Lana Del Rey

Born to Die

Released: January 27, 2012
Label: Interscope, Polydor, Stranger

By: Grant Barnes

Despite her less than impressive appearance on Saturday Night Live in January that apparently caused her to cancel her tour, Lana Del Rey’s debut album Born to Die deemed successful. The 24-year-old New Yorker released her first single, “Video Games,” back in October and since then has been topping music charts across the board. According to one of Lana Del Rey’s recent tweets, her album reached No. 1 in eleven countries prior to it’s debut.

Don’t let her collagen-plumped pout fool you, her lyrics are full of sexual innuendos and a ‘bad girl’ attitude.  From the sassiness of “Off to the Races” to the ballad-like tune “Born to Die,” Lana Del Rey presents a variety of emotions in her album.  It’s no surprise if Born to Die instantly reminds listeners of Lady Gaga with sporadic mentions of money, sex, fame, and all the glamour that comes with. She’s got as much girl power as a majority of many other female pop artists, but with more genuity and charm.

Overall, “Born to Die” is catchy and expressive, and after playing the album on repeat since it’s release, I’ve yet to grow tired of it. If the girl can clean up her on-stage performance reputation, she’ll have it all.