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All her tours were "neutral" in a sense that there wasn't a plan regarding her career. Besides the beginning of the BTD era, there was no plan in my view. Interscope backed off after the SNL fiasco, they didn't believed that she'll be able to perform live sufficiently well for a pop star. I remeber that she was "saved" as a public persona by the fashion industry in 2012. At that point nobody belived in her except herself. I think that she came up with this strategy of making grand video statements, which was halted somewhat by the Tropico flop, and she pushed a quick release strategy of music that is more artisitc than BTD: Paradise came by the end of 2012, UV was ready at the begining of 2013 and was delayed because of the label hustle and finally came out in June. HM was practically ready at the end of 2014. 2 albums and a hefty EP in less than 3 years. She wanted badly to save her career after the backlash and that was her strategy in my view, she wanted to exploit her productivity that made the backlash bearable: she said that making records is where the fun is and it stops there. We all can see that is no big label touch to her strategy after BTD, it's clear that she has a lot of freedom contractually (I cannot explain her career choices otherwise). So I think that we are at the mercy of her inner wellbeing and motivation. Anything can happen in my view, if she wants it she can sing the lead single at the GovBall and then sing it toghether with Fallon on his show.

I remember how funny were the WC pictures that were leaked from her shoot. But something with the pictures from her latest shoot is just off. She was with the boys on the set when they took the pictures but her hair, makeup, clothes were horrible. Is she directing or something because I cannot imagine that she appears like that in the video.

If HM is more jazzy than pop then we can forget about a BTD style release. So what LDRO says it's quite coherent with Lana's actions since UV. Frankly she doesn't look to me ready for any big time release and it seems that we'll have another UV era before us minus (I hope) the unnecessary mess (show cancelations and mock videos). If it happens so the music has to be at least as good as was on UV

LDRO had some insider info in the past. I wouldn't dismiss his info easily. But still, if she's not for a big time release why not tour in Europe with UV instead of releasing a new album?

Don't be rude hunty and next time speak nicely. She has a much stronger frame and they just look funny toghether (he is short and skinny and she is not that skinny lately). Maybe you don't know nothing about Francesco but he was involved with some famous or semi-famous women. He likes the star quality in a woman but he is easily distracted by a cute face and a nice body so I still don't think that this relationship is for the long haul. But this is one aspect of Lana's life that I don't give a fuck about

Lana is global but on a smaller scale. She has considerable fan-bases all over the globe. UV went platinum in Poland and Brazil for example. But I don't think that she wants to push to be a huge global star, she's not that money oriented. She understands that she needs a solid fan-base that makes her viable commercially and tbh I think that she has it in the US and Canada right now and the ES tour is a prove for it. I don't think that she was that much into Europe anyway, regardless what she said about it. In 2011 she was pressed to come to Europe because nobody gave a shit in the US about her music and in 2012 she was forced out of the US again because of the SNL show. But today she is as much hated as she is loved in the US and she seems to accept that. She wants to live there and you know that she didn't like changes. A lot will depend on her next era (a more pop oriented sound would help her in Germany for sure). Unfortunately for us Europeans I don't think that she will come here soon and there is little reason to do it right now. Her only viable option to come back to Europe is if she becomes a huge american star or her next album sells much better than UV did. I don't think that she'll actively promote HM outside of the US and Canada tbh

They don't fit physically, that should be secondary but rarely is. I'm glad that he is getting attached to her but it's clear that this wasn't his plan from the beginning. I'm not certain that he's not using her for his career. Anyway, I don't give them to much time together tbh,

Sponsorship it's not irrelevant because the complexity and the length of the show it's about money among other factors. Artists like Gaga, Taylor and Perry can put up a huge shows with a lot of people involved and in the same time they can keep the ticket prices reasonable. Lana is loved by many but she's not sufficiently mainstream to attract those sponsors for her shows. I criticized her for many things but the ES tour is good taking in account what I said before. But Lana has a different kind of artistry, her music isn't suited for dancers and costume changes, and if you are a fan you would understand that. If you are a casual concert goer I agree that you can be disappointed because of your unrealistic expectations from her show. I didn't say to worship her or not to express your opinion here, I said only to not go to her shows if you don't like it because I doubt that Lana will change her shows significantly. That's her, if you like it take it, if not leave it.

Those artists that you mentioned have huge sponsors behind their shows and you pay just a fraction of the costs of the show. Lana doesn't have that. People like you always vent their dissatisfaction on ticketmasters commentary section, trashing her show while, for example, she froze to death (in Chicago) just to be with people like you. She's not like Miley or Gaga, she's not an entertainer in that sense, and you could inform yourself before spending your money on her show. It's not like you lost a fortune, if you're not satisfied with her show don't go again it's that simple.

