Last week, I took on the challenge of listening to six albums of Lana Del Rey, an artist I had scarcely heard of, let alone listened to. I didn’t quite know what to expect but I had a certain stigma in my mind and let’s just say I wasn’t looking forward to the challenge.
After having listened to the following six albums, I’m pleased to admit that I found myself enjoying some of her music… though not all of it. At times I found it a chore to continue and considered abandoning this ranking altogether. Other times I was graced with the absolute bangers that Lana Del Rey has to offer.
Without further ado, the rankings.
- Blue Banisters (Best Song: “Violets for Roses”)
Released in a time when Lana Del Rey was suffering criticism for being herself, “Blue Banisters” was released, focusing on the importance of feminism and self-esteem while going through challenging times. Unfortunately, I found this to be Lana Del Rey’s weakest album.
I found it to be overall simply uninteresting, which is a sentiment shared with some of her other albums, I just found it to be ever prevalent with “Blue Banisters.” The most notable songs in the album were “If You Lie Down with Me,” “Violets for Roses” and “Dealer.”
- Honeymoon (Best Song: “The Blackest Day”)
While known for being a more cinematic album, I found “Honeymoon” to be one of Lana Del Rey’s weaker albums. The lyricism was lost on me and I found it difficult to derive meaning from some of Del Rey’s songs. After further research, I realized that the album focuses on the themes of loss and staying strong after said loss.
In “Honeymoon,” the titles that stood out the most to me were “The Blackest Day” and “Salvador.” While I do commend the album’s cinematic quality as previously mentioned, I do find the message rather difficult to receive.
- Chemtrails Over the Country Club (Best Song: “White Dress”)
The first of Lana Del Rey’s 2021 releases, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” was slow, though more delicately crafted than some of her previous albums. The message pushed themes of relationships and the importance of family, while also dancing with the idea of escapism when it comes to running from one’s problems.
The standouts of this album were “White Dress,” “Tulsa Jesus Freak” and “Wild at Heart.” All in all, I found that there was much to be desired with this album. However, I do think that the nature in which this album conducts itself and the challenging mental dilemma Del Rey creates renders this album worth a listen.
- Norman F###ing Rockwell (Best Song: “Doin’ Time”)
This album was slow like some of her others, but the artist ventured to take more risks and get out of her comfort zone with songs like “Doin’ Time” or “California.” I found myself vibing more with the music upon my first listen and I felt the rhetoric expanded on by Del Rey to be more obvious.
“Norman F###ing Rockwell” takes a new spin on Lana Del Rey’s rebellious nature. Instead of being anti-conforming, “Norman F###ing Rockwell” pressures the idea of carelessness, whether that be for society’s expectations or for finding some deeper purpose. The album stresses the importance of the smaller things in life, the subtleties that often go unnoticed but have significant importance.
The songs that best exemplified this theme, and the songs that I enjoyed the most, were “Doin’ Time,” “California,” “Cinnamon Girl” and “Venice B####.” Unfortunately, saying that your song is the “next best American record” doesn’t make it true, but the album will still satisfy the average listener, offering a pleasant experience to be had.
- Ultraviolence (Best Song: “Shades of Cool”)
“Ultraviolence” was the first Lana Del Rey I listened to, which might’ve influenced where it lies on this ranking since it’s been so long since I’ve listened to it. My first impressions were negative. I was confused about what this emo woman was talking about and I didn’t have any of the lyrics in front of me to make a judgement about the album’s content.
The album itself is exceptionally melancholy and quiet. I often found myself intrigued by what the song’s climax would hold, only to be led on and disappointed when there was no climax. I find that for a slow song to be good, it must have either a good backing track, good lyrics, or an unexpected climax.
That said, after rereading some of the songs’ lyrics, I believe the underlying message presented by “Ultraviolence” is rather clever. The album presents a series of emotional stories that all culminate to represent Lana Del Rey’s bold and unforgiving nature, while still being susceptible to emotion.
A few songs stood out to me as the strongest on the album: “Brooklyn Baby,” “West Coast,” “Money Glory Power” and “Shades of Cool.” Overall, I wouldn’t say it’s for me, but it’s certainly worth a listen if you’re looking for an album that takes its time to deliver a well-crafted message.
1. Born to Die (Best Song: “Diet Mountain Dew”)
Out of the gate, “Born to Die” started strong. At first I had to check to make sure I wasn’t listening to one of the artist’s features because I was genuinely shocked at how unapologetically quick paced some of these songs were compared to the previous albums I had listened to.
Lana Del Rey’s first album, “Born to Die”, is rhythmically sound, delivers on almost all fronts, and alleviates most of my previous complaints. The lyrics are strong, and the backing track demands a presence. Most of the album’s songs are quick-paced, ushering listeners through an intricate complexion of thought-out theming and storytelling.
The album explores the importance of the relationships one experiences in their lifetime. The good, the bad, the ugly… they’re all important. Your relationships with others shape the person you’ll become and Lana Del Rey uses “Born to Die” to express that theme and help her listeners realize that a relationship can’t be meaningless.
Among the bangers collected in “Born to Die,” I’d say the best were “Born to Die,” “Off to the Races,” “Diet Mountain Dew,” “Dark Paradise,” “Radio” and “Summertime Sadness.” This album deserves the number one spot on this ranking.
