Lush; The Flourishing Sounds of Lana Del Rey

Ethereal beings are hard to come by in the land of pop music. But the 21^st Century has the siren sounds of Lana Del Rey. A mystifying prowess from a bygone era.

The bewitching charm of Lana Del Rey has become synonymous with the brooding realm of the ‘sad girl’ – a paradoxical term attributed to those who possess provocative elements but also a darkness in their soul.

Lana Del Rey photographed in 2013, photo credit: Jaguar MENA©

The highly intoxicating and emotive voice which we have all grown to admire emanated from the astonishing reaction to Video Games (which was coincidentally written in London) and Blue Jeans, Lana’s breakthrough songs in 2011. Despite posting her own songs and videos beforehand, both songs quickly became viral and we can understand why – the obvious nostalgic quality of the music videos coupled with her haunting yet narrative lyrics tugged at our heart strings. Stylised with nostalgic cinematic aesthetics, Lana’s albums and music videos have been preoccupied with musical motifs concerning tragic romance and the retro glamour of 1950’s/60’s Americana.

Lana Del Rey performing at Planeta Terra in 2013, photo credit: Beatriz Alvani ©

The self-described “Lolita lost in the hood” has become increasingly captivating ever since – proven by her surprise 2017 show at London’s O2 Brixton Academy on Monday 24^th July, reportedly selling out in 12 seconds! With a total of four albums over a period of five years, Lana is an obvious studio junkie, but her music remains as mystifying and consistent as ever.

Lana’s talent arguably lies within her expansive vocal range, as such an innate ability allows her voice to be smoky yet feminine, entrancing yet cinematic. Taking inspiration from hip-hop, folk, indie rock and various other genres of music, Lana has established her individuality within the contemporary music scene, which transcends that of the norm.

Lana del Rey performing at Brixton Academy in 2017, photo credit: Samantha Burke

Echoing vintage glamourama, Lana has a notable elegance about her, but her poignant and poetic lyrics is what shines. The sheer honesty and beauty of her lyrics is what caused her to become a sudden cult hit. Lana can be blunt, dark, cryptic, and austere with what she wants to say, but when juxtaposed against sweeping melodies, the result is a dramatic surge of pure talent sculpted by her own creative agony.

Lana’s fusion of cinematic visuals, compelling vocals, and enchanting instrumentals makes her the undisputed queen of melancholic noir-pop. Lana Del Rey’s recent album Lust for Life was released on July 21st, 2017 and can be listened to on Spotify.