Album of the Week: Lana Del Rey’s "Norman F**cking Rockwell"
By Tasia Kuznichenko
Lana Del Rey has always seen pop differently. When female artists began to sing of women as being ‘empowered individuals’, Del Rey sung about the reverse. She examined femininity through an archetypal lens; weaving lyrical stories about “drugs, older men and ageing beauty”. Ultimately cultivating an image of being indie music’s melancholic muse.
Del Rey’s latest album release Norman F-cking Rockwell drops the façade. In its place is a glimmering yet humbling exploration of the songstress’ idea of legacy in this world. Influenced by the political tides currently in America, Del Rey presents an emotional reflection of the times we live in and moreover, what it means to be alive.
Originally, I always thought Lana could do no wrong. As cliché as it sounds, Born to Die and Ultraviolence were formative albums during my transition into teen hood. But then, Honeymoon and Lust for Life followed. I was underwhelmed with their manufactured-like quality. It appeared that in trying to grow up, Lana lost her unique outlook on life itself.
Cut to the present day and Del Rey has teamed up with Jack Antonoff, one of pop’s most popular producers (he also worked on Taylor Swift’s recent album). Norman F-cking Rockwell demonstrates that Del Rey has not only grown up, but become wise - transcending beyond her existence as simply a persona. Don’t get me wrong, there are songs that play on from the Lana we know and love. The transcendental ‘Cinnamon Girl’ discusses a dark and unhealthy relationship, a theme often explored in past albums. The steady beat is almost wave-like, as Del Rey’s voice drifts over an anchored piano. In her 2012 track ‘Radio’, life was “sweet like cinnamon”, but now Del Rey has come back around to contemplate the parts which weren’t so good.
Starting with the name of the album itself, Del Rey alludes to a multitude of meaningful individuals. The title track ‘Norman F-cking Rockwell’ is named after the early 20th Century writer and painter and examines a “self-loathing” poet who blames “the news” for his failing poems. The colour blue features heavily in the song, emulating the moody and sad tonal feel. It may also be seen as a nod to one of Del Rey’s inspirations, Joni Mitchell, Blue being the name of Mitchell’s 1971 work which also features a similar instrumental composition.
In the emotionally haunting ‘hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it’, Del Rey feels like a “24/7 Sylvia Path”. Her almost exasperated lines are sung with a frustration usually unheard of from the smooth songstress. Nevertheless, Del Rey can as easily transform into a sentimentally calm storyteller. In ‘The greatest’, the Beach Boys are referenced. “Dennis’ last stop before Kokomo” – intertwines the pain of death (Dennis Wilson, the drummer of the Beach Boys drowned whilst drunk in 1983) with the oceanic nostalgia of California. This nostalgia acts as a pastiche for the whole album. The laidback surfy elements, and an underlying patriotism for the beachy state of California, is amplified by crooning electric guitar scattered throughout the album. Del Rey’s cover of the 90’s ‘Doin Time’, by the ska punk band Sublime is a key example. It adds an upbeat twist to the track-list and is easily one to keep on repeat whilst feeling the spring weather warm up.
It is clear the Del Rey’s historical references are seamlessly poignant. However, it is also what is left unsaid that really highlights how the singer interacts with life in the spotlight. ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ is one track that may be categorised as just another one of Lana’s ‘sad-girl’ anthems. Yet, it complexly deals with ongoing media scrutiny the singer has faced. Speculation online has interpreted the line “You took my sadness out of context”, to address her 2014 interview with The Guardian – titled “I wish I was Dead already”. But Del Rey doesn’t dwell on assumptions made by critics and audiences, instead moving forward with a newfound acceptance of who she really is.
Norman F-ing Rockwell is an album of curiosities and questions about an evolving world with a lot of damn issues; “L.A. is in flames, it’s getting hot / Kanye West is blond and gone”. Even though Del Rey may not have all the answers, it is evident that she is pretty okay with that fact. She eloquently guides the listener through an incredible journey with a generosity of spirit that simply oozes from her enticing voice, letting us know that we haven’t heard the last of her yet.