Lana Del Rey – The Queen of Baroque Pop Returns

The record has been released across all standard formats as well as being pressed to vinyl for three editions – A standard LP, a limited edition yellow vinyl and an Irish exclusive limited picture disc.   

Fusing hazy dream pop with cinematic and melancholic themes, Lana Del Rey’s output of modern Americana has struck a chord with audiences all around the globe since the release of her self titled debut studio album in 2010. 

With two BRIT Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards and six Grammy Award nominations to her name, the New York artist has received huge recognition from those within the industry as well as maintaining a passionately loyal fanbase. 

With her latest offering due in March, we decided to take a look at her latest single and we’ve taken a trip back through some of her greatest tracks to date.

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey had teased her forthcoming release, Chemtrails Over The Country Club with a single of the same name.

The track is a dramatic ballad which grows from the foundations of a gentle piano line and Lana Del Rey’s stunning vocal. Guitar textures, delicate string arrangements and an airy yet steady percussion section are introduced throughout, resulting in a blissful sample of what’s to come from the full record when it is released in March. 

The warm vintage makeup of the video features Lana Del Rey riding solo in a red cherry Mercedes with the full aesthetic of 1960s America.

Video Games

Lana Del Rey’s major break occurred following the release of her second studio album, Born To Die, in 2012. Lead single Video Games set the tone of the album and is an early example of the artists stamp within the baroque pop genre that she has become synonymous with. 

Featuring a powerful piano arrangement, flourishes of harp, layered string sections and emotionally charged vocals, the track was a major success in Ireland and the UK and helped put Lana Del Rey on the map.

Doin’ Time

Doin’ Time featured on Lana Del Rey’s sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell!, released in 2019. Consisting of a laid back hip hop style beat, Lana Del Rey’s effortlessly cool vocals and a slick bassline, Doin’ Time hit the top spot in the US Rock Airplay Billboard chart. The track highlights Lana Del Rey’s diversity and range in style as a performer as her melancholic composition is replaced with a sharp and bold pop style.

Young and Beautiful

In 2013, Lana Del Rey’s hauntingly epic Young and Beautiful was featured in the romantic drama The Great Gatsby. Del Rey’s impassioned vocals are married with a powerful, cinematic orchestral track which fits perfectly with the classical theme and 1920’s era in which the movie is set in. 

Norman Fucking Rockwell 

Lana Del Rey’s opening track on her sixth album of the same name is a stunning introduction to one of her most successful records. Norman Fucking Rockwell! topped a number of end of year lists including The Irish Times’ Best International Album and The Guardian’s Best Album of 2019. Not only that – Rolling Stone and NME even included the record in their Best Albums of the Decade lists! The album was nominated for Album of the year at the 2020 Grammy Awards and Lana swooped the Best Album award at the 2020 NME Awards.

Born To Die

The title track from Lana Del Rey’s second album see’s a contemporary mix of trip hop and baroque pop matched seamlessly. Cinematic strings and crisp electronic drum sounds present the backbone in order for Lana Del Rey’s soothing vocals to shine brightly. The album of the same name spent more than 300 weeks in the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number two.

Summertime Sadness

Summertime Sadness was released in 2012 and landed at number five in the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Billboard charts. Starting as a gentle and dramatic ballad, the track doubles in speed for the chorus to create a somewhat blissful yet melancholic atmosphere. 

Freak 

In 2017 Lana Del Rey released her fifth studio album Lust For Life. The record continues with her portrayal of classic Americana with throwbacks to the 1950s and 1960s but with more modern electronic components incorporated. Freak features a booming trap style bass kick accompanied by a floating string and wind section to create truly trippy experience.

West Coast

On Lana’s third studio album Ultraviolence, we see more psychedelic rock elements incorporated into the New Yorker’s sound. Dan Auerbach from the blues rock band The Black Keys features on production duty for the record and that laid back cool vibe can most certainly be heard in tracks like West Coast. Lana Del Rey combined with some slick blues – what’s not to like?!

Lana Del Rey’s eagerly anticipated seventh studio album Chemtrails Over The Country Club is out now. Listen to it here.