Born on June 21, 1985, in Lake Placid, New York, Elizabeth Woolridge Grant’s rugged childhood inspired the motifs behind lots of her praised works today. After her struggles with alcoholism grew out of hand, her mother sent her to a boarding school in Spain at the age of 14. When she returned to New York in 2005, she took her first steps into the music industry by learning guitar. After trying on a few short-lived stage names like May Jailer, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and Lizzie Grant, a trip to the Hispanic coasts of Miami, she finally inspired Elizabeth to land on the name Lana Del Rey. From there, she would create one of the most impactful legacies of pop culture seen in the 21st century.
It all started when her first official album, Born to Die, was released. This album’s genre is best described as hip-hop and draws inspiration from Lana’s experience with urban life. It encaptures the Lolita aesthetic heavily associated with her today and gives an “all-American” vibe. Tracks like “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans” became fan-favorite songs and sculpted the future trends and fads of the internet. During this time, Lana also made the song “Young and Beautiful” for the movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby, which gained her one of her first Grammy nominations. Then, released in 2014, her sophomore album Ultraviolence garnered even more recognition for Lana. The album takes influence from psychedelic rock and contains heavy themes of manipulation and desperation, with songs like “Pretty When You Cry” and “Shades of Cool” giving listeners a sense of hopeless romanticism. The success and adoration of these two albums were Lana’s first significant steps into notoriety.
Lana’s third album, Honeymoon, did not receive much attention but is still a thoughtful and well-produced work of art. Honeymoon contains escapism and desire notions, excellently displayed in songs like “Religion” and “Freak.” These themes are presented with gorgeous symphonic and orchestral instrumentals. Lana’s 5th studio album, Lust for Life, was heavily impacted by her roots in hip-hop. This album exudes a 70’s/hippy vibe and is classified as dream pop. Lana’s prior collaboration with The Weeknd incited his feature on the album’s title track, “Lust for Life.” Luckily, Lana’s success would continue with her subsequent album, Norman F***ing Rockwell! This album emanates pure East Coast/California energy. Sonically, the album sounds far less produced than her previous works, evident through the piano and horn instruments in the title track, “Norman F***ing Rockwell.” The album is generally viewed as Lana’s magnum opus, indisputable through the 2 Grammy nominations it gained her and the stellar 9.4/10 the album received from Pitchfork.
During this golden age of music for Lana, there would be a dry spell regarding media attention. In 2021, sister albums Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Blue Banisters were released. The first album is very personal, with friends and family being mentioned regularly through a ritzy/sophisticated lens being very common. This album’s genre is more folk and scarcely contains electronic instruments. The latter album, Blue Banisters, would receive slightly more notice than the first. This album is more vocally centered, with songs like “Dealer” and “Living Legend” praised for their outstanding sonant performances.
Self-reflection and appreciating what one has are vital to the album’s message. Regarding critical acclaim, the two albums were very well received and sat towards the higher end of scores that Lana has received. As of 2023, Lana’s 8th studio album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard (“…Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard” for brevity), was released. In an attempt to disassociate from the outlandish and ambiguous persona created by Born to Die, Lana made her most vulnerable and honest album to date. With songs like “Kintsugi” and the title track, “…Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard,” illustrating insecurities regarding motherhood, fading into obscurity, regret, etc., fans gained insight into the inner workings of the enigmatic Lana Del Rey. Not to mention the immense popularity and commendation of the lead single, “A&W,” the album has gradually become a fan-favorite. The life and art of Lana del Rey connects millions of people, leaving fans with a plethora of songs to contemplate and enjoy.