by Rachel Epstein ’14, A&E Editor
Lately, Lana Del Rey has dominated my twitter feed. Practically overnight, I saw person after person tweet tweet tweet about how “Lana saved my soul. #paradise.” And to be perfectly honest, I have to agree. I’ve been a big fan of hers since “Born to Die.” So naturally, when “Paradise” was released I was more than excited. Lana Del Ray’s sophomore album branches out into a whole new level of alternative music. Her voice, tangy, yet sincere, juxtaposes nicely with unique lyrics and soothing instrumental. However, after a few listens, some songs seem to blend with the others, leaving the listener unmoved and a bit bored. Others are just weird—queue, “Cola.” With many tunes quite substandard, some still represent Miss. Del Ray’s burgeoning fame and talent including, “American,” “Ride,” and “Bel Air.”
At first venture, I heard “Ride,” and like most of Lana Del Ray’s pre-released singles, I thought it was pretty bad. To be fair, I let her have her moment through my headphones a few more times and just as expected, it eventually grew on me. The single has a journey—sad but somewhat fulfilling— and as the tempo increases from the verse to the chorus, as a listener, it becomes almost impossible not to connect. “Ride” might be my favorite song on the album and it definitely rivals the songs on her previous album, “Born to Die.”
The one song I fell in love with at first chord was “American.” Providing a brief history of American music including lyrical vignettes of Elvis and Springsteen, “American’s” slow sultry tune relaxes and comforts. Lana’s voice shines with a passionate harmony reminiscent of “Blue Jeans” and “Video Games.” Personally, this song should have been more promoted than “Ride.” Not only is it catchy, but it perfectly encompasses Lana’s talent.
The other tracks leave much to be desired. Lana Del Ray has phases of being a master lyricist, but some of her songs are too strange. Quite frankly, her song, “Cola” needs to be destroyed. The beginning instrumental is strong, but yet again, Lana sings about an affair with an older man. We understand, she has daddy issues; but do we really need to be reminded over and over? The track is boring, unoriginal, somewhat dirty, and unimaginative. It’s songs like this that keep Lana from being as big as she should be. Two thumbs down.
Continuing the theme of boring songs, “Body Electric” fuels the course. With an interesting instrumental and lyrics at first, “Elvis is my daddy, Marilyn’s my mother…” The song suddenly takes a turn for the worst with a repetitive chorus and equally underwhelming instrumentals. The song is a disappointment coming from a songstress with as much talent as Lana.
I have no doubt that Lana Del Ray can produce fantastic music, but I’m baffled at how so many tracks on “Paradise” could be better. She’s an incredibly talented lyricist and musician; “Born to Die” illustrates this perfectly, but “Paradise” drags her music down. I hope Lana Del Ray bounces back with an album that knocks “Born to Die” down a notch because this one just doesn’t do it. “Paradise” is a solid album and is definitely worth a listen, maybe even a few. Nevertheless, it does not live up to its potential.
