Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (20/02/2012)
Since her debut single Video Games emerged in mid-2011, hype over Lana Del Rey has been steadily growing, reaching its peak in Australia when the song placed number 6 in Triple J's Hottest 100 Countdown.
Del Rey (real name Elizabeth Woolridge Grant) is nothing if not polarizing. I will readily admit that I adore Video Games. It's haunting combination of church bells and harp with Del Rey's deep, vibrato vocals make for a dreamy, intoxicating song. It wasn't hype that won me over to the song; when I first heard it, I didn't know who the singer was and only later made the connection that I had been listening to Del Rey.
As always, with so much hype comes so much chance for failure. Shortly before the release of her full length album Born To Die, Del Rey appeared live on SNL in a performance that, to put it lightly, showed that her vocals talents don't translate well to the live stage.
However, I give that performance the benefit of the doubt (perhaps it can be chalked up to nerves) because in terms of her album, I can't really fault Del Rey on her vocals. She never hits any astonishing heights, but she does display a decent range. It's just a shame that Del Rey and her producers have taken more advantage of her stronger lower register.
What has let Born To Die down is its lyrics. There are some cute rhymes, but for the most part the lyrical content is simplistic. 'Boy you're so crazy, baby. I love you forever, not maybe. You are my one true love', Del Rey sings on Off To The Races, and you wish she was singing something a little more engaging because the pseudo-hip-hop track is otherwise kind of bizarrely good.
Most tracks recycle similar narratives about bad boys and star-crossed relationships. What separates Video Games is its understated beauty and power. Unfortunately this same kind of level isn't really reached again on Born To Die. However, a few tracks do make it close: Born To Die (the second single), the shimmering, lush pop of Radio, and the dark cabaret of Million Dollar Man.
It's not that Born To Die is a bad record, or even that I dislike it. It is a fine pop album, but I think that this is where the problem lies - many people were expecting something more from Del Rey. With the exception of a few tracks, Born To Die is fairly run-of-the-mill pop music. However, with lead singles that hinted at something more exciting, with the right direction we could very well see Del Rey reach her full potential in future releases.
Chelsea McIntyre
Del Rey (real name Elizabeth Woolridge Grant) is nothing if not polarizing. I will readily admit that I adore Video Games. It's haunting combination of church bells and harp with Del Rey's deep, vibrato vocals make for a dreamy, intoxicating song. It wasn't hype that won me over to the song; when I first heard it, I didn't know who the singer was and only later made the connection that I had been listening to Del Rey.
As always, with so much hype comes so much chance for failure. Shortly before the release of her full length album Born To Die, Del Rey appeared live on SNL in a performance that, to put it lightly, showed that her vocals talents don't translate well to the live stage.
However, I give that performance the benefit of the doubt (perhaps it can be chalked up to nerves) because in terms of her album, I can't really fault Del Rey on her vocals. She never hits any astonishing heights, but she does display a decent range. It's just a shame that Del Rey and her producers have taken more advantage of her stronger lower register.
What has let Born To Die down is its lyrics. There are some cute rhymes, but for the most part the lyrical content is simplistic. 'Boy you're so crazy, baby. I love you forever, not maybe. You are my one true love', Del Rey sings on Off To The Races, and you wish she was singing something a little more engaging because the pseudo-hip-hop track is otherwise kind of bizarrely good.
Most tracks recycle similar narratives about bad boys and star-crossed relationships. What separates Video Games is its understated beauty and power. Unfortunately this same kind of level isn't really reached again on Born To Die. However, a few tracks do make it close: Born To Die (the second single), the shimmering, lush pop of Radio, and the dark cabaret of Million Dollar Man.
It's not that Born To Die is a bad record, or even that I dislike it. It is a fine pop album, but I think that this is where the problem lies - many people were expecting something more from Del Rey. With the exception of a few tracks, Born To Die is fairly run-of-the-mill pop music. However, with lead singles that hinted at something more exciting, with the right direction we could very well see Del Rey reach her full potential in future releases.
Chelsea McIntyre