Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
<p>Lana Del Rey is an enigma, but not in the way that Lady Gaga’s Dadaism leaves people scratching their heads or how Justin Bieber is both beloved and belittled by so many, but because the vagueness of Rey’s rise to prominence.</p>
<p>One critically panned Saturday Night Live performance propelled the young songstress to instant fame and made her one of the most polarizing figures in popular music.</p>
<p>The theory that is catching steam, believed by most doubters and conspiracy theorists, is Del Rey is a planned commercial endeavor engineered by her millionaire investor father’s wallet and various managers with blueprints for her success.</p>
<p>What’s confirmed is that Del Rey — actually named Elizabeth Grant — grew up in Lake Placid, N.Y. and spent time living in a trailer park, but even the legitimacy of that has been contested. Did she do it out of genuine interest for that lifestyle or was it a step in the process to inject mystique into her backstory?</p>
<p>She first drew mainstream attention with a well-placed inclusion in an episode of the CW series “Ringer.” That and other things led to her unexpected-by-most performance on SNL, which, despite not being as apocalyptically awful as the world would have you believe, was torn apart by critics.</p>
<p>Whenever Internet users get an opportunity to collectively hate something, they pounce on it without hesitation, whether or not the source material warrants such widespread disdain.</p>
<p>Del Rey became a victim of this when the online community stuck a megaphone in front of NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams who said her performance was “one of the worst outings in SNL history.” Actress Juliette Lewis also tweeted that Del Rey’s performance was “like watching a 12-year-old in their bedroom when they’re pretending to sing and perform.”</p>
<p>Del Rey’s album was deemed guilty by association to the SNL “blunder” and much of the world denounced it before they heard a single verse. Looking past the dark lens through which the world views Del Rey’s debut album, “Born To Die,” there is actual darkness, but more in terms of lyrical content than a lack of quality.</p>
<p>The moral behind Lewis’ mean-spirited tweet is absolutely correct — to a degree. Del Rey looked nervous and insecure, but that seems to be less symptomatic of her being uneasy in the spotlight and more a reflection of the themes woven throughout “Born To Die.”</p>
<p>It’s not the fame and notoriety that worry her — it’s the fear that her own self-consciousness and insecurities will devour her whole.</p>
<p>The album name is no misnomer. A quick analysis of it reveals exactly what Del Rey’s thought process is in most of the tracks. Instead of realizing she has been given the gift of a comfortable life, she recognizes only the negative aspects: it will come to an end, and there will be pain — and lots of it — along the way.</p>
<p>The title track is the finest example of this. It is the exact opposite of Vitamin C’s “Graduation” — instead of a past to look back upon fondly and a future filled with hope, Del Rey argues life is a constant detriment to morale, but though the pursuit of happiness or anything else to numb the pain of living is likely futile, it’s worth a shot.</p>
<p>Del Rey’s insecurities are plentiful and well-represented, both by the tracklist and the collagen in her lips. Her apparent plastic surgery can be seen as an attempt to fix what she felt was a personal shortcoming. But according to her songs, pleasing herself is exponentially easier than making others happy.</p>
<p>Listening to “Video Games,” the single that catapulted her into the nation’s view, without watching the accompanying music video is like listening to a movie — you get the gist of what’s going on, but the visual element uncovers meaning that can’t be perceived with ears alone.</p>
<p>The video, supposedly made by Del Rey almost entirely of video she found on YouTube, shows clips of urban life and other joys the world has to offer, interrupted by footage of public drunkenness and low-fi, self-recorded video of Del Rey singing into the camera with a look of longing and emptiness in her eyes. The optimism of the video is brought back into melancholic territory by Del Rey’s emotionally charged but often-subtle vocals over piano, plucked pizzicato strings and other orchestral elements.</p>
<p>It’s as though Del Rey envies the people in the video, skateboarding, riding mopeds and jumping into pools, and they’re a representation of what she wants her life to be — one that can’t be salvaged from the negativity inherent in the pessimism with which she sees the world.</p>
<p>Del Rey’s lack of confidence lies only in the subject matter. Her vocals are unconventional, but top-notch. She naturally switches back and forth between smoky-jazz-lounge-style singing, airy femininity and spoken verse.</p>
<p>Where the record falters is in its repetitive instrumentation and production. The first five tracks are attention-capturing, but beyond the album’s first half, no territory is explored that hasn’t already been visited. The same hip-hop-lite beats and slow string arrangements occupy every song and when combined with slow tempos and Del Rey’s hypnotizing vocals, the whole affair is almost enough to lull you to sleep.</p>
<p>Del Rey doesn’t deserve to be victimized by hateful YouTube comments comparing her talent to the size of the dislike bar, but “Born To Die” doesn’t deserve the utmost praise, either. It’s an intriguing record, albeit primarily because of its context, but there are flashes of brilliance that put into question how important the album is musically and not just culturally.</p>
<p>(originally published Feb 2, 2012 here: http://mainecampus.com/2012/02/02/cd-review-lana-del-rey-born-to-die/)</p>