Purely speculation about the hidden clues and symbolism in the Lust for Life Trailer:
In an interview with Pitchfork, Clark Jackson (the director of the album trailer) talked about the themes and hidden context within the video:
So what do you think? What do you think the symbols mean?
The very obvious red strawberries
The Hollywood sign and living in the 'H' (The next single is going to be Hollywood-centric, fact from interview) The ladder
Tears of hearts being poured onto the world (we know that means the power of positive vibes and showing love) The spinning hourglass and goblet on either side of her The lightning storm over LA and the galaxy in the sky The floating telephone and the only directly spoken words being "in these dark times" in the telephone
Cooking in the pan: a galaxy, X♡O, the Chimera, Mercury, whisk (we know The Weeknd's signature XO implies a new single with him featured, and the galaxy could represent her 'Love' single, the chimera being Chimera Music, and mercury being Mercury Records- its not the moon, look at the patterns.) The sparks after mixing them together as she sends them out The 7 planets The Mount Rushmore past presidents crumbling and the Statue of Liberty flame being snuffed Writing the album title on the blackboard with chalk Her ghostly form disappearing The blackboard drifting up into space
*Unbolded text is what we already know, or is almost a fact. At the end of the post is a list of speculations with the respective clues above.
NOT ALL OF THESE may be significant. I've just listed the things that may be worth talking about
And here is the script of the trailer for your reference:
And here are the speculations (not yet been proved but do seem likely), Keep posting your speculations in the comments. Below will continue to be updated with the reasonable comments.
Red strawberries
Someone suggested "Strawberry Fields Forever", possibly a cover of the Beatles (links to Sean Lennon and Chimera Music? +the videos she's posted listening to the Beatles/John Lennon)
Lana's instagram post on her birthday last year was for the Strawberry Full Moon- could this year's Strawberry Moon on June 9th mean something for the album? Possible release date?
Symbolism of strawberries: spring, rebirth, righteousness, love- Spring release? (or at least part of the album in spring, like more singles and information, March-May)
The Hollywood sign, living in the 'H'
Peg Entwistle theory- Lana is somewhat representing Peg, who was an actress in the 20's and 30's, and comitted suicide by jumping from the H on the Hollywood sign.
The ladder
The fact that she would need some way to climb up to her home? Or perhaps the ladder symbolises that she has climbed above the chaos of her past (or LA in the video). We cannot see the top of the ladder however- could this mean she can still get higher yet?
Tears of hearts being poured onto the world
Hearts being her tears could represent suffering being converted into love and compassion?
The spinning hourglass and goblet on either side of her
Hourglass: "Its very shape is made up of triangles balancing each other out. Alchemists interpreted these triangles as representing two aspects of nature: the upper being the sky and the lower equating with Earth."
Cups in tarot cards: "The suit of cups Tarot meaning has to do mainly with the emotional area of your life. It allows you to explore more about your feelings and about the way you connect to the others and to the world."
These levitated and spinning on either side of her could mean she is connecting the realms with her emotions.
Hourglass could also represent time being up (it was out of time in the video) and the new era has begun.
There has been suggestion that the Born To Die video represents Lana as the High Priestess (in tarot cards): sitting on the throne, wearing crosses in the BTD era (connection to the creator), being between life and the afterlife (she dies in Summertime Sadness, Born to Die and that assumption can also be made in Blue Jeans).
And that in the Lust for Life trailer she represents the Magician: channels universe and manifests in physical reality (her music), the bridge between the spirit world and humanity.
Together, the High Priestess and Magician represent the female and male energies at their highest.
The lightning storm over LA and the galaxy in the sky
Lightning can represent chaos and destruction. But another common symbolism of lightning is 'an awakening/quick realisation', often being spiritual in nature, from the heavens. Is LA being struck by new energy?
However, it is a clear night, no clouds, yet lightning still persists. So perhaps the symbolism leans more towards an awakening than destructiveness.
