20 LANA Del Rey tracks accompanied by 20 of her biggest influences. With Julee Cruise, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bowie, The Eagles, Dylan, Amy Winehouse and Springsteen. A magical mix of melancholy and glamour.
Words and curation by Stella Jopling, cover art by Mick Clarke as ever
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant in New York, Lana Del Rey grew up in Lake Placid in upstate New York before moving to the city to pursue her musical career in 2005. After making a name for herself performing at underground clubs and recording albums under different personas, her breakthrough song ‘Video Gamesʼ (which she posted on YouTube) and its accompanying self-made music video is what elevated her to stardom. So distinctive was the construct, some suspected a one hit wonder. However, without a doubt, Del Rey has successfully built momentum with each and every one of her nine albums, expertly walking a line between celebrity and credible musical artist. Far from a one hit wonder, she has effectively become one of the most iconic recording artists of this generation.
I have been lucky enough to see Lana Del Rey perform live twice. At 17, my best friend Freya and I spent all the money we had flying to Dublin to see her perform at Malahide Castle in 2019. ‘Lust for Life’ was her most recent album then, and remains one of my favourites. After standing for over eight hours in order to be just a few metres away from her in the front, she opened with ‘West Coast’ (from her third studio album ‘Ultraviolence’). Watching her perform that song made tears stream down my face. It is the only concert at which I have ever cried and that experience defined my teenage years, in many ways.
Now 21, I went to see her perform at Hyde Park as part of the British Summertime Festival. Having released another four albums since I saw her in Malahide, Del Rey performed with the same style and spine tingling live vocals that she had done in Malahide. I went with Freya as well as my younger sister who has turned into quite the Lana Del Rey fan too (both of my younger sisters have and even my dad too).
During the interlude (which has turned into quite a ritual at her shows) in which she walks along the barrier, hugging and talking to fans, I looked up at the screens and saw how deeply she is able to connect with those adoring fans. Over 60,000 people attended Lana’s concert that day.
Inspired by an amalgam of mellow pop, classic rock, americana and even rap (ASAP Rocky, Playboi Carti and Tommy Genesis have featured on her albums) and equipped with that lush, angelic voice, Del Reyʼs records take you to another place, unless perhaps, you already live in Southern California. Widescreen American landscapes occupied by exotic strangers drifting through scene after scene of rolling highways, vintage cars, cocktail bars and cupcake stalls, all washed in pastel colour.
While she has become influential, Del Rey has done so through being a highly skilled alchemist of her own influences. David Bowie comes to mind as the model she herself has followed. However, her life has not always been as dreamlike as her music. After having become reliant on alcohol at the age of 15, Del Rey had to leave her family and friends to go to boarding school away from her hometown - perhaps this being the inspiration for her songs ‘This Is What Makes Us Girlsʼ, ‘Carmen’ and ‘Bartenderʼ. Del Rey has described herself as a sad child, and clearly music has always played a part in evoking her emotions. As an 11 year old watching Kurt Cobain sing ‘Heart Shaped Box’ on TV, she said that she has never related to anyone’s sadness as when seeing his performance.
Whether you are a fan of Lana Del Rey or if you have paid any attention to the odd song, it’s clear that she is an accomplished writer of modern-day classic pop. While the stylings of the music blend melancholy and glamour, her lyrics strive to express a deeper purpose and meaning that many modern pop songs do not possess. Del Rey is influenced by classic modern literature too. The track ‘Lolitaʼ for example, is after Vladimir Nabokov’s beautiful yet chilling novel, while her fifth album was named ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell’ after the infamous American painter. She has also written her own poetry book, ‘Violent Bent Backwards over the Grass’, which was released in July of 2020.
The 18 tracks on this (updated) playlist are accompanied by 17 songs by some of her biggest influences. With some songs, for example Julee Cruiseʼs ‘Fallingʼ and The Beatles ‘And I Love Herʼ, it is clear there is a direct musical influence. However with others, for example Elvis Presleyʼs ‘Love Me Tenderʼ and Bowieʼs ‘Space Oddityʼ there is more of an all round imbibing of the artist, the song and the art. An interesting, and perhaps surprising track, given that he has roasted her on another of his songs, is Eminemʼs ‘When Iʼm Goneʼ. Del Rey has talked about the fact that she is so inspired by the way he openly talks about his personal life in his songs, and for her, Eminem was one of the first artists she listened to express this cathartic style, something she has very much adopted. I’ve included classics by The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Amy Winehouse along with Springsteen and Sinatra. The playlist is proof that in order to impress a fresh idea upon modern culture, it pays to study the classics. With the passing of time Lana Del Rey herself will undoubtedly be known as a classic artist.
Lana Del Rey has cultivated an avid loyal fan base. As I have grown up, my music taste has changed a lot, but Lana’s music is very much a constant. The first time I heard one of her songs was ‘Summertime Sadness’ on the radio in the car on the way to school, I was 10. Now, at 21, I am able to share my love for Lana Del Rey with my younger sisters, and watch a new generation of Lana fans become drawn into her world as they grow-up. Just like Lana Del Rey has her own inspirations, she, herself, has become not only a musical inspiration for many people, but an influential part of my generation, my younger sister’s generation and generations to come.
Playback notes: goes without saying that listening in scheduled order is best, but the playlist kinda works on shuffle even
Our ‘Under The Influence’ series also features The National and Primal Scream.