necessary sacrifice

I know this has probably been mentioned a few times, but what if surprise dropping the 3 singles with no announcement/promotion was to test the waters and see if she could surprise drop an album without it flopping? Like yeah it wouldn’t do as well first week without physicals, but she already dropped an album this year that did fabulously first week, so maybe her label is fine with giving her a lil freebie and letting her surprise release it with physicals later.

It’s possible she’s constantly debating quitting because she can’t handle fame but never does because she is so passionate about her work. Even between AKA and BTD when her career seemed to be going nowhere, she was constantly making music. And now she has the opportunity to release her music for the world and to support herself that way and she shouldn’t have to give up her privacy and safety and peace of mind just to create songs and make a living off of that. Yeah, I know, it’s a trade off, but it doesn’t mean it’s fair or that she just accepts it with a smile. Plus even if she did quit, the cat’s already out of the bag, everyone knows who she is. She wouldn’t even be able to have a personal social media page or live her life in peace. Fans would still stalk her and harass her. They wouldn’t just forget she existed. So if she can’t ever have true freedom or safety again, why should she give up her passion? Would it not make more sense to just put out music on her own terms and still get to write and sing and support herself that way? Because the life she’s living at the moment, kinda low key, hanging out with her friends, is likely the exact same life she’d be living if she quit music, including having fans running into her all the time. She’d never escape that unless she lived in disguises all the time and nothing’s stopping her from already doing that if she wanted to. Like Joni Mitchell “quit” after pretty much every album but she’d end up writing so much and wouldn’t even get the privacy she longed for, so she’d always come back. Sometimes quitting just isn’t worth it even if you hate fame and your fans.

I guess it’s time for Jenny Lewis’ “evil country influence”

I’ve never really understood this stance, yet it seems to be very common around here. Do you guys only buy albums to look at? Like I’ve got plenty of albums I love spinning but I don’t care for the album cover, but it doesn’t matter because I can literally put the sleeve back on the shelf while I listen if it’s that big of a deal. If I only bought albums with covers I liked, I’d be missing lots of great albums.

I love this look.

Until Jack worked with Lana, he was known for making mostly 80s-esque power pop. Then once Lana released NFR, everyone else he worked with wanted him to do that sound for them too. It’s not Lana’s fault she’s a trendsetter. It also makes sense why she’d logically move on from Jack at this point too.

I feel like the obvious assumption would be that there will be at least blue, green, and grey vinyls, but that would make too much sense, so it also feels unlikely.

Lana’s career ain’t over just because she’s not making garbage pop songs and selling her soul to top the charts with songs that’ll be forgotten in a few years

Thunder also references the song Maria from The Sound of Music, which would be extra fitting since TB and BB also include musical theatre references. For that reason (and Zach’s involvement), I have actually wondered if Thunder could make it onto this album (and I’m usually not delusional about wanting unreleased songs on an album)

That might be her plan. Maybe if she releases when so many others are she hopes to go a little bit under the radar. Though I doubt it’s actually coming this summer. But she could’ve originally intended for it to come out this summer to get less attention.

Lustformoney’s nightmares these days: no hate, I’m just goofing around

can’t wait

If the Peggy Lee 1955 World Broadcast Recordings LP is available at the indie record store in my town, I’ll definitely have to scoop that up. Not much else that excites me this year. I wish I knew what will be included on the Joni Mitchell Archives Highlights LP because if it’s mostly the demo tape stuff, I’d need it, but if it’s mostly the second fret stuff, I have more than enough records of that already lol. But then the record store in my town doesn’t usually get a lot of RSD exclusives, so idek if they’ll have those. I wonder if I’m able to call and ask beforehand.

And now my blue banisters are green & grey

Lana should release the album on August 8th, which would be Esther Williams’ 100th birthday and the album cover should be Lana swimming in her pool in a vintage swimsuit.

I still think the “rock candy sweet” lyric could be a reference to Big Rock Candy Mountain, actually even more so after she referenced Ol’ Man River in Text Book. So like I think the line will somewhat be about how she was looking for a paradise that never really existed, which could connect to her achieving fame and recognition, but it not turning out the way she had imagined.

So who’s excited for the album tomorrow?

Now if this was for Taylor Swift, not Lana, something would definitely happen while you’re gone

Honestly I get so anxious knowing a Lana album is coming but not knowing exactly when because what if I spend all my pin money on records then Lana drops a pre-order?

Why should she have to change to prove herself to the critics? Isn’t that just selling out and conforming? That’s like the opposite of revenge. I’ve always liked how Lana doesn’t try to be something she’s not for a quick hit. That in itself is the best revenge.

Between the Ol’ Man River reference in Text Book and the way she sings the word Oklahoma in Blue Banisters, I’m getting strong musical theatre vibes from this album so far. Specifically very American musicals too. I wonder if that’s intentional and something we’ll see her expand on within the album. Also it’s a shame her rendition Summertime was released so long ago now because that would work with this theme quite well. Honestly I hope it’s intentional because I’m a sucker for musical theatre references. Plus I feel like it’s often overlooked how heart-wrenching musicals can be, they’re really a perfect match for Lana.

I really like the idea of Blue Banisters being the closer, ending the album with her banisters being painted from blue to green and grey.

All the singles have the same picture but edited differently for covers, which she hasn’t done before, so I could see the album cover being that picture again, but possibly another edit of it

Love it! Right away it actually reminded me of this