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Tag: Lana Del Rey Olivia Rodrigo

  • While Lana Del Rey Says That Not Everything Is About Whatever You Want It To Be, Olivia Rodrigo Says It’s Not Her Job to Interpret Songs for People

    While Lana Del Rey Says That Not Everything Is About Whatever You Want It To Be, Olivia Rodrigo Says It’s Not Her Job to Interpret Songs for People

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    In the September issue of Rolling Stone, Olivia Rodrigo graces the cover for the first time. A self-declared Lana Del Rey protégée (this after an ostensible “cooling” on Taylor Swift), Rodrigo has more recently fashioned herself as a similar singer-songwriter, prone to singing with the same candor and poetical musings (the most “Del Reyian” lyrics on Guts are likely from “all-american bitch,” during which Rodrigo name-checks both Coca-Cola and the Kennedys by saying, “Coca-Cola bottles that I only use to curl my hair/I got class and integrity/Just like a goddamn Kennedy, I swear”). But whereas Rodrigo is taking a much more Britney Spears circa 1998-2003 approach to how the public sees her (which is to say, she’s fine with being a cipher that people, especially girls, can project emotions and interpretations onto), Del Rey has often been dogmatic about how she wants to be perceived (see: lambasting music critic Ann Powers in 2019 for mentioning that Del Rey has a persona).

    Over the years, there has been no shortage of “Del Rey clapbacks” at critics and fans alike (though “fan” will have to get put in quotation marks if anyone dares question their “Lord and Savior”). Surprising “trolls” by responding directly in such a way as to draw them into the spotlight as much as her, Del Rey was especially responsive toward any negative comments after her infamous “question for the culture” in May of 2020. Accused, rightly so, of being racist in her non sequitur open letter about how other women (all women of color except for Ariana Grande, who still tries to “pass” as one) are praised for doing the same things she gets condemned for, Del Rey was quick to lash out at the “tainting” of her words by saying, “Bro. This is sad to make it about a WOC issue when I’m talking about my favorite singers… I don’t care anymore but don’t ever ever ever ever bro—call me racist because that is bullshit… And my last and final note on everything—when I said people who look like me—I meant the people who don’t look strong or necessarily smart or like they’re in control. It’s about advocating for a more delicate personality, not for white women—thanks for the Karen comments tho. V helpful.” Naturally, what’s not “V helpful” is Del Rey refusing to look at any other interpretations of what she says and sings, and why people might be interpreting them a certain way. Instead, she’s convinced that her “good intentions” are all that matters in everything. In fact, she also stated during this time that she believes she’s absolutely good-intentioned in everything she does. But, as it is said, that’s what the road to hell is paved with. 

    Of late, Del Rey has been more consistently on a path to (#sayyesto) heaven, as most of her controversies from 2020 and 2021 (during the latter year, she seemed to want a medal for her “inclusivity cover” for Chemtrails Over the Country Club) have blown over as she’s gone on to become worshiped as “Mother” by Gen Z. Particularly on TikTok, despite Del Rey being “too old” now to be deemed as relevant as the women who claim her as a key influence—Olivia Rodrigo included. Indeed, after introducing her at the Billboard Women in Music Awards earlier this year, Rodrigo has been having an open love affair with Del Rey, declaring things like, “Lana’s work taught me how effective sentimentality can be in songwriting. She defies any stereotypes of what a woman writing pop songs should or shouldn’t be. She’s constantly pushing boundaries and making work that is fresh, adventurous and unabashedly feminine.”

    This is an interesting take considering much of what Del Rey puts out is actually heavily borrowed, particularly from 60s-era singers (at least Amy Winehouse freely admitted that’s what she was doing). The same goes for Rodrigo herself, whose entire oeuvre thus far (music videos included) has been one giant pastiche orgy (though one largely has the principles of capitalism to thank for this lack of originality). Del Rey has exhibited the same sense of pastiche over the years (albeit with slightly more subtlety than Rodrigo), carving a name for herself as a “singular mind” in the industry. As such, she’s readily played into the hand of this newly-embraced “mentor role,” labeling herself as a big sister type (“I always felt like the older sister to pretty much everyone I ever met”) in an interview for The Hollywood Reporter smugly titled, “Lana Del Rey Forgives You.” Even if what’s actually happened is “the culture” has mostly chosen to forget and/or move on from her past indiscretions. Just as people have already moved on from Olivia Rodrigo’s “blaccent” and Billie Eilish’s use of the word “chink.” That’s the thing about “the culture” sometimes: it has the memory of an ostrich. Or simply can’t be bothered to hold a grudge for very long (even Ye could eventually rise from the ashes). 

