You've probably heard of Lana Del Rey. The recent Internet sensation has been lauded for her blend of hip-hop beats and glamorous vocals but has also been ripped to shreds for her questionable history as a musician. Her first album with a major label, "Born to Die," should extinguish many of those flames of hatred with its sound, which shows that-- bubblegum pop and hip-hop are not mutually exclusive.
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Del Rey describes her style as "gangster Nancy Sinatra" and "Lolita from the hood." These descriptions prove to be over-arching themes in her album. The track "Off to the Races" references Nabokov's masterpiece with verses like "Light of my life/ fire of my loins/ be a good baby/ do what I want."
"Video Games," the track that launched Del Rey into the spotlight, features a string orchestra backing her contralto voice as she croons, "I heard that you like the bad girls/ honey, is that true?"
The song's clichéd verses and sleepy speed make it one of the less interesting songs on the album, but it does showcase Del Rey's talent as a singer.
Del Rey truly shines when she incorporates a heavier hip-hop influence with a quicker beat on the tracks "National Anthem" and "Diet Mountain Dew." The latter, which alludes to Kubrick's film interpretation of Del Rey's favorite fictional muse ("Baby put on heart-shaped sunglasses/cause we gonna take a ride"), combines a classic hip-hop beat with breathless vocals sung in the upper reaches of her vocal range. When one considers that indie music has been mainstream for quite some time now, the album becomes an interesting and fun addition to pop with quirky verses about love and nostalgia-evoking beats.
While certainly a unique image to present to consumers, her gritty-yet-glamorous, seductive-yet-innocent concept is expressed to the point that it becomes tiresome. Del Rey's popularity is derived from her individuality, so every song is crammed with vintage references to James Dean and Coney Island to remind everyone she's not like the other stars. Her idea of gangster rap combines themes of alcohol, violence and wealth with '90s hip-hop beats reminiscent of N.W.A. and The Roots.
Without the history of hardship that most rappers inject into their music, Del Rey's attempts at being tough are impossible to take seriously. There's nothing wrong with a pop artist drawing influence from rap and hip-hop, but Del Rey's use of the genres is like a privileged child playing dress up. The negative backlash that has plagued the star arises from her manipulation of experiences that don't belong to her. She is neither the reluctant hooker in "Off to the Races" nor is she the overtly sexual teenager of "This Is What Makes Us Girls," and one is left to wonder when this 25-year-old is going to grow up.
