By Oliver Rees
I’m not too sure how anyone else feels, but I’ve missed Lana Del Rey. It’s been a long 18 months since her last record, Honeymoon, and I’m in desperate need of another reason to cry over a song that I can simultaneously sway to. Good news – Lana is back with her latest offering Love, marking the first release in preparation of her upcoming fifth studio album.
Love showcases Lana in her prime. It’s everything you want and more: short, simple verses building to a glorious, triumphant chorus that you’ll be singing in your head for the rest of the day. Cherry-picking from her previous successes, there’s every trace of Lana’s musical evolution on display, and the result is spectacular. From the strings that orchestrated the Born To Die-era, to the drumming heartbeat that lay the foundations for her sophomore record, Ultraviolence, and the cinematic storytelling of Honeymoon.
Yet, there’s still something fresh and relevant about the track. Having been so used to hearing tales of the troubled singer’s past, Love enters grounds that have previously been uncharted for Lana – the song oozes hope, strength and optimism.
“It’s enough to be young and in love”, Del Rey declares over a wistful production. The title of the song parallels its subject, romance; one of Lana’s greatest creative influences. You may well have expected another typically melancholy sound from the singer, but Love is much more. So used to hearing Del Rey’s pain through her soft, gentle voice, the track offers a strong and self-assured sound.
Lana Del Rey, Love music video:
If a song could be a smile, this would be Lana’s best effort at doing so. Having long been the queen of slurring half-drunken allegiance to the American flag over a melody as haunting as its new leader, Del Rey has now taken full control. Lana delivers a song with lyrics both retrospective and optimistic, and the finished product is captivating.
It’s space-themed music video adds another dimension (literally) to the song. At first, the video seems to offer nothing that we’ve not already seen in any of her previous work – think vintage filters, cars and Lana singing vacantly into the camera. Then, suddenly, Lana’s singing on the moon, the car is flying through space and we have a video as epic as its song.
Having made her other albums for herself, Del Rey admits that the next release was made more with her fans in mind. Well, if Love is any indication of what is to come, the fans are certainly in for a treat. Here’s to a more hopeful, optimistic perspective from the singer. Love is, put plainly, a triumph.
Lana Del Rey, Love, review – 4/5
