Lana Del Rey must be the most productive singer out there! There doesn't seem to be a minute where the singer-songwriter isn't leaking material on to the net. Seriously, she must live in the studio! Still, it eases the transition (and the painful longing) between her début album and it's upcoming sophomore follow up, so I shan't complain.
First up is Beautiful Player which wears its Hip Hop influences on its sleeve, with a heavy beat and a male rapper/the song producer/ family friend (I don't know who he is) alibiing over the track and spitting a few bars after the song's bridge. Lana keeps the vocals sweet and light while she sings about her scumbag, but beautiful, boyfriend who keeps playing around. All-in-all, not a bad track.
Breaking My Heart is poppier in style and it's a song that I could hear Kylie Mingoue having recorded for whatever album Come Into My World came from. It contains more of Lana's usual lyrical motifs but once again she manages to overcome those clichés with her delivery and the interesting vocal melody. This is my favourite of the two.
Neither song is AMAZING- which is why I'm guessing they've been leaked- but they're still better than a lot of stuff being put out there by others at the moment! Lucky for us we only have to wait a few more months until her next album meets our (my?) loving embrace!
Other random stuff:
This song, entitled Serial Killer, I'm not sure if I've ever posted on before, but I'm going to err on the side of caution and add here. This has got to be one of my favourite non-album cuts from Lana and I am still listening to this almost a year after it found its way to me. Sure, she's still singing about men and dangerous love but the production, vocal and lyrics weave together beautifully!
And can I just leave this here? Yeah, it ain't no Diva...but still...it's kinda relevant...
Thoughts?
"Serial Killer" is magnificent, but my favorite one has to be "Damn You".
ReplyDeleteBoth songs are yes, still better than songs that some artists are releasing. Both are kind of "meh........" to me. Although, I do like Beautiful Player more.
Also, to the non-diva... he's cute. Can't decide if I like him because he's cute or because he has quite a sexy voice(to me). Maybe both? xD
He has that tone that I don't know how to describe when he sings the chorus. *melts*
i recently downloaded 40 of lana's unrealised tracks and iv not even scratched the surface, i think all these tracks are evidence she truly enjoys recording, it's funny because most reviews of her albums state that she's playing a character but if thats true that character is a whole lot more genuine than most artists in the charts.
ReplyDeletei seen her live a few weeks ago and she kicked ass, i even reviewed the concert . her vocals were on point,she had fun and had confidence which was reassuring as i have seen some stogy live performances.
my top picks form her unrealised tracks are backfire, hollywoods dead and teenage wasteland. altho a lot of her songs have a similar composition i never get bored and their perfect for these sunny summer days.
I love teenage wasteland, too! Link me with your review. Would love to read !
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly....lol. I was confused too.
ReplyDeleteNever Let Me Go, Teenage Wasteland and Butterflies are also worth listening to, although I must have about 70 in total in my library or something ridiculous
ReplyDeleteDecent tracks. I prefer "Beautiful Player" over the other one. The other one sounds like "Ghetto Baby" to me. "Serial Killer" is extremely popular. Everyone just knew it was going to be on "Paradise." My favorite unreleased tracks are "Damn You," "Backfire," "Serial Killer," "Never Let Me Go," and "Velvet Crowbar."
ReplyDeleteAnd "On Our Way."
ReplyDeleteAnd "She's Not Me (Ride or Die)".
ReplyDeleteits one i done for a magazine so this is a scan :) i gave it 4 stars because the venue staff were so terrible haha .
ReplyDeletehttp://www.recklessabandonco.co.uk/lana.png
Liked beautiful Player best out of all those songs. The guy is pretty enough to be a diva...until he opens his mouth. Cannot abide that whiny style of singing. Especially combined with The Pained Facial. It's so....hipster or spoiled little rich boy to me. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more , sounded like a Disney movie soundtrack .
