It’s been a wonderful few months for Lana Del Rey fans everywhere. While she is currently in the middle of her European tour, not even that has stopped her from working on and promoting new material. We have been treated to not one, but four new songs; Burning Desire, Chelsea Hotel No 2, Summer Wine, and Young and Beautiful.
Some artists don’t even bother to produce that many songs in an entire year, which is what makes Lana so, dare I say it… special. This woman is dedicated to her fans, new and old. She is forever surprising us, and keeping us entertained – thank you, Lana.
It was the middle of the night, I was looking for some new music to unwind to and to ease sleep. I took to Twitter in the hope to find some inspiration… instead I came across a miracle. It always kind of feels magical when Lana tweets a new song, that none of us could have predicted. This time was no different… we were being treated to a charming collaboration with her boyfriend, Kassidy band member Barrie-James. Summer Wine, the 1967 classic by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood gave me the perfect peace I was seeking. Soft and dreamy vocals teamed up with a gorgeous vintage style homemade video showing the most adorable clips imaginable from the happy couple. What better way to attack the haters who brand her as a modern day Nancy Sinatra, then to cover the woman herself – also, that’s hardly an insult, let’s be honest.
Just after we all began to calm down from the latest tour photos, gifs, videos and this latest song, we are given a teaser trailer from The Great Gatsby, and a tiny, tiny clip of her next song, Young and Beautiful, which is to be featured on the soundtrack for the movie coming out next month.
What’s happening, Lana? You’re sending us into a wild frenzy of overbearing love for you… but that’s okay, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
And so… Monday arrived, and we all dashed onto iTunes to purchase Young and Beautiful, right? I, for one, stayed up waiting at 12pm with my cursor constantly hitting refresh – can we say obsessed? Again, that’s okay. Music this good deserves to be rewarded with the highest level of fangirling (although, this might be more acceptable if I weren’t 28). Back to the song, though… Young and Beautiful is absolutely freaking perfect. A musical masterpiece, and a wonderful fit for both Lana and the Great Gatsby. Sultry vocals, hauntingly beautiful lyrics that fit effortlessly for that impossible love, and that glamorous cinematic theme that Lana never fails to deliver.
What a shame that the same level of enthusiasm cannot be found for Beyonce’s contribution to the movie. A more than horrible cover of the sadly departed, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. I was never looking forward to hearing anyone touch this song, to be honest, but this just isn’t right. No one can take on such a soulful track better than the lady herself. It’s hard to even imagine why they felt the need to cover it and not simply allow Amy’s vocals to be apart of this movie – now, that would have been highly welcomed! I guess it all boils down to who the producer is, and oh, that’s right… none other than Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z.
Anyway, back to happier things… and all that we should be thankful for, and that is Lana, and this wonderful month of musical masterpieces that she has gifted us with. Young and Beautiful is now available to purchase on iTunes, while Chelsea Hotel No 2 and Summer Wine are sadly not, but do give them a listen on YouTube.