    After Rodrigo gushed about Del Rey’s “boundary pushing” and divine sense of femininity, Del Rey, in turn, pronounced her own affections for the next generation of singer-songwriters she “raised.” This by telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Billie and Olivia are such good people, it’s fucking awesome. I love them and their music. It’s not like you have to be nice to be good [in music]. But, if you happen to be nice and a great singer, it makes me happy for the culture.” 

    This is a far cry from her assertion three years ago that, “The culture is super sick right now.” And not “sick” in a good way. No one is arguing that there’s an inherent state of rot in our society (especially in American society), but for Del Rey to brand something as sick simply to make it about being a reflection of how she felt misinterpreted is part of what she calls the “world’s greatest problem”: narcissism. 

    After her words being “skewed” in that “question for the culture,” Del Rey was also eager to announce, “​​This is the problem with society today, not everything is about whatever you want it to be.” Firstly, that’s hardly the problem with society today, and secondly, this merely proves that Del Rey has no awareness beyond her own myopic view of herself. Naively (or perhaps braggadociously) assuming that her subjective view of things, including her music, is “one size fits all.” It’s a view that seems to be further insulated by the cabal she surrounds herself with (mostly, her father, sister, brother and Jack Antonoff). That she can’t even stop for a second to think how something like her “question for the culture” could be so “misconstrued” is more telling of her tone deafness than a cultural sickness. 

    As for Rodrigo, who’s been the subject of her own endless public dissection lately (whether of her personal life and the lyrics that refer to it), she chose to take an entirely different tack by telling Rolling Stone, “People are going to say what they want to say. I feel like the more you try to control it, the more miserable you are [ergo, Del Rey being a resident “sad girl”], and the bigger it gets. I just write songs; it’s not my job to interpret them for other people.” Del Rey hasn’t quite let go of that “job,” whether it’s safeguarding the meaning of her lyrics or defending her foot-in-mouth open letters to the public. Perhaps it’s the symptom of a generational divide between the two.

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    Genna Rivieccio

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  • On Lana Del Rey “Raising A Generation” (And Whether Or Not That Was Necessarily A Good Thing)

    On Lana Del Rey “Raising A Generation” (And Whether Or Not That Was Necessarily A Good Thing)

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    For whatever reason, when Lana Del Rey first arrived onto the scene, she appealed endlessly to the ten through twelve-year-old set. Like a “goth” version of Britney Spears, this chanteuse’s talk of obsessing over boys and/or being broken-hearted by them spoke to a generation of girls who had yet to even “snag” a boyfriend. Among that generation was Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, both of whom have come forward of late to declare their unwavering love for Del Rey (despite Rodrigo being far more of a Swiftie). Eilish’s gushing has been markedly more consistent (e.g., “Lana raised us”) than Rodrigo’s, who seemed to become a fangirl in time to present Del Rey with an award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.

    The award in question was the “Visionary Award.” Something that one would think might actually require a bit more…vision. At least in terms of not reiterating the same tropes about “he hurt me, I love him still” (a.k.a. “he hit me and it felt like a kiss”). Del Rey herself is the first to admit that, when it comes to the “world building” (as she and everyone else is suddenly calling it) of her albums, “boyfriends!” are the key inspiration behind it all (cue Swift saying, “Hey, that’s only okay when I do it!”). So no, few of Del Rey’s songs are capable of passing the Bechdel Test. And few people can say that perpetuating this motif of obsessing over men is a “good thing” to imbue in subsequent generations. Even so, Del Rey, despite a “low-key presence” overall, has saturated “the culture” with her “visionary” status. A branding that feels somewhat ironic when considering that all Del Rey has done, fundamentally, is raise another generation of women who fixate on men, their opinions of women and what women can do about it to claim vengeance (e.g., write a song about the jilting—though not everyone gets that luxury). Eilish has her series of such songs, from “Wish You Were Gay” to “Happier Than Ever” to “Lost Cause.” And, naturally, Rodrigo’s entire debut album, Sour, is directed at (supposedly) one boy in particular: Joshua Bassett.

