On “Groupie Love,” the fourth single from Lust for Life, Lana Del Rey serves as the ‘groupie’ to A$AP Rocky.

On July 21, 2017, the world hears a Lust for Life.  That Lust for Life is bestowed upon us by the one and only Lana Del Rey, sigh. After getting off to a fast start in promoting her fourth full-length album, things sort of cooled off a bit.  Her third single, “Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind,” earn some buzz.  Still, when you drop two singles the same day and both feature A$AP Rocky, there’s reason to start listening.  Also, how can you not be curious about a song entitled “Groupie Love”?

“Groupie Love” opens abruptly, with the robust vocals of Lana Del Rey setting the tone.  The sound is what one expects of a Lana song – lush, atmospheric, indulgent. Vocally, she’s relaxed as always, never opting for a rhythmic driven delivery.  Perhaps this is one reason why she’s considered such a polarizing artist. She has an exceptional voice, but, even when her music is happier, it still has an enigmatic nature – sometimes even darkness.

Given the title, the subject matter of the song shouldn’t be shocking.  On the first verse, Del Rey describes her man – the musician.

“You’re in the bar, playing guitar / I’m trying not to let the crowd next to me / It’s so hard sometimes with the star / When you have to share him with everybody.”

So, essentially, she’s a groupie and she’s buying into the fact that this man is really into her? The second verse is more of the same.  After each verse, there is a pre-chorus – slightly varied each time – which provides some forward propelling motion. This helps to eliminate some of the sameness of the verses.  The hip-hop oriented drums stand out on the chorus, providing some additional intensity. The chorus itself is simplistic:

“You want my / Groupie love / Groupie love / Groupie love.”

A$AP Rocky joins in as the role of her boo.  He doesn’t deliver a bullet in terms of his rhymes, but what he spits is fitting:

“Front row, every show like a hype man / Sing along word for word while she my bae / Side stage, fans screamin’ causin’ migraines / Yamborgini-high, but she ain’t on my grade…”

A thoughtful touch comes at the end of the song, where A$AP Rocky joins Del Rey for the final chorus.  After all, it is “groupie love.”

Final Thoughts

All in all, “Groupie Love” is enjoyable.  Is it unrealistic? To an extent, but Lana Del Rey captures the delusional mind of the groupie perfectly.  This isn’t the song of the year, but worthy of spins by all means.  

Lana Del Rey • Lust for Life • Interscope • Release: 7.21.17

Photo Credit: Interscope