npowell

I trust Eclipse, he was always a relieable source. But I still can't at some of you still celebrating him as "King". Of course it's always fun to have infos but it seemingly reached a level where it invades her privacy that much that she feels the need to contact him. Not because she wants to but because he had the audacity to tag her on leaked lyrics. And he keeps the narcissism and entitlement he always displays on this board when he is talking to her, acting benelovent etc.
I am also always happy for Lana news but why would you be so into someone who behaves likes this for the sake of it?

Don't know if this "unpopular," but it is a series of opinions.

 

I remember reading a piece that spearheaded Lana’s importance: holding up the lonely torch of the female depressive in pop culture as a voice that deserves to be heard.

 

I agree with this. It's so easy to see her disaffected nature as a defect, but it's at the core of who she is and why she makes art to begin with. It's what gives her introspection, but also brings forth isolation.

 

Lana's perspective, from a 'marketability' and thematic angle, is one that would have made more sense in the mid 1990s. She would have kindred spirits in Garbage, Tori, Fiona, even Alanis. But in some ways, her perspective is even more needed now, because there is SUCH a lack of diversity in the females we hear from in pop culture, and the kinds of stories they tell. Shirley Manson of Garbage has pointed this out, fittingly enough. We need to hear from the miserable girl, the loser, the ones who don’t want to play nice, and maybe don’t even get out of bed some days. There’s always been a place for that girl in other media: literature, film, art. Music, especially pop music, doesn’t know what to do with this personality type. If it’s Kurt Cobain or Leonard Cohen (or any number of current male indie mini-gods), it’s tortured genius. If it’s a woman doing it, it’s pathetic, INDULGENT solipsism. How dare you be so lazy, inwardly focused and torpid when there are SOCIAL ISSUES to examine and crusade. That's the attitude Lana faces.

 

 We live in the age of the Totally Transparent, Fervently Disciplined, and Manicured Go-Getter. Taylor. Katy. Demi. Even Rihanna. They are corporate workhorses, THIRSTY for the fame, and more than ready to play and stay in the game. The personality type this workload requires is not for the delicate, sensitive, ambivalent type. They don’t look inward. They are fixated on the crowd. You see these same types in offices all over the world. Type A middle managers. They get shit done, might seem like “team players” (dictators in disguise), but they aren’t interesting and don’t offer a lot of innovation or insight into life, creativity, or much else. I’m sure the economic collapse of the past 10 years and the wreckage of the music industry has a lot to do with why this middle manager pop star archetype has prevailed. It’s sheer survivalism. 

 

The truth is the Lana of Born To Die, and that album itself, is an anomaly. It’s a character study in what it would be like to be a famous pop star. In philosophy, there’s an idea that to create a character, you have to lack what that character has for it to work (Homer vs Achilles is a classic example.) Lana was never a natural star by any means, but she’s clearly seen it as a way to transcend herself or try to another skin on. (“Give a man a mask and he’ll tell you the truth.” - Oscar Wilde.) To parallel her to Britney, Lana never has had a pre-Blackout glory era. This is where I think some LDR fans get it wrong. BTD was not her Baby One More Time or Oops! or whatever. Even on BTD, she was a propped-up simulacrum of what a pop icon might be like. She represented the IDEA. It was NEVER natural. She was the weirdo philosophy major playing dress up as the cool girl, singing into her mirror. The fact that she found an audience is a small miracle, but her intuitive habitat is still dancing around, alone, with her headphones on, wondering what it would be like to be onstage. The actual stage is foreign to her, and almost besides the point. I bet when she’s up there, she imagines being alone.

 

Look at ALL her work before, and after, BTD. The work of an outsider dreaming her life away, imagining that fame could transform her, fulfill her, then finding nothing there. Even before she became famous, the lyrics suggest she already was aware of its empty promise (probably due to her study of doomed cult icons). If anything, what she’s doing now is getting back to her roots: turning her LACK of fulfillment into art, trying to make something tangible of a void within. It’s hard work, and clearly she’s not always up to making it a complete vision. To create and share art is an attempt to tell your story in the hopes of CONNECTING with people. But that’s where it stops for Lana. In solitude, she records her vision then hits “send.” Then she disengages, unable to sustain the ideal in real-time. Unable to fulfill the pop duties. Unable to deliver the big pay off, for herself, or for her fans. It’s like a surrealist film that cuts off in the ‘wrong’ moment, just to leave you on edge. How many times can you get away with it? We’ll be finding out.

 

And that’s another thing. I think Lana’s “failure” to rise the occasion affects certain fans personally. Not just because they want her to get a Top 10 and compete with the ‘normal’  pop stars. But because maybe they, too, are depressed and know too well what it means to not deliver, to not function optimally, to disappoint people. When you’re depressed, being able to complete ANYTHING can feel like an insurmountable challenge. If you’re blessed with the strange mix of being both ambitious AND prone to depression, you are constantly at war with yourself, which Lana seems to be. Sometimes she has the energy to fight through it and deliver us true magic. These are her little victories. Other times, she drowns in her own ennui and forgets everyone but herself. Some fed up fans say she doesn’t care, but I don’t believe this is true. I’m sure she’s in a state of frequent frustration, with the “world,” but more often, with herself.