The floating telephone and the only directly spoken words being "in these dark times" in the telephone
A telephone represents channelling information, and she is channelling her thoughts to us through this album. "In These Dark Times" could be hinting at something else to come (a hint at new lyrics?), or perhaps just emphasis on her letting us know that the world is not in the best place currently.
Lana also recorded the script on her phone.
Cooking in the pan: a galaxy, X♡O, the Chimera, Mercury, whisk
The chimera may be the symbol of Chimera Music- someone she is working with for a single?
Some suspect Yoko Ono (artist, writer, singer, peace activist and wife of John Lennon of the Beatles) who is connected to Chimera Music, or her son Sean Lennon who is also with Chimera Music (Sean has posted on instagram about the trailer and the symbols)
Sean Lennon being one of the symbols could be hinted in these instagram posts of his: (strawberry fields, working with favourite artist, in studio/ lana liked this post, posted about the moon)
Sean Lennon's band is called Ghost of a Sabre Toothed Tiger, and a chimera is the cover art for their single The World Was Made for Men.
And remember this Chimera Pig-Human post?
What we all originally thought was the moon is in fact Mercury, most likely meaning Mercury Records. The most likely person to collab with associated with Mercury is then Courtney Love, who has tweeted about LFL (from this teaser we also have #mnm to speculate about)
The whisk could mean 'mixing it all together' or, the Whiskey a Go Go bar- could she collab with an artist who started off from that bar?
"Ingredients found online"
The sparks after mixing them together as she sends them out
The 7 planets
7 is a number often used in association with Magic.
Someone has suggested they represent the 7 Deadly Sins.
If we know she has a number of collaborations in the album, maybe there are 7 songs that are only her creations. In the video, Lana is the one pointing to them, creating them...
Lana tweeted about NASA's new discovery of 7 planets: Look at the image of the 7 planets here (scroll down the article), and look at the planets she has in her video. Notice they are the EXACT same?
The Mount Rushmore past presidents crumbling and the Statue of Liberty flame being snuffed
Representing the New Age- "Solvet et Coagula"/Destroy to Recreate
Liberty torch being snuffed indicates how suffocated we feel 'in these dark times' of political climate, where liberty is being taken away.
Mt Rushmore suggested to represent "Architecture"
Writing the album title on the blackboard with chalk
Her ghostly form disappearing
Ghostly form may be reference to Peg Entwistle- the ghost of the Hollywood sign.
Maybe disappearing represents that she acknowledges her existence being temporary, that she will make her mark while she can?
The blackboard drifting up into space
To do with the space theme, channelling to the universe, raising positive vibrations of the world with her music.
re-watching the album trailer, i really can't imagine the track in the background NOT being used as an interlude on the album or being used in her live shows
so I thought I would make a list of the things we could expect and have been hinted/confirmed but we don't have yet:
- Photoshoot by Chuck (hinted on instagram:https://www.instagram.com/p/BP-hK1DloZl/)
- Photoshoot for Paris Match (by Sebastian Micke)
- Photoshoot for an unknown project (by Molly Matalon)
- Photoshoot for GRAZIA
- Music Video (directed by Rich Lee, hinted on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ81cz8ActC/)
- Another Music Video (apparently Eclipse said Lana had already 2 music videos ready, but may coincide with the Rich Lee one from above)
- James Franco said in an interview he was asked to be part of a LDR music video and since Love had already been shot there is still hope for him to appear this era
- The Weeknd collaboration
- Courtney Love collaboration (hinted by her on twitter, and possibly titled MNM)
- Sean Lennon collaboration (possibly a cover of 'Strawberry Fields Forever')
I think that's all. Finally it seems like we're getting a proper era
I just want to see how it does critically. Her album's collective scores have always out-done one another, so this could either go up or be her downfall. And she's had it really good for a long time. She has to fall short st some point.
This is always the most agonizing part of a pre-release... not knowing the release date, not knowing how long to wait till the album drops? Like all we can do is make wild guesses and worry... I just want to know when Lust For Life will be in my life Lana pls
