Lana Del Ray might be the most buzzworthy new artist of 2k11 so far. I have seen her product/image getting buzzed, and it seems like 'all of the right mainstream and alt forces' are getting behind it, and she is destined to become the next 'leading lady of indie.' Her songs seem alright, like she has a good voice. Her music videos execute a 'modern lofi sample-based' aesthetic, but more importantly remind us that 'she is kinda hot.'
I feel like she has way more upside than Lykke Li because a) she is an American AND b) she is more 'directly pretty.' (Sometimes u get scared that Lykke Li/Robyn will turn into a monster if they are under the wrong lighting). That's what I love about new female in artists (mainstream OR indie)... we accept them based on their looks. The male blogosphere wants Lana Del Ray to succeed because she is 'hot.' She will show off her thick lips, curvy body, voluminou hair. She will sing in her 'swaggy white girl' voice. She will make music videos that trick ppl into thinking that she is 'cool.' One day we will be in the VIP area of a music festival with her, and tweet abt how 'SHE IS SO MUCH PRETTIER IN PERSON.'
I enjoy new female artists because it allows us 2 ask the question: "Do female artists like Lana Del Rey succeed based on 'talent' or are 'looks' more important than we would like to admit, even in our beloved indiesphere?"
I am not sure what her record label situation is, but I would guess she will go with the 'indie major' which is probably 'the right choice' as Cults proved. Her album will be plastered all over ads on blogs. Bros will put her songs on meaningful mix CDs for their girls, just so that girls can 'think they are deep' while they hear a comforting female voice.
Every rising artist needs a gimmick that every music journalist will ask her about for the duration of their album cycle. DID U KNOW LANA DEL REY LIVED IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER?
Pitchfork: Your dad is a successful domain investor, but I read that you were living in a trailer park a few years ago. Do you fetishize that trailer park lifestyle?
LDR: My dad is an entrepreneur and an innovator. Being an entrepreneur doesn't make you a rich tycoon and being an innovator doesn't mean that you're successful. It just means that you’re interesting. No one cares that I lived in a park-- Dad loves trailers and is getting one in the Everglades. My first record label gave me a small check and I moved into a park near Manhattan. It's not something I cared to even share but people keep asking me about it. My songs are cinematic so they seem to reference a glamorous era or fetishize certain lifestyles, but that's not my aim. I'm not trying to create an image or a persona. I’m just singing because that’s what I know how to do.
Create an image 4 us, bb! Ur music isn't THAT important 2 us... Believe!
I am really excited to read tons of interviews that ask her about her white trash/trailer trash lifestyle LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER.
Do u vibe 2 her music and videos? Is she getting 'too much buzz'? Will she break the 9.0 barrier on her first album? Is she just a 'pretty face' in front of a talented producer?
I think there are a lot of females in indie who are way less appealing to look at AND don't have a voice that is theoretically as 'good' as hers, so I guess she deserves 2 'be in the club.' With all female artists, we want them to sing girly songs. I think that Lana Del Ray might be the 'great female hope' in indie, to try to reclaim the glory that Feist has lost.
Here is some post from some random MTV blog that perfectly embodies the generic buzz forces that are hypeballing Lana Del Rey to 'such buzzworthy heights':
If you haven't heard of Lana Del Rey, YOU WILL SOON because we are convinced that this gorgeous crooner is going to be everywhere ASAP, like basically by the time this post is published. ZOMG she is so important. Anyway, this self-proclaimed "gangster Nancy Sinatra" embodies the best of strong, sculpted eyebrows, bump-its + hairsprayed tonsorial PERFECTION, and we can SO vividly picture her swanning out of a beautiful Hollywood Hills house with a kidney bean-shaped swimming pool in an ultramarine nylon mini shift and white patent leather go-go boots.
AND a big-ass dookie rope chain and gold hoops. She is also, obviously, drinking something out of a martini glass. She describes her sound as "Hollywood Pop/Sad Core" and uuuuuuum #sadcore is VERY up our alley. The enormously satisfying juxtaposition of old-school glamour plus inexplicably morose contemporary images in her music video plus super-duper prettiness is completely blowing our minds.
We can't get enough of her video for "Video Games" because not only are our ears oh so happy with her Florence meets Cat Power meets A Fine Frenzy melodies, but we also really need more retro off-the-shoulder sweaters in our lives and closets. Thankfully, we're positive that this isn't the last we've seen of Lana. And PRAISE BE, because her style strikes such a unique and perfect balance between classic beauty and refreshingly unexpected (do you have EYEBALLS? Are you SEEING that top made COMPLETELY of roses/carnations/I'm not a horticulturist???) that is just so ready for its place in the sun. Now run along and entertain yourselves for a while with the video below while we go dig up some hot rollers and lip venom. Swooooooooooooooooon.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE beautiful women in buzzbands!
I just wanna meet her in VIP, get lost in her eyes/lips/curves...
In addition, I think her twitter has 'Best Coast' potential. It might be one of those unfiltered trainwrecks that we get to watch every day.
What a sweetie! I <3 @pitchforkmedia, 2!
Best case scenario, she 'livens up' the female indie scene, talks shit about other bands, gets other females in indie 'mad jealous' of her. Girls h8 when they are no longer the 'pretty new girl.' Then Lana BB will go on to 'cross over', becoming richer than 99% of females in buzzbands, and 'never looks back' on the crappy world of female buzzsingers who h8 her so much. The blogosphere can continue to like her for too long based on the 'WE CREATED HER AND WE ARE NOT LETTING HER GO' theory.
Is she the new perfect alt female aesthetic?
"I can't wait to hang this poster in my room!" -a girl / hornie bro who reads too many indie blogs
Has she catapulted to the 'top of the indie female charts', even above Feist?
Should she just start releasing bikini photos instead of mp3s?
Is Lana Del Rey's music vaguely meaningful enough to appeal to women?
Are all female solo artists in music just 'manufactured' and 'marketed based on their looks'?
Will every male blogger in the world overvalue her, just based on her looks?
Is she destined to become the next female indie music + fashion icon?
Is she way better than Lykke Li / St Vincent already?
Is Lana Del Rey the 'final nail in the coffin' for St. Vincent's career?
Has she surpassed Alice Glass / Vicki LeGrand / Maddie Follin levels?
Is her gimmick 'fresh', 'stale' or 'whatever'?
How do u feel abt the forces that create a buzzband?
Does it seem 'fair and balanced' or 'arbitrary' and 'based on random bullshit'?
Is Lana Del Rey TOTALLY HOT?
Oh Lana BB... No 1 has put a spell like this on me since Regine...
R u on #TeamLana, or r u a #LanaH8R?
"Go play ur video games, bb..."
-a lamestreamer on Facebook trying to be 'deep', 'singing' lyrics from her fave new female artist