But this is exactly what "speculation" it's all about. We speculate about the HM era (promo, track names, sound, videos, lyrical themes etc.) on the little information we have. Regarding HM I have one more speculation to make that is based on the logic of this quick release after UV. I think that the HM release is closely linked with the relationship between her and Interscope. There are two scenarios possible in my view: 1. Confrontation. I think that this scenario is unlikely because: her label gave her considerable artistic freedom, they didn't invested to much in her (UV promo was minimal) and she sold well overall (even with UV when we compare her to other artists), despite that she manifested some random behavior she's not a troublemaker and her image isn't really a problem. There is a "laissez faire" option regarding the HM release, variation which is also unlikely because we are talking about the financial interests of a huge label. 2. Synergy. She said that she had gone too far with UV and practically ended the era with an Iphone statement. Her label probably said that "we let you do what you wanted on UV but now please work with us, we want a proper big label release because we are the fckin biggest label in the world and you celebrated this fact with the chief on a Billboard feature". So, I think that the stars are aligned and Lana and her label want the same thing: a release of BTD proportions. The possible consequences of this: - There will not be any seriously controversial lyrics on HM (some in the media tried to talk about "domestic violence" regarding the leaked HM lyrics but this opinions are laughable) - HM will not be a slow affair like the second part of UV. - She will return to a more pop sound with some jazz inflections, but I'm hoping for something new in her sound that usually distracts fans and critics from focusing solely on her lyrics. After the leaked lyrics I'm rooting more for the sound tbh. - HM will have some hit candidates and one of them will be the lead single that she'll introduce (hopefully) on this tour (at the Gov. Ball) and she'll have a BTD level video coming out with it. Another 2-3 singles will come out in support of the album with at least one more video. - She will be far more active, I'm certain that she will do some TV shows and you'll not see any random statements from her in interviews (that doesn't mean that they will not be interesting but I think that she learned her lesson from last years interviews) A Lana stan can only hope (see you guys in this thread when the first single drops)

Well, I didn't see your response. The ES tour has a better show, it's not perfect but from what I read about her tour most of the people like it. In her case I think there is a problem of stamina and probably you'll not see 2 hours plus concerts from Lana. Secondly, I think that she doesn't see herself as an entertainer, she approaches her concerts more as meetings with her fans and she feels that her true fans are linked more profoundly to her than the usual expectancy of a good show from a casual concert goer. She really loves her fans but I don't think that she cares to much about the casual concert goers. LDR concerts are not for them. She's not here to entertain you no matter what. That's why she's not coming for an encore and she isn't chitchatting with the audience. Lana fans feel a connection with her without requiring her to express it to often. You watch her face, beaming with emotion when others, who don't understand her, don't see nothing. You watch her awkward little dances on the stage and all the insecurities she express in her music makes sense. If you don't feel that don't bother to spend you're precious money on her concerts

What you're talking about? You're referencing her past tours or the Endless Summer tour? From what I saw in videos her show improved: the stage is beautiful, her voice is on point, she has a longer set. Dancers no. But backup singers would be nice mainly to ditch those annoying backup tracks with her registered voice and have the full live experience

You raised some interesting points. I think that is awkward to put next to each other terms like Indie and industry which should be antonyms. Indie is all about DIY culture when industry (in music) is about Beyonce, Katy Perry etc. When Lana wrote Sirens she was indie, a girl with a guitar, as she said in an interview: she was a lyricist and a bad composer. After signing with her first label she was helped by others to shape her sound and she became part of a small business. By signing with Interscope she become a medium sized business: a lot of people (producers, musicians, managers) work and depend on her success. In my view Lana today has nothing to do with the indie business model I love UV more than BTD. But we have to be real about the fact that she built up her fan base during the BTD era. Her presence then, albeit sometimes awkward, was relatable like her music and many people like it. UV undoubtedly gained her some new fans but UV main impact was with her critical reception which improved markedly comparatively with the BTD era. Regarding fans, in my view, UV had a negative impact because many casual (SS remix) and pop oriented fans lost interest in her because they couldn't stomach UV's rockish sound and abrasive lyrics. She gained some quality music "fans" but these are fickle and are treating her as a "guilty pleasure" and if HM will not deliver they will ditch her in a dime. I don't think that it's all about fame. It's more about the capability of maintaining a medium sized business. 1. Does she needs to be of a certain size (commercially) to be viable as an artist? Well, she cannot go full indie because she needs producers and musicians to build her sound and she needs money to pay them. Or, we could have more videos like the UV video but compare it with the BTD, Ride, NA, SOC videos: I'm not here for that. So I think that she needs to maintain some commercial viability to make quality music and videos. 2. Does she needs promo to maintain some viability commercially? You said that good music sells and is true to a certain extent. But look at UV, it was arguably a better album than BTD and today is practically out of the market when BTD is still on the charts. Many are saying that UV rode on BTD fame and promotion and will sell about 1/5 of what BTD sold. If she stumbles further with HM commercially she will have to improve a lot in the critical department to compensate (which I doubt given the HM lyrics) because otherwise she'll lose support and maybe her contract. And believe me Lana's one artist that needs all the support she can get in this business where many are despising her despite UV: http://www.craveonline.com/music/articles/860023-sasquatch-2015-recap-photos-choking-lana-del-reys-self-absorbption#/slide/1 3. Certainly, she can base herself on hardcore fans (like me), who are to infatuated with her voice and looks, to not lose interest even if HM flops commercially and critically but there will be few and far between stans standing

