Lana Del Rey | 4GEMZ 💎

1. Lana Del Rey, “Ultraviolence”

💿 Ultraviolence • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2014

lana de“Jim raised me up, he hurt me but it felt like true love / Jim taught me that, loving him was never enough.” Ah, what better way to close out this dangerous, violent list than with a dash of 🎙 Lana Del Rey.  Del Rey isn’t one of the ‘brightest’ artists in the game – she keeps it pretty dark.  A perfect example is 🎵 “Ultraviolence,” from my personal favorite Lana Del Rey album, 💿 Ultraviolence (2014).  Naturally, the record is set in a minor key, characterized by its eerie, unsettling nature.  Besides the instrumental backdrop, as well as Del Rey’s distinct vocal performance, the reason why “Ultraviolence” is so chilling is because of its subject matter.  According to Del Rey (via Culture News), it’s about the cult leader of the underground group of which she was a former member. 

“With his Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
I can hear sirens, sirens
He hit me and it felt like a kiss
I can hear violins, violins
Give me all of that Ultraviolence.”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 11 Songs That Are Dangerous, Violent, or Otherwise

2. Lana Del Rey, “Summer Bummer”

Ft. A$AP Rocky & Playboi Carti

💿 Lust for Life • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2017

🎙 Lana Del Rey – quite the polarizing musician to say the least! While she’s quite the character, what’s undeniable is the voice, which is by all means, one of a kind.  Throughout her fourth full-length album 💿Lust for Life, Lana Del Rey showcases her best attribute.  There is no bummer whatsoever with 🎵 “Summer Bummer,” which features dark production work with an enigmatic quality. 

At the top, Del Rey sings indulgently in an undertone, yet adds more drama – or melodrama – in the process. Ad-libs appear throughout the record from 🎙 Playboi Carti, who plays a supporting role. The other featured guest, 🎙 A$AP Rocky, gets his own verse, depicting shallow, undercover love. What do we learn from “Summer Bummer?” Nothing we’ve never heard before, but we do hear a fun, carefree song from Lana Del Rey.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗🎧 13 Captivating Summer Songs

3. Lana Del Rey, “The Greatest”

💿 Norman Fucking Rockwell! • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2019

🏆 Grammy-nominated alternative pop singer/songwriter 🎙 Lana Del Rey delivered arguably her best album to date with the explicitly titled, sixth studio album, 💿 Norman Fucking Rockwell!. Some people adore Lana, while others are mixed.  She’s a truly polarizing musician, yet, possesses quite the distinct, beautiful musical instrument.  Arguably, she’s only improved over the years.  She shines on 🎵 “The Greatest,” among the crème de la crème of NFR!. 

“I want shit to feel just like it used to / When, baby, I was doing nothing’ the most of all.” Ah, “The Greatest” provides some more punch to NFR!, with its spirited guitars and retro-tinged sound. This is one of the late, truly great songs on the album.  Here, Lana Del Rey is reminiscent, missing a past romance (“I miss Long Beach and I miss you, babe”), New York, and rock (“I miss New York and I miss the music / Me and my friends, we miss rock ‘n’ roll”).  The outro is quite scintillating, as Del Rey lists the current happenings, which include forest fires in Los Angeles and Kanye West’s state of mind.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 15 G Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason

4. Lana Del Rey, “For Free”

Ft. Zella Day & Weyes Blood

💿 Chemtrails Over the Country Club • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2021

🎙 Lana del Rey is always good for a cover on many her albums.  She concludes her seventh studio album, 💿 Chemtrails Over the Country Club, brilliantly with the 🎙 Joni Mitchell classic, 🎵 “For Free.” Del Rey enlists 🎙 Zella Day and 🎙 Weyes Blood for the assist on a truly chilling interpretation.  The vocals are elite, the harmonies haunting, and the production stunning.

The original – intact with clarinet solo, fitting – is magical.  Likewise, Del Rey’s take is also quite special, making the case for the crowning achievement on a truly intriguing album. That’s saying something considering how many great originals grace Chemtrails.  Furthermore, this take easily secures a spot on the broader 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far).  Del Rey, with the help of Zella and Weyes truly transforms this 1970 gem into a contemporary classic.  Particularly if you weren’t familiar with Mitchell’s music, you’d swear this was an original.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🗣 Joni Mitchell vs. Lana Del Rey: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 7 (2021)
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: March 2021
🔗 🎧 15 Ear Catching Covers
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)