Following the release of her new album Honeymoon five days ago, Lana Del Rey has appeared in a live session with Huw Stephens for BBC 1 to perform three of her favourite tracks. The album is beautiful, maintaining that mournful nostalgia that she delivered so poignantly in her previous work, while also taking the new album in a completely new direction. Honeymoon is, in many ways, much more surreal and otherworldly than her first album. Del Rey chatted with Stephens about how her sound has become even more plush, and almost trippy in its layering of different sounds.
“It started with me knowing exactly what I was doing, and then when I kind of was trying to build it up bigger, instead of going bigger the songs were still really left but the production got louder. So I think it gave it that trippy feel, almost like a touch of psychedelia instead of going pop.”
The refreshingly candid interview proves once again that contrary to popular opinion, Del Rey is a smart, down to earth, incredibly talented musician. The artist received a lot of hate earlier on in her career, when it came to light that her image was largely constructed. Instead of being the indie working class girl that found fame with her single Video Games, and the nostalgic home-made music video to go with it, she in fact came from quite a lot of money. She also sparked controversy when it came to light just how surgically altered her face really was. Thankfully as time goes on wounds heal, and Del Rey has worked consistently to prove that she is more than just the image she projects.
Del Rey performed High by the Beach, Terrance Loves You and Honeymoon for BBC 1, accompanied by her band. Of Terrance Loves You she said is was her favourite song to perform.
“The vibe of it kind of encompasses the sound that I thought the whole record was going to take, kind of jazzy and noir but still really thoughtful.”
High By the Beach is similarly thoughtful, but it is the title track that really blows your breath away. With crooning vocals and a simple soundtrack of piano chords and drums, it evokes an old world sense of loss and pain. As Honeymoon progresses however, it builds in pace and finishes with a profound sense of optimism.
Del Rey’s album is now available for purchase on iTunes and other major music platforms. You can read our review of her live performance of Salvatore here.