, but who cares about that, right?!
It’s all about the esthetically breathtaking factor with Lana Del Rey! So much so that many hurried to discuss the old “style over substance’ subject which I think to be total rubbish in this particular case.

 I’ve also found this really cool interview she gave to Rolling Stone (via here):

On her songwriting: “My writing process…it’s been the same for a very long time. I never feel rushed. I never feel pressure. I really have a strong idea about what I like to hear and myself write and sing. A deadline never compromises things for me. If I didn’t have the right material, I would never release it.”

On her sound and visual references: “I keep it really clear. I talk a lot about Thomas Newman’s score for American Beauty. That was a soundtrack I really was inspired by. Giorgio Mirto, I talk about the orchestral work he’s done. Think Thomas Newman score for American Beauty meets early Bruce Springsteen ’sex Americana.’ And put them together, but place it in Miami and have me singing it. That’s what I tell them.”

On early musical influences: “When I was 11, I saw Kurt Cobain singing ‘Heart Shaped Box’ on MTV and it really stopped me dead in my tracks. And I thought he was the most beautiful person I had even seen. Even at a young age, I really related to his sadness. I felt like I was really searching for answers. And I thought I could see that in him, briefly, in 3 minutes and 42 seconds, or whatever. So I saw him for the first time on TV when I was 11, and I never revisited his music again until I was about 17 or 18; and then when I did, it still meant just as much to me then and it’s continued to be my primary inspiration—in terms of not wanting to compromise lyrically or sonically. Not making music that I..thought was really stupid. Just singing over pop tunes just to be famous.”

Photos

 What do you think?