I consider Lana Del Rey one of my two favorite artists (the other is Miranda Lambert). So a Deep Dive into her catalog was a no-brainer, even if I was already quite familiar with it.
Del Rey went from being dismissed as a vapid industry plant to being one of the most respected and beloved modern singer-songwriters. Back when she was ridiculed for an awkward SNL appearance, who would have guessed she’d be an easy inclusion in The New York Times‘ list of the Greatest Living American Songwriters a decade and a half later?
At once a throwback to the glamour and mystery of the 60s and a bracingly astute chronicler of post-2000 America, Del Rey is a human contradiction. She’s a fire and brimstone prophet in a sheer nightgown, pointing the way to the laziest, loveliest apocalypse.
I wrote these posts in the run-up to her 2023 album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, and went on to write about every track on that album as well. All of those links are included below.
Chemtrails over the Country Club
My final thoughts on Del Rey’s career, and my ranking of her first eight studio albums
My track-by-track assessment of Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Meet Me In Montauk 