PrettyBaby

people want them because from the previews they sound amazing ... Well for me Damn You is amazing, even from the snippet. I really like the melody and it seems like a chill melodic song that is catchy... I think it doesn't fit in with the BTD theme, but maybe the "paradise edition" makes BTD theme less "die" and more "paradise" if you get what I mean ...
 
I don't really care how we get the song, as long as we get it. I really2 want to listen to the full thing

Judging from pictures, I'm about the same size as her but I'm a bit more busty and I'm at an average weight. But then again, she's a grown woman so maybe it isn't healthy on her.

@PrettyBaby, Sorry for sounding a bit bitter. I thought you were playfully mocking the part where I said I was just guessing, lol. But yeah, I do think there's more Lana to be uncovered.

Haha, YES :creepy:

How's this? ^_^

OHHH...
 
:wanders off to change a song title in iTunes:

A lot of people do. For women, it often manifests as something called Intense World Syndrome. Usually IWS makes people want to avoid intense situations (because they are overwhelmed sooner/more easily), but sometimes it expresses itself in thrill-seeking behavior. Or so I've read. I don't think this discussion is mean at all; I think it's exciting that our society is becoming more open about these things, and learning more about what diverse issues different people cope with every day.
 
Her "un-feminist" lyrics don't strike me as superficial, but rather complex. Sometimes our culture oversells Power Feminism (IMO, like women aren't allowed to have human needs/weaknesses/failings because at this point in history we have to "represent"), and I see Lana's strong perspective of apparent submissiveness as partly in reaction to that -- a stand for individuality. Yet, I also see her sometimes-submissive demeanor as apparent, an act. Not only because it's fun to role-play, but also to some degree because one effective way to subvert a patriarchal mindset is to infiltrate it and bring about change from within. (I may be projecting this, though, based on my own life story. It resonates so much with me.) For example, I see the video for PMIAM, more than the song, as participating in sexual "exploitation" to regain a sense of personal agency, while at the same time protesting it by interspersing clips of a man being taken away in handcuffs. And again, I may be projecting, but I imagine that she could be doing a similar thing in OTTR, to an extent, though perhaps with more participation and less apparent protest.
 
So anyway, that's what I mean when I say I think Lana subverts both the patriarchy and Power Feminism
 
 
Hard living (drugs, thrill-seeking, possible cosmetic surgery) can definitely take a toll. But things like heavy makeup and lack of sleep will temporarily age a person as well. Check out recent airport candids; I think she looks more fresh-faced in them. Also, look at these photos from the Tartan Clef Awards last year -- she's the same Lizzy she always was!
 
http://lanadelreyonline.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=29&pid=103#top_display_media
 
http://lanadelreyonline.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=29&pid=106#top_display_media
 
THIS. I am both an egalitarian and a feminist. (I even occasionally call myself a "masculinist," to what I hope is a healthy and beneficial extent, though I don't tend to focus on it as much.) My life has taken me from a casual feminism through patriarchalism into a fierce egalitarianism that seeks to promote and protect women and girls, men and boys, and those who don't quite feel they fit into those categories. But I am uncomfortable with both Power Feminism and Victim Feminism, and I'm seeking a happy medium, though I don't quite know what to call it yet. (I'm toying with "Shalom Feminism." Might be too obscure.) I believe it is the responsibility of each one of us to see, support, and promote the dignity in every human being, whether or not they make it easy for us.
 
The GQ cover and the boob-groping pic are SO NOT egalitarian, it's ridiculous. Yet it is a human perspective. :shrug: I don't like it.
 
THIS too. I love her so much. Love you guys too.