 

Part of what drew me — and many others, I’m sure — to Lana’s work and persona was that she seemed malcontented, if not quite tormented. Life is too much, and not enough, for her. I remember that little-known Gwen Stefani lyric (“I sip on dreams and choke on real things.”) To me, that’s Lana constant M.O. She wants desperately to escape, to isolate, and to never work another day again (the ultimate sin of today’s life-hack-driven, entrepreneurial, “optimize yourself!” digital nomad climate). She never makes it clear what it IS, exactly, that would make her happy, because what she’s asking for is impossible. A LOT of people empathize with this ambivalence, despite the fact that this passive, me vs. the world view of reality is literally censored out of modern day music. You’re not supposed to complain! Things will get better if you live, laugh, and love! LDR will never live, laugh and love first-hand, but she’ll always wonder what that might feel like. And pine for it like its her to mourn.

 

Female depressives can sustain a career. It doesn’t have to end in a Sylvia Plath/Amy Winehouse tragedy. Shirley Manson and Fiona Apple are still going strong 20 years down the line, and in some ways, seem more connected and ‘healthy’ than ever, while still finding a way to channel their grievances through their art. They’ve evolved their artistry to a level that is undeniably iconic. They will never top the charts again, but that was never the point. They have huge cult followings that will always follow their next move. It’s a family. I’d love for Lana to have this in her 40s, too, but I believe at some point she’ll have to start making art as part of a conversation, not just a soliloquy, for this to happen. 

Now that it's getting colder out, I've found myself listening to Siberia over and over. It just feels like such a perfect "curled up inside hiding from a winter chill" album. Her harmonies are so beautiful.

That gif is from the movie Cool World where cartoons get the chance to become real people if they can find a human to fuck. You're not imagining x

i dont know anything about her. its just pathetic to keep dragging her for no reason.
 
and it's quasimodo

I think there's also a degree of dealing with emotional pain by finding comfort in beauty. I don't know, maybe I'm projecting. But I spent the first part of my life internalizing the Protestant ethic of plain-ness (in which beauty or anything non-utilitarian is seen as suspect, sometimes sinful... I think generally speaking, the Catholic expression of Christianity has embraced beauty more). And for me, it was downright depressing to always be chasing what my culture taught me was "useful." Now that I've opened my heart up more to appreciating the beautiful things in the world, I'm a lot happier. I can be driving to work, entirely too early in the morning, but then when I notice the way the sunlight hits the dew on the rearview mirror, lighting it up with a beautiful golden glow... I just feel grateful (It's just a visceral reaction, and takes too long to explain... but you know what I mean?)

Here are the scans:
 
 
 
Also, I translated the interview if you're interested:
 
 

I looked for a covers thread but didn't see one. Let me know if I should post this somewhere else.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP8OVTkyi4U
 

I looked for a covers thread but didn't see one. Let me know if I should post this somewhere else.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP8OVTkyi4U
 

ima learn this
edit jk omg this sounds hard :?(

I guess I'm just used to more soothing strings ala stuff used in Lana's instrumentals but I guess that's not the violin lol. But I mean the cover isn't horrible I just don't think it's the right song. That person's Royals cover is good though

Not sure if the sharp piercing sound of the violin suits the ethereal Bel Air piano melody, it hurts my ear and I had to pause it after a bit but that might be because my head feels like it's exploding and this wasn't helping. I know nothing about the violin but that doesn't sound very peaceful or pleasing LOL maybe it's off tune or whatever? idk musical instruments

That little "hee hee" when he sings "worry" sounds like Michael Jackson and it cracks me up.

Very interesting interview, finally some real questions about her art are given to her. We definitely need to know more about how she sees Lolita, her gas station days and the questions about Kurt Cobain should stop, nothing good comes out of it.
 
 
Yes, she  definitely does and that's amazing for a writer. It's not very common to see women being comfortable with this side. 

Are you delusional? I don't understand the hate for Barrie. Are you jealous...? Do you not like him because he doesn't look like a model? Like the tattoed model that was hired so she could have this edgy look/image? So Lana finds someone who loves her/she loves and a bunch of her fans are just, like, hating on him for absolutely no reason. He seems like a great guy, and who are you to tell him that he's lucky? Do you know him? Do you know her? We're nothing but a bunch of slightly creepy obsessive people stalking her past and admiring her and what we know about her life. You know nothing about them at all or what their relationship is like. It's her personal life and not yours, and your distaste for him makes absolutely no sense. Move on.
 
#EndRant

That little "hee hee" when he sings "worry" sounds like Michael Jackson and it cracks me up.