    So yes, perhaps Del Rey effectively did “raise” a generation (even if Taylor had a record deal years before Del Rey achieved mainstream success). Indeed, that’s just it: there’s no denying her influence in the music of the moment. And while that influence has been championed as a boon for female musicians being able to show their “sad girl” vulnerability without shame, it’s really caused a reversion to the usual tropes of twentieth century feminine capitulation to male dominance. Which, to be sure, is very paradoxical when taking into account that there’s never been a time in the music industry when women have been so “at the center of it.” Yet now that they are, the one thing they still want to talk about, despite all the “progress” we’ve made as a society, is: men.

    Del Rey’s overall conservative views on relationships (complete with how they ought to be monogamous) provide insight into why Gen Z musicians like Madison Beer (also name-checked by Del Rey at the Billboard Women in Music Awards), Eilish and Rodrigo are still parroting back the same tired sentiments. Eilish, at least, throws in the occasional reference to Gen Z anxieties, according opioid addictions and a general disaffection vis-à-vis the end of the world’s imminence (in short, Euphoria is a Billie Eilish song). Del Rey is instead all about the undercurrent of decay that belies the shiny veneer of Americana from the era she’s most inspired by: the 1960s. Alas, that decade also favors the aforementioned “he hit me and it felt like a kiss” “philosophy” on heteronormative relationships. Take the abuse, glamorize it and repeat when one relationship ends and a new one begins. Of course, Del Rey has mentioned being accused of glamorizing abuse in a “trailblazing” sort of way—as though she “forged the path” for women like Ariana Grande, Doja Cat and Cardi B (as if), each of whom are mentioned in her illustrious “question for the culture.”

    That question resulted in an expected backlash about her racially specific list (save for the blackfishing Ariana) that also included Camila Cabello, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé. She would later backpedal on why she chose to mention these women by insisting they were her favorite singers. Though, patently, at least one fellow white woman named Billie Eilish should have made the list if we’re talking bona fide preferred musicians. Now, conveniently, Del Rey actually is playing up Eilish—along with Rodrigo and Beer—as her true “favorites.” Perhaps because it’s actually “safe” to say that she paved the way for them (without causing a “race war”). Even if Beer is obviously more of an Ariana Grande knockoff with a pre-plastic surgery Megan Fox aesthetic.

    As for the aesthetic that made Del Rey famous circa 2012 (incidentally, when Beer was just starting out), she took the stage at the Billboard Women in Music Awards in an approximation of that looQue. Arriving in front of the mic with said “persona” (though Del Rey would vehemently deny ever having one) faintly recognizable from the 2012 era—complete with a vague beehive, liquid eyeliner and false eyelashes—Del Rey herself mused, “I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all.” Clearly…for if she did, she might have been able to see that continuing to tout the same lyrical themes for the past decade has had one pronounced effect overall: “Seasons only change/It’s always been the same.” This being a quote from Madison Beer’s song, “Showed Me (How I Fell In Love With You).” Del Rey, in the end, didn’t “change” the game, just played it a bit more “offbeatly” at a time when retro wasn’t as “in”—what with Amy Winehouse releasing Back to Black about two years before Lizzy Grant began her attempts at making it as a professional singer.

    Just how little things have really changed under the guise of having done so is indicated in the fact that there even needs to be a “Women in Music” Awards put on by Billboard. For it speaks to the persistent love of division in America, centered on the identity politics (for fuck’s sake, Idris Elba can’t even say he doesn’t want to be hemmed in by the label “Black actor”) that sow these “partitionings.” Nonetheless, Del Rey and her acolytes are convinced that she’s a visionary when, in truth, her messages have been maintainers of the status quo with regard to male-female power dynamics. At another point in her acceptance speech for being a “visionary,” she added, “I’m so grateful to be in the best company I’ve ever been in,” alluding to the new generation that will ostensibly persist in placing far too much emphasis on male views and acceptances of women.

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    Genna Rivieccio

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