Just because you're crazy, doesn't mean you're wrong

love u too, PrettyBaby! i SO agree with everything you said!!!! i am a total egalitarian as well! i hold doors for guys, too, for example...like, why can't everyone be kind to each other, in the littlest details and in the more important issues? how is gender still so defining in the twentyfirst century? how has technology evolved so, and socially we are retograding, in some ways? but this is off topic, so i'll stop here.
you know, i remember -because i am existentially nostalgic- that my last post on LDRFM i actually defended her lyrics, because i DO think that we human beings are multidimensional, complex, sometimes contradictory, possessing both yin and yang, anima and animus, and i think lana expresses that dual nature: while being deep and aware, she expresses that at times consciously but others unconsciously, or in spite of ourselves, we are imbued by cultural values that are not always the highest, and maybe we find ourselves acting according to them, although in our heart we know they (appearance, the material things, the aspirational consumerism, etc. )are not essential. i think my two morning espressos have made me ramble on a bit and i don't know if this makes sense to anyone, but i think that lana's lyrics manifest her philosophical nature and her keen observation of the world around her in its most elevated, such as love and spirituality and, at the same time, the possibility of also wanting, being swept away by and enjoying the more mundane pleasures (the good and the dangerous)...that voracity of wanting to fully experience LIFE, which i think she made clear(er) in the GQ interview. regardng the photos that accompany the article, i don't know, maybe - in her retro-glamourous incarnation of "lana del rey" and admiration of icons like marilyn monroe - maybe she thought to also experience the nude posing and "sexy" shots - like to do it once, to have that experience, too? or maybe it's an ego thing, the satisfaction (?) of being the object of male desire taking over? was it like fiona apple, in the early stages of her career, thinking, with the "spin" photoshoot and the "criminal" video, i'll be in control of the "exploiting"myself? (though the boob grab is hard to justify)...who knows? was it responsible, or the right move? what's certain is that lana is a mysterious and, with all her flaws as well as her more endearing traits of sweetness and sincerity, an endlessly fascinating girl

This is gorgeous! Really caught my eye. You have a real good sense of style.

Depeche Mode - Clean

Made a new set for myself ^_^

alright, I know it now

"Puppy Love" is the way more engaging title, and if I had no idea that was ever a consideration and knew it as the basic "Marilyn Monroe", I'd think, "Well, why the fuck does she say 'puppy love' so much?" Similiar to "China Doll" shitting on "Without You".

Oh, i thought of another one: I like the chorus effect (it's not Auto-Tune and frankly sounds nothing like it) on the vocals of Birds of a Feather.

I'm not at all a fan of (most of) the lyrics in Born to Die. Lyrically, the best song on the album is Video Games. I think most fans choose something like Off to the Races or National Anthem, because of the quick succession of references/"pretty lyrics". That's probably what I dislike most about the lyrical content of the album -- most of lines seem "tumblr-ready" to be made into edits with muted colors and the lyrics in Helvetica transcribed on top.
 
I'm not sure what Lana's writing-process is like -- she's spoken about it a few times, but has never gone into great detail -- but her lyrics make me think that she thinks of "pretty" lines/phrases/couplets first and foremost, and then strings them together. Something along the lines of, "Oh, I like the lines "soul as sweet as blood-red jam" and "every inch of my tar-black soul", how can I incorporate these into a song?" I think many songwriters use a similar technique, but it just seems like the entirety of most of her songs were written like this. (Again, I admit that I don't know her writing-process and this very well may not be the case). When I listen to a song like Video Games, I don't have the same thought. It strikes me as a very organic song to write, very natural and just... sincere.
 
