Del Rey’s voice is different than any I have heard before. I was going through a very difficult breakup when I saw Del Rey in concert right around the time her first album was released. I hadn’t wanted to attend the concert—I wanted to lie in bed and eat ice cream and go through the normal post-breakup rituals. But I pulled on some clothes and went. In the few hours, I watched Del Rey sway on stage, singing such hits as “Born to Die,” “Video Games,” and “Off to the Races.” I suddenly understood the power of music and what it can do for the human psyche. I remember hearing “Video Games” countless times on the radio, but never understanding its significance. But hearing Del Rey live was completely different. Her voice, though deep and hard-hitting on the album, suddenly became personal and intimate. Del Rey’s lyrics carried sensual notes I hadn’t noticed before, as if she were grabbing the listener by the scruff of the neck. In Honeymoon, I was completely in awe when again, I heard a similar sensual sound. This time, it wasn’t in person, but Del Rey was coming alive in my ear. Del Rey established her voice on Born to Die. Songs such as “Summertime Sadness” became anthems repeated on playlists and topping music charts. Honeymoon proves that Del Rey’s voice has definitely matured. Her title song, the first in the lineup, is worthy of all the hullaballoo surrounding her: “…it’s not fashionable to love me / but you don’t care,” croons the Grammy-nominated musician. Her voice sparkles alongside the acoustics in the background. I was in awe the first moments I settled into her first song. Throughout the album listeners can pinpoint countless places where Del Rey has demonstrated her unique ability to capture a story in a song, as each track takes the listener through a narrative. Del Rey is the beautiful storyteller, and we are her disciples. In “High Bby the Beach” (a song that was the end-of-thesummer anthem for many), she belts out several refrains that accurately capture her (and her audience’s) state of mind at
times. “I don’t want to do this anymore / It’s so surreal I can’t survive / If this is all that’s real.” (We’ve all been there). Del Rey captures a perspective that’s shared by many as her vocals go on to stress the chorus, “All I wanna do is get high by the beach. . .” Her vocals are so strong that her emotions clearly reverberate through her voice. On “Religion,” her lyrics are whimsical at first—it takes a minute to gather one’s bearings as you listen and then re-listen to her belt out lines like, “Everything is fine now / Let sleeping dogs lay / All our minds made up now. . .” Del Rey goes on and on, her voice carrying a slightly sad, but also confident tone. We understand her love; it’s both all-encompassing and deeply passionate. The listener can relate to the story she describes of falling in love and having that lover becomes a sort of religion, despite what her friends say and despite the warning signs, “I need your love. . .” We aren’t afraid of Del Rey, but we are afraid to stop listening. The song sparks feelings of nostalgia as soon as it ends, as if listening to it was like smelling a certain scent that brings you racing back to the first time you ever encountered it—on your lover’s sweater, or on your first date. Del Rey has the ability to do this in her music, a skill that many musicians, especially modern-day ones, have struggled to accomplish. Many fall short; too many attempt to copy past successes, only to fail. Del Rey has done something significant, which is more present in Honeymoon than anywhere else. It isn’t just an album; it’s a cornerstone marking the singer’s accomplishments in her art. In the last song on Honeymoon, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” Del Rey sings, “If I seem edgy / I want you to know / I never meant to take it out on you / Life has its problems and I get more than my share. . .” providing a powerful place on which to finish. We are completely transformed, as is Del Rey. There is a sense of accomplishment, but also exhaustion. We are ready to sit and contemplate Lana Del Rey’s words with her by our side.
SPRING 2016
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