Swan Song

UPDATED Aug. 18, 2:15 p.m.: This story has been updated to reflect new chart data, which was reprocessed by Nielsen Music following the story's original Monday posting. As a result, Lana Del Rey's "High By the Beach" debuts at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 instead of No. 7. On Digital Songs, it debuts at No. 10 instead of No. 1, with 67,000 sold, instead of 248,000, as originally reported. The information below has been updated to reflect corrected data.

surprised that you guys underestimate Elizabeth Woolridge Grant's ability to sell well especially since she yanks all of ours weaves unexpectedly

I would make some joke about my username and "purple sunset" but I can't be bothered 

I thought the same thing when I watched it. It feels kind of off? I don't really like it that much 

I dont think there's anything wrong with Melanie's writing. It's perfectly fine. If there's any problem with anything that she does it would be no vocal range on the album and not having bridges. She just opts to say the chorus over twice or three times.

Teddy Bear should have closed the standard album.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT LANA DEBUTED AT #7 ON THE HOT 100 WITH 248K UNITS SOLD
 
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6664035/omi-cheerleader-no-1-return-hot-100-lana-del-rey-debut
 
               

I literally listened to the live performance twice so that's not the reason I hate it.
 
I really don't know why Dollhouse and Carousel were even on the album. Every time they come on when I am listening to the album, I immediately skip them because I have listened to them a ridiculous amount of times and I'm sick of them now.
this is exactly my point! she goes OFF in the live version and it's just meh on the album.
 
Another thing I'm not here for is the Pacify Her hate. Pacify Her is literally one of the best on the album

Well, I also took film courses and have worked on several movie productions, and I liked the use of editing in the video to convey that sense of isolation, satire, and chaos. There definitely was a purpose and some people believe it was executed well. On top of that, it had quite a few very beautifully-shot sequences.
 
Opinions are funny things. 

I would make some joke about my username and "purple sunset" but I can't be bothered 

I think it's mostly referencing all the media that would arrange interviews etc. disguising it as "paying tribute" to her, but really their intentions were just to get a story out of her, hence the "never bought into your bullshit" line following this. I think it took Lana some time before she noticed that more often than not, the media weren't trying to help her promote her work & they had no interest in analysing her art, all they wanted to do was manipulate her into saying something controversial or painting her as inauthentic, fake, unoriginal, etc. 

Burnt Norton where you at? 

I'm not actually doubting that Lana "Sad Girl" Del Rey would have titles like this but...ugh

Carousel fit more with the album than Dollhouse. And Dollhouse (although a great first and lead single) feels dated and out of place on a full length album. If she would've done an updated version with new elements in production or something to make it less dense then I could've liked it more.

I would make some joke about my username and "purple sunset" but I can't be bothered 

I would make some joke about my username and "purple sunset" but I can't be bothered 

I've listened to Milk and Cookies over and over but I still forget it immediately every single time explain
 
Like it's the one song I couldn't even hum right now if my life depended on it

Thanks for all the feedback, it's appreciated a lot. I've been experimenting with different retro styles for the covers I've been making and I've come up with these:
 

 

 
The BTD one was inspired by 40s/50s singer vinyl covers and the new Honeymoon cover was inspired by specifically Nina Simone's vinyl covers.

Agree very much with this. I was a little disappointed of how the title track turned out because of how much emotion she put into the live version, it seems very pulled back.
 
So excited the album is out, and I hope it does well. 

If Lana is doing a box set for HM I hope its kinda like the PD box set and not the UV kind. There's apart of me that prays Lana will do something special and different  with the box sets/deluxe editions this time round...  

this is lame but I made it anyway
 

Hello lovelies
 
The deadline to enter is August 26th! The winners will be announced September 1st in tinychat! All you have to do is comment for a chance to win! Winners will be chosen at random. If you'd like to gift Honeymoon, please comment or message me!
 
I will be gifting one boxset and one cd - anyone can enter!
@@Anthem will be gifting one cd
@@CarcrashBandicoot is gifting 2 copies from US iTunes only. 
@@dsvelca is gifting 1 copy from US iTunes only.
 
Please note: I have the right to deny entry towards members I dislike. Depending on shipping cost, I may ask that you pay part of it. $40 shipping is a bit too much for me, but I am willing to work with you on other options!
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Beyoncé is certainly no stranger to accusations of plagiarism in her videos. Considering the large number of videos comprising her eponymous visual album, it would not be surprising if some of them were less than original. Did she copy Lana Del Rey?
 
