Lana Del Rey // Million Dollar Man
I just had myself a listen of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born To Die’. It’s a good album. Very good in fact. Of course this is all just first impressions, but it seems that Lana may just have lived up to the hype. And there was a lot of hype, so I’m not just making some backhanded compliment as if I’m reviewing the latest Porcelain Black single or something.
Fans haven’t seemed to be picking out ‘Million Dollar Man’ as an initial favourite track from what I’ve seen, but it just stood out to me on the first listen. Maybe that’s because it’s a bit different from the rest of the album. The instrumental is a lot softer compared to the other tracks on the LP. The strings have a warmth about them, despite that fact that Lana sounds vulnerable as she tells us of her heartbreak. There’s this strange wailing sound throughout the song, making it all sound ever so mysterious. I like that. A lot.
Somehow the melody reminds me of the Sugababes ‘Caught In A Moment’. It’s that sweet, seductive lead up to the chorus. It just makes the song. That’s a very good Sugababes song, so yet again there is no backhanded compliment that I reserve for the likes of DEV. She doesn’t seem to sing or rap, it’s all very unpleasant. Besides, I don’t often post songs I don’t like on the site. So rest assured Lana fans, I think I love this track.
Lana Del Rey // Off To The Races
Described as a song “describing an impossibly strained relationship flooded with cocktails, tears and regret,” ‘Off To The Races’ is a new song from Lana Del Rey’s upcoming debut album ‘Born To Die’, which is being given away as the free song of the week on UK Itunes this week.
With melancholic strings and dark beats, this song has a decidedly more Hip-Hop arrangement than Lana’s previous work. This makes the song have a lot more pace than her previous tracks, but she manages to pull it off while still wallowing in her cursed romanticism, a feeling which is present in most of if not all her tracks.
There’s random noises in the background as usual, but I think they work in her music, giving the song a more gritty feel and a sense of depth, despite being seemingly meaning. I’m a little bit unsure as to whether Lana could fill a fifteen track album with songs which seem so similar and still make it an enjoyable record from start to finish, but hopefully she’ll pull it off come January 30.
Lana Del Rey // Born To Die
Fresh off its premiere on Fearne Cotton’s show and an interesting audio clip on youtube, here’s Lana Del Rey’s second single, ‘Born To Die’, from her upcoming debut album of the same name.
The follow up to ‘Video Games’ retains Lana’s 50s kitsch sound, adding an almost industrial, trip-hop beat into the mix, which gives the song a little more drive than the former song. Combined with strings which wrap themselves Lana’s husky voice, this song is intense. And with lines such as “let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain, you like your girls insane” and “you and I, we were born to die,” the lyrics are definitely just as cutting.
Following up a song with as much buzz as ‘Video Games’ is certainly a task, but Lana Del Rey’s done a pretty good amazing job at it. ‘Born To Die’ is enchanting. It has a mood about it which just sends chills up my spine. With an atmosphere like that I might just end up preferring it to ‘Video Games’.
Lana Del Rey’s album cover for ‘Born To Die’ is stunning, right?
