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Lana Del Rey and Songwriting: A Look at Her Bold Lyrics

Ahalya Narayanan
Lana Del Rey is a controversial writer, but she doesn't care

SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 02: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Singer Lana Del Rey poses for a portrait during a visit to 107.7 The End on October 2, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)

This week, our Artist of the Week, Lana Del Rey shines bright. The songstress has been caught up in cancel culture, poor communication and a whole lot of backlash in recent times. And while she’s had some missteps in the past few months, her past work continues to stand strong.

One of the biggest takeaways from her explosive Instagram post back in May, should you take something away, was to always speak your truth. Lana Del Rey and her songwriting have been subject to mass criticism for glorifying abuse and romanticizing misogyny.

And as she continues to stand strong in her approach to truth-telling, we’re diving right into her song-writing. And whether your politics align or not, here are 10 times Lana Del Rey wrote bold lyrics that left us all feeling some type of way.

1. “This is what makes us girl/ We don’t stick together ’cause we put our love first.”
(From This is What Makes Us Girls, “Born to Die”, 2011)
Photo Credit: Andy Sheppard/Redferns
2. “All those special times / I spent with you, my love / they don’t mean sh*t / compared to all your drugs.”
(From Pretty When You Cry, “Ultraviolence”, 2014)
Photo Credit: Michael Kovac/WireImage
3. “Club queen on the downtown scene// Prowling around at night// You’re not mean, you just want to be seen.”
(From Art Deco, “Honeymoon” 2015)
Photo Credit: Samir Hussein/ Getty Images
4. “Writing in blood on your walls// ‘Cause the ink in my pen don’t look good in my pad.”
(From “Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – But I Have It”, 2019)
Photo Credit: Andrew Chin/Getty Images
5. “My p*ssy tastes like Cola”
(From Cola, “Ultraviolence”, 2013)
Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
6. “Money is the reason we exist/ Everybody knows it/ It’s a fact-kiss, kiss.”
(From National Anthem, “Born to Die”, 2012)
Photo Credit: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage
7. “Come take a walk on the wild side/ Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain/ You like your girls insane.”
(From Born to Die, 2011)
Photo Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
8. “You could be a bad m*therfu*ker/ But that don’t make you a man”
(From High by the Beach, “Honeymoon”, 2015)
Photo Credit: Koen van Weel/AFP via Getty Images
9. “I’m a dragon, you’re a wh*re/ Don’t even know what you’re good for/ Mimicking me is a f**king bore to me.”
(From F**cked My Way Up to the Top, “Ultraviolence”, 2014)
Photo Credit: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images
10. “All the pills that you did/ Violet, blue, green, red to keep me at arm’s length/ Don’t work.”
(From Cinnamon Girl, “Normal F*cking Rockwell, 2019)
Photo Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

By: Ahalya Narayanan

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