By Caroline Gentile ’13, News Section Editor

For those who aren’t fans of Gossip Girl, I encourage you to watch it, even if it’s just to hear the best new music. That show was where I first heard Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games,” which I immediately downloaded and listened to on repeat. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard. Del Rey’s voice is a vocal version of Old Hollywood glamour; it has a deep sultry Amy Winehouse quality, but at the same time, can be sweet and girlish.

Del Rey’s debut album, Born to Die, is filled with ballads that showcase her versatile voice. However, if you’re looking for upbeat, feel-good music, Born to Die, like its name might suggest, is not where you’ll find it. Instead, expect dark, brooding songs that make you feel like you’re in a shady, smoke-filled bar in the 1940s. That being said, they are hauntingly beautiful, especially “Video Games”, which is easily the best song on the whole album. Close seconds include “Million Dollar Man”, “Born to Die”, and “Dark Paradise”. After these songs, though, all the others start to sound the same and the sentiments get repetitive. While the album as a whole lacks diversity, it has quite a few gems and is a strong start for Del Rey.

Photo courtesy of www.stereogum.com