At least according to Variety magazine (and me).

Ms. Rey has released eight albums plus a poetry book and accompanying soundtrack all within the span of a decade and it's been one bumpy ride.

Lana springboarded from a bad debut performance on SNL to become one of the most memorable and acclaimed artist of the decade.

Lana came on the scene when things like a calculated image weren't in fashion. And boy does she know how to work an aesthetic!

From 50s/60s throwbacks to Natural Born Killers chic. From Lolita fascinations and a heavy dose of daddy issues.

Heroine and cocaine abuse? (Check)

Suicide obsessions? (check)

Hollywood flameouts? (Check)

Wrong men? (Check)

Outdated girlishness mixed with wild girl? (Check)

Which is what makes her interesting.

Listening to Lana is like watching a good road movie.

Or some old Hollywood film with the unhappy, destructive heroine.

Its vivid and alive. And the sense of a nostalgia that you never lived and never was.

Her lyrical style is very poetic, with instances of lyrics so personal and seemingly throwaway that they make sense to probably only her.

And she's funny:

"Comfortably numb but with lithium came poetry"

"You act like a kid even though you stand six foot two"

"You say I'm like the ice I freeze"

So be it her Gangster Nancy Sinatra era, or her Gatsby era, or the Laurel Canyon period or her witch phase (because of Stevie Nicks and Hollywood?), it'll be interesting to see what she comes up with next.

https://www.youtube.com/w...rjw7AXzC4I

Latest Lana Del Rey classic "Black Bathing Suit".

https://www.youtube.com/w...SrvhPmhWKQ

Well, here comes my opinion: she's horrible.

I stand by it.

Hamad said:

I love her duet with Bobby Womack

REALLY!? That exists?! . i'll start there. CAN'T. NAME. NAN. SONG. though

She is one of those artists I just never have been able to get into at all. I tried, a few different times but overall I just cant get into her. Ironically I have gotten into more indie female singers that all have her near the top of her list in terms of influences, just something with me and Lana has never clicked. For me artist of the decade is from a genre everyone claims is dead (i would argue in terms of sales, most genres are dead) and that is the band "The Pretty Reckless" who have been recording since 2010 and this year released the best thing in Rock music, their latest album "Death By Rock N Roll". Of course the grammys overlooked them again, thought they had four number one rock chart singles, it seems if its not The Foo Fighters or Paul McCartney the Grammys is absolutely clueless with ROCK music, I mean just the fact that they combined Female and Male and Group into one stupid "Performance" category is beyond lame. But the Pretty Reckless have a hard fresh edge and now with this last album are mixing it up with influences, and their Lead Singer Taylor Momsem is one of the best Female voices in a long time

MotownSubdivision said:

Haven't heard much of her stuff but what little I've listened to hasn't moved me to hear more.

Not even "Videogames"?

https://www.youtube.com/w...E6wxDqdOV0

Argueably her best live performance:

https://www.youtube.com/w...9dAfh5wweA

Hamad said:

She seem to resonate with a certain demographic for some reason, in LA for example, a lot of gay men in their early 20s love themselves some Lana. I have a friend who goes to almost all of her LA shows, buys all her albums and will make a compelling argument about why Lana is the future. While I loved his enthusiasm, I still couldn’t bring myself to listen to her stuff entirely, although I can understand the appeal.

I compare it with like a Fiona Apple though Lana is far more commercial and mainstream acceptable than Fiona is or was. But Lana has an important base and that's one that buys product, sure people stream her but she has a good base that buy he cds the vinyl the record store day rarities etc....most mainstream artists can't hold a base of purchase loyals it's all streaming for them, which is fine if you have ten million streams if not you better get another way to get people to start buying

Hamad said:

She definitely has a devout audience, for sure. I forgot to mention - which is public knowledge really - but she has quite an interesting musical shift pre & post her debut album. A lot of people swear by her pre-stardom music too.

yeah I think artists now in this streaming atmosphere all have to find a loyal base somehow, but they also need a loyal base that buys stuff because it is not sustainable to survive on streams unless like I said I said younhave millions monthly, if you are just getting thousands and that's the only way the listener or fans can hear you or follow you, you are in trouble.

Hamad said:

She definitely has a devout audience, for sure. I forgot to mention - which is public knowledge really - but she has quite an interesting musical shift pre & post her debut album. A lot of people swear by her pre-stardom music too.

Critics hated, and I mean HATED, "Born To Die".

But I caught on early to what she was doing and got into the "cinema" of it all. Honestly I'm too old to take it seriously, but as a mood I totally dig it. Plus I'm a sucker for drama.

Her music and her whole approach takes your mind places if you let it.

She has a strong sense of beautiful melody and arrangement.

But one mans beautiful is another mans boring.

It's majority slow-moving and orchestral/acoustic, besides "Born To Die" which is heavily produced, hip hop inflected and her most successful album by a mile when her mythologizing (grating to many) was at its zenith.

So it's easy to see why the gay boys and young girls love her.

Then she started getting critical acclaim when her follow-up "Ultraviolence" came out.

Then this happened:

Elders React To Lana Del Rey!

https://www.youtube.com/w...m8cpzX0Ang

lastdecember said:

Hamad said:

She definitely has a devout audience, for sure. I forgot to mention - which is public knowledge really - but she has quite an interesting musical shift pre & post her debut album. A lot of people swear by her pre-stardom music too.

yeah I think artists now in this streaming atmosphere all have to find a loyal base somehow, but they also need a loyal base that buys stuff because it is not sustainable to survive on streams unless like I said I said younhave millions monthly, if you are just getting thousands and that's the only way the listener or fans can hear you or follow you, you are in trouble.

True.

Everytime a Lana album debuts there's articles pointing out how out of proportion her physical sales are as opposed to others.

CynicKill said:

The best female artist is Fiona Apple.

I dont understnad why. I have tried and have never been able to get into her music.

Lana is fantastic! I've loved her since the first time I heard Video Games, prior to the first album.

I've only seen her live once so far, but that was very good!