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that Lana has become much more solid in a live setting as well, I've been watching some videos from the Paradise Tour and have been surprised to see she her grow to be more comfortable in live settings and perform quite well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pleasant turn of events that is Serendipity. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest not watching any of her Madrid performances, the crowd was very enthusiastic, which delightful for Lana, but horrible for audio quality, as it was hard for me to make out Lana's voice from the sea of voices singing along with her :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe dude covering the song failed to capture to emotive quality of the song, in my opinion. He is talented, and I understand making a song your own, but the brash and coarse delivery just didn't cut it. As someone with a significant rasp, I know he could have went for a more velvety approach, to showcase the vulnerability. I didn't feel that he was vulnerable, I felt he was trying to force answer out of a lover. lol I just got mixed feelings from the rendition... Not bad, but wasn't too special either.
ReplyDeleteI like Serial Killer too but I don't like the Non-Diva....he gave a good cover but he just didn't do it for me...lol
ReplyDeleteI was just about to list On Our Way and Never Let Me go but I guess you beat me to it. (:
ReplyDeleteI thought i was the only one that felt that way i was listening to him sing and it
ReplyDeletewas as if he was trying to force an emotion that he could not find within himself into his vocals. There was not even the slightest hint of vunerability within that vocal performance.... and the song on a whole call's for it "Will you still love me when im no longer young and beautiful?" You're completely putting yourself out there with a question like that, the answer could be no and then you fall to piece's or the answer could be yes and then you "Live happily ever after" i just did not believe his vocal delivery at all, i felt no emotional attachment whatsoever
Haha i didn't quite like his whining either and i got the same "Spoiled little rich boy to me" vibe.
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough, I would have song the first half vulnerably and softer, then I would have made the second half sound obsessive and down right forceful... I could see if he would have done it that way...That would have appealed to me. It would have kinda showed tribute to how it was supposed to be conveyed as well as putting his own flair to it. Again, it wasn't a bad rendition, it just didn't speak to me on an emotional level like the original.
ReplyDeleteDude we have the same idea! I would have started off with and airy falsetto for the chorus to display the vulnerability and then as the song progressed become more vocally aggressive and take the will you still love me in full voice and i agree it wasnt a bad rendition just did not speak to me on a emotional level.
ReplyDeleteYES....But me and falsetto aren't the best of friends so i would have went the route of high nasal mixing... It would sound cold and desolate with my voice type but I can smothe it out and make it sound velvety rather than raspy. Though, I'd gradually go to a more dynamic and brash sound and go away from the velvety texture. I'm not sure if I'd make it comfortably dark or lighten my voice for the song though. The key choice I'd chose would make people unhappy. lol
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean darkening or lightening your type of voice on that type of song could go either way, people will either hate it or it, i think you would be able to pull it off. Oh on your falsetto comment I tend to use a reinforced falsetto so it feels more like a head dominated mix then anything way easier to control and i can somewhat manipulate the color of it maybe you can try that?
ReplyDelete'Beautiful Player' is repetitive and unworthy of mention, IMO.
ReplyDelete'Break My Heart'... I don't know what I was expecting, but I managed only one minute. I
was underwhelmed, to say the least. Tell me if I missed anything special.
At first, I thought I would really like 'Serial Killer'... but the chorus was just a jumbled mess. I really liked the verses, though.
Beautiful player.... that would be Miguel! They should duet together. SOMETHING devastatingly explicitly sensual. Miguel and Esthero did, but it was very veiled.
ReplyDeleteI like serial killer. Any songs by Lana that delve into the darker, manic depressive to downright psychopathicparts of her character are really entertaining. There was one where she set fire to her lover's home and attempts to charm and seduce the police officer out of harm's way. "Aren't these hand cuffs a little tight, officer?.."
Great read! Totally jealous you saw her!
ReplyDelete@everyone...RE: The last video, I was listening with my eyes...I admit it...LOL
ReplyDeletehttp://25.media.tumblr.com/7f952df7d8d8ec2a79ee256fe8801f8d/tumblr_mo4i6yyqnY1ssqng1o1_250.gif
Yes, visually he IS pleasing.Maybe next video he can just sit there and look pretty? ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis woman is a machine, she releases constantly lol but unlike a certain other 'artist' who releases an album every year (suspiciously around Christmas) Lana releases gem after gem! Nuff said! :)
ReplyDeleteOh god, I am glad you got there before I did haha I need an ice bath haha
ReplyDelete