Lust For Life is a chaotic album, but one I love very much. And for Lana Del Rey, it’s Lust For Life – sitting comfortably at the midpoint of her albums ranked. I have this theory that all artists have their albums that are great, but all over the place. Everything about it feels dark and dangerous.
Money Power Glory is boring, Sad Girl is just okay, The Other Woman a pointless cover.įor many, Ultraviolence is their favourite Lana Del Rey album, and every argument for that being the case is valid. What lets Ultraviolence down is a middle album slog. And West Coast? A career highlight – that g-funk shrill synth by the end of the song is perfection. Brooklyn Baby is a wittily written ironic takedown of hipster culture. Shades of Cool is the Lana Bond theme we’ve been robbed of. Ultraviolence is a masochistic song of destruction that is as dark as Lana has ever gotten.
Cruel World is a woozy, bleak masterpiece. Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys executively produced this record with Lana, and his rock influence permeates every track. The five track punch at the start of this record is astounding. It’s an incredible album and a fan favourite for a reason. In 2o14, it was all change for me, and that distinct style change Lana Del Rey went for for Ultraviolence hit me perfectly. Ultraviolence for me is finishing sixth form and preparing to move to uni. I love when albums can transport you to an exact time and place. But at its best, it doesn’t get any better. Born To Die is iconic, but its occasionally shoddy writing and the fact it’s overproduced to the point of comedy so frequently holds it back. Carmen is terrible, there’s far too much samey filler and Lolita is the worst song she’s ever released. Flanked by Born To Die, Blue Jeans, National Anthem and Summertime Sadness, it’s an album filled with essential Lana. Video Games is one of the best ballads of the 21st century and is still jaw droppingly perfect 10 years on. The absolute best songs of her career are found here, stone cold classics. But the issue with Born To Die is it’s very of the time, and if we’re being totally honest with ourselves it’s a mixed bag. It’s her most famous record and it put her one the map. If this was Lana Del Rey albums ranked by how influential they are, or how many times I’ve listened to them, or how much they’ve sold worldwide – of course Born To Die would be in the top three. Lana Del Ray AKA Lizzy Grantīefore you crucify me, let’s just all take off our nostalgia goggles for a second. From the recently released Blue Banisters all the way back to her pre-major label Lizzy Grant era debut, here are all nine Lana Del Rey albums ranked from worst to best: 9. It is very hard to get Lana Del Rey albums ranked, with each one easily being somebody’s favourite.īut god loves a trier, and try I will. Her songwriting is in another dimension of intricate, a cacophony of faded Americana, old Hollywood and dangerous men. In the 10 years that have followed, I’ve never once stopped being completely besotted with every album and era she’s delivered. She was the first artist I felt like I’d discovered off my own back. It was early, 2011 days – but I was so enamoured with Video Games, Born To Die, Blue Jeans… I’d never heard anything like her.
I was instantly obsessed, headed straight to YouTube and soaked in everything she had released. She was in a white dress and tiara with blood pouring down her face, a la Carrie. One week it was passed to me and the cover star was Lana Del Rey, who I’d never heard of. It was my first exposure to music journalism and I lapped it up. After my dad had done with it, I’d get passed down the crumpled up, tea stained scraps. It was a month out of date, but he didn’t care. My dad used to get Q magazine dropped off by his mate after he’d read it, because his mate had a subscription and my dad was being a cheap skate.