^ NiGHTMARE (FUCK)BOi

I love how your mind works. Is  like a Kinder Egg: there is always a surprise thought inside.

severe overanalysis alert:


 

transcript from nylon: 
 
 
 

This makes me wonder just how many other artists are out there languishing with music that I'd love if I only had the chance to hear it. Kind of crazy. After all, I'd never even heard of Lana until she was on SNL.

I found this violin version of Royals on another board. I loooooove it:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Nw-AlLYeQ

I found a bunch of old Lake Placid News (LPN), Adirondack Daily Express (ADE), Plattsburgh Press-Rebulican (PPR) articles archived as black and white PDF scans that mention Lizzy, some with photos of her:
 
 
 
Here's a rundown of the rest of the references:
 
Involvement in Sports
Skiing. "Lately, the students of St. Agnes School have accomplished a lot out of school. Many SAS students particpated recently in some exciting ski races: NYSEF World Cup race for JV (ages 7-10). Placings are as follows... Elizabeth Grant 20th". January 25, 1995 LPN Sports page box score showing her run time and placing ("8. Elizabeth Grant   44.33") in the Ed Damp Junior V World Cup. March 12, 1996 PPR
"The New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) held its annual family race and picnic for participants in the.series last Saturday, at which time the final standings were released... Elizabeth Grant (259)... Completed the top 10." March 23, 1996 ADE
Skating. "The following scholarships have been awarded by the Skating Club of Lake Placid to the skaters named below... $50 scholarships for ice or lessons... Elizabeth Grant." March 27, 1997 ADE Softball. She played center fielder for her middle school team. "Elizabeth grant [sic] OF-C". April 10, 1998 LPN Involvement in Other Extra-curricular Activities
Choir. "The Lake Placid High School (LPHS) concert started off with the chorus singing 'Psallite'. They song many traditional Christmas Carols [sic]. The chorus personnel are... Elizabeth Grant". March 7, 2000 LPN "After the Women's Ensemble it was the high school chorus' time to shine... Medley from 'Les Miserables' had many soloists, such as... Elizabeth Grant". June 23, 2000 LPN
What song do you think she sang?
Performed in a variety show (as well as Chuck and Charlie). June 23, 2000 LPN Secretary of the high school Key Club. "On Tuesday May 9, the Key Club members welcomed new leadership... Congratulations also go to the new secretary. Elizabeth Grant". June 23, 2000 LPN Staff of the Blue Times Bomber, the school newspaper which appears to have been an insert in the Lake Placid News. January 28, 2000  March 17, 2000 LPN  June 23, 2000 LPN Confirmation. "On Sunday afternoon. May 21, at 4:30 p.m.. Bishop Gerald Barbarito, bishop of Ogdensburg, came to Lake Placid and confirmed more than 50 people from area Roman Catholic churches, including St Agnes... It was a beautiful and solemn ceremony, with the church's altars and pillars decked in red, the bishop in his red chasuble (robe), wearing his miter on his head and holding his staff in hand. On the altar, dozens of red roses arranged in large vases added to the festive atmosphere. The 17 Lake Placid young people, all dressed in white robes, who received the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation included... Elizabeth Grant". May 26, 2000 LPN Honor Roll
 
There are also many articles that list her on the honor roll:
Grade 7, High Honors. January 9, 1998 LPN  February 13, 1998 LPN  March 27, 1998 LPN  March 27, 1998 ADE  March 30, 1998 PPR  May 29, 1998 ADE  June 9, 1998 ADE  June 19, 1998 LPN  July 31, 1998 PPR Grade 8, Honors. March 5, 1999 LPN  March 8, 1999 ADE  March 12, 1999 LPN  May 7, 1999 LPN Grade 8, High Honors. June 18, 1999 LPN  July 20, 1999  July 23, 1999 LPN Grade 9, Honors. December 24, 1999 LPN  December 31, 1999 LPN  January 28, 2000 LPN This establishes pretty well that she started 9th grade in the fall of 1999. Unless you skip a grade, kids are 14 or 15 when they begin 9th grade (or at least turn 14 shortly after it begins). If Lizzy was really born in 1986 as she claims, she would have just turned 13 the summer before.   
 
Family Members
 
There's also a lot of articles mentioning other members of her family. I didn't spend a ton of time looking at those, but they appear to be mostly about her parents' efforts to organize opposition to a development project (Lake Placid does really remind me of Twin Peaks sometimes) for classic NIMBY reasons, her dad's real estate listings, and Chuck and Charlie's sports exploits (including a huge fish she caught).
 
However, this article describes in greater detail her dad's furniture company mentioned in that Domain Name Journal profile on him and this article gives more background on her family's ownership of "God Bless America" singer Kate Smith's home-- which Lizzy mentioned in this article and was the inspiration for the original title of AKA-- and their attempts to sell it at a large profit rather than an affordable price for the Kate Smith/God Bless America Foundation who wanted to turn it into a museum.
 
Note: Please let me know if any of my links appear wrong. That's a lot of links to copy and paste!