Born in New York, singer Lana Del Rey is a pop-star on the rise. Having been described as a “self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra,” Del Rey says she would have loved to be part of the indie community and finds herself enjoying the role of a lounge singer. Her musical influences cover a large range of genres, a trait she hopes to gain during her own musical domination, like that of contemporary artists Britney Spears, Elvis Presley, Anthony and the Johnsons, Frank Sinatra and Eminem.
“The first song that I heard was ‘Ride’ on a blog and it has an old school feel to it,” senior Kim Ramirez said.
Del Rey’s dedication to her music is something that has not gone unnoted. Like most of today’s rising music superstars, she posted her tracks on YouTube and got the attention of Stranger Records who then went on to sign her and debut her single “Video Games.” Her success did not stop there; after winning a Q Award for “Next Big Thing” in October 2011, Del Rey signed a joint deal with Interscope Records and Polydor in hopes of creating a second studio album, Born to Die. After many promotional gigs and live performances, her one-in-a-million dream came true and Born to Die was officially released on Jan. 31, 2012, worldwide.
The album ended up number one on the charts in 11 countries. Del Rey also went on to show the public her talents in songwriting and modeling. In May 2012, Del Rey wrote the song “Ghetto Baby” for British singer Cheryl Cole’s album A Million Lights, released on June 15, 2012. At the same time Del Rey announced that she would release seven new songs to her album Born to Die sometime in November. In July 2012, H&M confirmed Del Rey as a model for their upcoming 2012 Autumn Campaign, and she announced her endorsement of the new Jaguar F-Type.
“I think she is pretty and I like the way she dresses,” senior Annie Jayatilake said. “It is perfect for an H&M model.”
With all this success, Del Rey has tried to remain a good influence on her fans, especially the teen demographic. She stated in an interview that she has suffered from alcohol dependence and at the age of 14 she received help by attending Kent School in Connecticut to get sober and set her priorities straight. She said that though it felt great and the concept of drinking was cool, she and her peers were worried when it got to the point where she liked doing it more than anything else; she realized the dark side would win every time she tried to indulge.
“Lana Del Rey is a really dominant artist,” senior Natalia Vela said. “Her music is different and whimsical. I do not think her past should define who she is now.”
Sometimes seen as rebellious, sometimes seen as influential, she is definitely trying to make it big and stay true to her beliefs in an industry that is known for taking identities.
“I can definitely see her making a lot of albums and being an artist who creates a legacy that is hard to follow,” Vela said.