Sure, the lyrics are simple, but I like the simplicity. You don't need to be trying to cram in every pretty phrase/60s reference/hip-hop slang into every damn line you write! I'd like to state that I don't inherently hate 60s references/Americana... but I do think that Lana has approached this theme before with much more positive/beautiful results. LDRakaLG is a great example of how the Americana themes and "pretty lyrics" can marry a much simpler songwriting style and have the outcome be something incredibly beautiful, more beautiful than Born to Die. This is the Lana I fell in love with, and will probably always be in love with. <3 LDRakaLG is just so beautiful and sincere and ...not contrived. How someone can listen to Oh Say Can You See and Raise Me Up and believe the lyrics aren't as good as those on Born to Die is beyond me! O _ O
 
So, you can imagine that after having heard Body Electric the first time, I was so, so disappointed. I still am. I think the music is beautiful, but the lyrics really aren't. I was going to type something like, "Lana's becoming a caricature of herself", but I realize now that she already is. :\ I know that this song is on a re-release, so the new songs will be in the same vein of those on Born to Die. I've accepted that whatever new songs will be similar, as disappointing as it is. So instead of bitching and moaning about how the lyrical content on the re-release is horrible, I'll be looking forward to her next effort and hoping that unlike the time between LDRakaLG and Born to Die, she grows as a songwriter. And instead of complaining and writing long-winded rants on forums, I'll appreciate Born to Die for what it is -- just one "phase" in what will hopefully be long-lasting career -- and a phase that is necessary and on route to Lana's future definitive masterpiece.

One doesn't even have to read a single word, just taking one quick look at that set of covers suffices. Again, this is not about nudity. Nor is it about dignity, or any moralistic link between the two. For me it's not even about Lana Del Rey's choices, because a big part of what i like and appeals to me about her is that there's something fucked up about her--so many of her lyrics, even her persona itself, often leave me feeling somewhat uncomfortable and confused. There is nothing safe about her.
 
My contention here is how problematic and transparent this magazine's whole approach is. This is the sort of thing we see everyday everywhere. But, still, it's upsetting, frustrating, and exhausting to continually see it--in this case in such an unmistakable and blatant fashion--men's control of the media (read: everything) and heteronormative male fantasy as the cultural norm. I mean, really, four "men of the year" uniformly displayed in tuxedos and the lone "woman of the year" naked, looking coy and vulnerable? Really? Can you dig a bigger hole for yourselves, GQ? This is a text book example of patriarchy, androcentrism, the media reducing women to their sexual capital, and a bunch of other insidious, poisonous things that sadly most people either don't notice, don't care about, or dismiss altogether.

I think we were expressing our criticisms respectfully. And rather than checking my irrational fears at the door, I prefer to hold them up, look them over, and say "how the hell did I end up with THIS?" Kind of in the spirit of naked and vulnerable, you might say.

Much worse -- the American South
 
And I may be overestimating the importance of the lack of a "W." That is, while "BWAHAHA" connotes evil laughter, "BAHAHA" strikes me as more spontaneously pure-hearted somehow Based on local usage. (Oh crap.)

How is this?

It's very subjective, but I agree there's a bit of an unsettling vibe to this shoot, especially the cover, that I don't get from the "Kill Kill" outtakes, for example. For me, maybe it's because I don't think the cover photo is that flattering even though it's revealing? I don't really blame Lana. It's probably difficult to ascertain how photos will come off while you're being shot.
 
But I do find it problematic on GQ's behalf. I couldn't agree more with Monicker on that point. @TrailerParkDoll (forum user MissDaytona I believe?) posted this link on Twitter, which I think really says it all.
 
Now I'm probably going to trash whatever feminist cred I might've garnered with this snarky, juvenile, and objectifying observation: I don't understand the fuss about the "boob-grabbing" picture in particular-- she has no boobs to grab!
 
(Aw, don't hate me. I'm sure I wasn't the first to think it.)

You mean like, "Hey, don't bother with your theramin thingies and your what-nots; just use the demos!" :ph34r:

Proceed with caution.
 
 
 
Hey, wouldn't it be great if the producers had taken note of all the BTD criticisms we virulently spouted on LDR.FM and made suitable changes for the re-release?

Oh, I didn't read the text on the picture.

haha, I think we were born to live aswell and sometimes I don't really feel like listening to the song but I feel that when I skip a song, my mind then starts to think I don't like it or something so I get annoyed everytime it plays. So I try and avoid that.