The Popheads Magazine, 1 / 2018.

12. Lana del Rey – Love Lana Del Rey has made a name for herself in the music industry for one thing: sadness.

Quickly after her debut she became a symbol of female despair, a paramour whose relationships always ended in tears and tragedy. Each of her album covers depict her staring at the camera with a forlorn pout, except for one- on the cover of 2017’s Lust For Life, she shines a bright, joyful smile. You would never guess that big toothy smile belonged to the woman that once told Rolling Stone magazine that she “wished she were dead already.” Lust For Life itself is a big departure from her past works, taking on a markedly more hopeful outlook on life and love. At the helm of this is the lead single, ‘Love’.

‘Love’ is an anthemic, booming song inspired by sixties girl-groups. The instrumental is not groundbreaking for Lana — atmospheric drums and strings dominate the track, making it as cinematic as past tracks ‘Ultraviolence’ and ‘Born To Die’.

What sets ‘Love’ apart from these tracks is that it makes the leap from love as a tragic concept, to love as a hopeful concept. ‘Love’ is dedicated to Lana’s leagues of young fans, centered around how exciting it can feel to be “young and in love.” Lana becomes an omnipotent onlooker, observing young people as they go about their lives, and dealing advice: “Seen so much, you could get the blues/But that don’t mean that you should abuse it.” She’s done a great deal of reflecting on her own youth, in songs like ‘Carmen’ and ‘This Is What Makes Us Girls’ from the destructive and wild era of Born To Die, which reflect on her struggles with alcoholism and getting herself into trouble. In ‘Love’, she’s wishing something better upon her fans, lifting them up by reminding them that the world is theirs to mold. Her delivery is loving and reassuring, and her vocals sound as beautiful as ever on the ethereal bridge, repeating once again that there’s no need to worry about the future. Following the release of ‘Love’, Lana stated “The past 4 albums have been for me, but this one is for my fans, and where I hope we’re all headed.” Lana experienced somewhat of a political awakening in 2016 & 2017, giving Lust For Life a political flair, contextualizing itself as an album made in response to Trump’s America. As young people become the forefront of protests and political revolution, Lana commends our ability to remain empowered by love in the face of turmoil. Lust For Life marks a turn from darkness to sunshine in Lana’s discography, with ‘Love’, a shining beacon of hope, leading the way. —ramenworshipper