Compare the album cover design and font to a Paradise box set booklet:

With Tropico, the "Ride" video, the "Blue Velvet" promo for H&M, and the "Song of Myself" promo for L'Officiel set to the intro to "Cola", Lana released some sort of video for almost every song on Paradise. One could argue that even the idea of releasing videos for the entire album is derivative. Now let's look at those videos.
 
 
PRETTY HURTS
Much like the opening bars of "Ride", the opening bars begin with the image of Beyoncé singing into a slender microphone, wearing a mostly white dress against sparkly blue stage curtains:

 
The song's themes—eating disorders and the dark side of being a beauty queen—are straight out of "Boarding School", "Brite Lites", and "Pin-Up Galore". Indeed, here we see Mrs. Carter in Ms. Grant's short-cut meth-haired beauty queen style complete with sash accessory:

 
Beyoncé also replicates Lana's arched back & cupped hand underwater poses from the "Blue Jeans" video:

 
She not only borrows Tropico co-star Shaun Ross, but doubles down on the African albinism by casting Diandra Forrest. To top it off, Beyoncé even has the audacity to lift Lizzy's iconic trademark sequined bra:

 
 
GHOST
In "Ghost", Sasha Fierce is not herself, assuming the identity of Lana's Rosalita alter ego from her "Song of Myself" video for L'Officiel:

 
 
HAUNTED
The "Countdown" singer's video for "Haunted" begins with a hauntingly familiar countdown straight outta one of Lizzy's DIY "Gramma" videos:

 
Then in true diva style, Beyoncé makes her male servant light her cigarette for her like a little bitch like Barrie at a Lana show:

 
The whole video imitates the imitated Lynchian style of Lana's "Blue Velvet" promo for H&M complete with the requisite Doppelgangers:

 
Yet it borrows scenes from "National Anthem" & Tropico. Black guys gambling? Check.

 
Strippers giving lapdances to white businessmen? Check.

 
People in whiteface? Check.

 
Bubbles? Check.

 
Originality? ...Anyone? Bueller?
 
 
DRUNK IN LOVE
In addition to lyrics that sound like a first draft of "Brite Lites" ("Flashing lights, flashing lights, you got me faded, faded, faded"), this intoxicating concoction's potency is poured from "National Anthem", where Lana grinds on another snifter-wielding rapper, A$AP Rocky:

 
 
BLOW
The cotton candy confection of the music masks Lana-like lyrics ("Every time I close my eyes", "I'ma let you be the boss of me", "Give me that daddy long stroke" and an interlude in French) in a video easily summarized as "pin-up girls at the roller derby". We also see a close-up of a disco ball a la her DIY "Yayo" video:

 
And Beyoncé perched on the hood of a car in a fuck-me pose like Lana in the "Born to Die" video:

 
In this case, we're lucky that "Blow" doesn't Soileau. Bradley sucks.
 
 
NO ANGEL
In an inversion of Lana's "angels forever" refrain, the "Halo" songstress proclaims, "You're no angel either, baby." She asks, "Tell me do you want to ride?" Like Lana in "Ride", Beyoncé is Queen of the Gas Station, knocking off Lana's hot long curly hair and cut-off jeans look. Unlike Lana, at least she's responsible enough to only be figuratively smokin' at the pump.

 
We see chicks on the back of motorcycles:

 
Tacky word bling:

 
And pole dancers making it rain:

 
 
YONCÉ
In "Yoncé", she continues the ghetto theme, banging around with her gang of ghetto girls like Lana in Tropico:

 
Who does Beyoncé think she is to appropriate all these signifiers of ghetto culture from gangsta Nancy Sinatra? Rather uppity if you ask me.
 
 
CONTINUED...

The split second where she runs underneath the house and it's dark really struck me, just like a clip in the video games video with the animated stars. They both felt really special to me in sync with the music. idk

I really don't understand this. I feel like a lot of people have the general consensus that Born To Die is her peak. And they want her to rehash and replicate the music, the videos and the promotional trail. How boring would that be.
 
we have the music, we have the great videos, we can watch them any time. High By The Beach was sooo different upon first listen, Lana hasn't released anything like it before. and now the video, she has done something we really haven't seen from her before (whether you like it or not, is up to you). But she is clearly evolving changing and trying new things and it's so much more exciting to be a fan of somebody who isn't just a one trick pony.

Also I wonder how wet InTheSummer's pussy is right now

"This video sucks"

"Boring Video"

"Bad Editing"

"What is she doing"

"BTD and UV is Better"


 
This video was cool, it was different, and it was very Lana. It obviously isn't MEANT to be this cinematic fucking masterpiece like Star Wars -- it's supposed to send a message.
 
....and the message is this: