With her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell set for release later this year, Lana Del Rey dropped ‘hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it’ earlier this week.
Embellished with a rich variety of literary and historical references, from Sylvia Plath to Charles Manson, Del Rey returns to her signature style of depression-filled ruminations over seemingly heartfelt yet simplistic piano chords.
While a 15-word title seems unnecessarily garish, this should not take away from the intrinsic beauty of the song. The title itself gives an honest introspection into depression, the lyrics more so. It is rare, for a current artist especially, to share so candidly their experience of mental health.
Many may criticise her for not straying away from the ‘aesthetic’ of the depressed Hollywood starlet, though this surely misses the point. As she once famously sang, “life imitates art,” and she portrays this point excellently.
Image: petercruise via flickr