This is a smart assessment of the point in which Lana is right now. HM is her crucial album in my opinion too. UV was different from BTD, it was less viable commercially but what was lost in that area it was compensated with critical acclaim. I see Lana as a borderline mainstream artist (she had a few hits WG, SS, YB) but her lack of exposure in the mainstream media, for about more than 2 years now, is a problem for her because she became overly dependent commercially on her fans (UV was very successful for 2-3 weeks, when her fan base snatched up the album, but after that dropped like a rock in sales). She has some unique strengths: unique voice, ear for melodies, the ability to conjure a specific mood, looks. But she has weaknesses: sub par live performances, repetitive lyrical content. So, at this time she has a solid fan base but this is not granted forever to her. Let's not forget that some of her fans are rooting for her for 4 years now and this is a long time for any relationship. She has a fairly varied fan base but the bulk of her fans are young people who are evolving and who will expect soon some variation in her lyrical themes to remain interested. I think that HM will be a watershed for her fan base. If she will disappoint musically and she'll show the same "I don't care" attitude like in the UV era she'll lose a lot of quality fans. The crux of her new era will be her attitude: she needs to shred the overly shy, uncertain singer image. After 3 years of touring there is no reason for her to feel crippled on stage, she absolutely can sing but she has to take seriously her performances (from what I saw in this tour she improved in all areas of her show). I have to say that I don't like the leaked HM lyrics. In my opinion, as far as lyrics goes, they aren't viable commercially and they aren't good from a critical point of view. It's the bad middle-point that I fear for the HM era. I think that there is time for her to make adjustments and she needs to pay attention to the few critics who made valid points about her work.

She made the right choice by releasing in autumn, so there is hope that she cares about her career which is good news for the fans

I'm not upset with a September release. There is no reason for releasing HM during the summer unless she wants to avoid again promo. So I'm hopeful that she will strive again for some commercial success and thus we will see her again on TV.

Your interpretations are better than the lyrics tbh. "Dark blue" it's too abstract (as a colour it can signify depression) and "Dreaming away you life" is not bad at all and can have some powerful meaning but in this context it feels cliched. But what's the point to repeat the theme of being in love with a violent guy who is on drugs and who is not into you and with whom you want to escape in some undefined place. As a narrative in the context of the album it may work but I hoped that she parted ways with her spaghetti western themes. These "bad" guys are getting boring, you have to be more specific at this stage about their badness because taking drugs and having guns is too thin as a narrative. In my view these lyrics are indefensible before the critics, but I still have a hope that they are fake

From the information we have I would be very surprised that she'll do something very different from last year's strategy. We have 2 videos (last year was the WC an SOC video), there is the tour and she'll release probably in the summer when TV shows are going on vacation. But if she isn't going after a bigger release what is the point of releasing new material in a low key manner after just one year of another low key release? UV is still fresh to me and it didn't flopped commercially (taken in account all the circumstances). Without striving for commercial success, the release of HM doesn't make any sense to me unless she has other plans like getting out from the contract with Interscope (but this raises another question why she would do that?)

This type of behavior has little to do with the country's political system or economical development. Unfortunately pedophilia is widespread today and the main culprit is the internet. But I'm sad to see Argentina, which is one of my favorite countries for many reasons (Maradona is one of them), not being able to govern properly itself despite having an educated population and being a country with considerable natural resources. Judging the sexual preference of a 6 y.o is ridiculous in my view, but even if the boy would be gay this is not a motive to lessen the sentence.

It happened. The first review on this tour. It's neutral, the main idea is that Courtney and Lana performances don't fit together but they should. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-lana-del-rey-courtney-love-20150520-story.html

There is no action that can right this wrong, but nonetheless I would impose the death penalty in these cases. It's unbearable to know that those monsters are alive and breathing.

I agree that the post could be fake and her descriptions aren't that accurate. But if this is indeed Lana's statement then I'm quite happy because no matter what "retrofuture" means the new album will not sound like BTD, Paradise or UV

I never found any deep coherence in BTD or Paradise tbh. BTD is a collection of songs about love, relationships. There are some potentially autobiographical songs (Video Games, Carmen, TIWMUG, Radio?), the rest are conceptual songs but they do not have great coherence (as a result I like most of the songs individually but not as much as an album) Paradise is an Americana homage, a mixture of imagery and is very hard to name very personal songs to her (autobiographical). As in BTD, it seems that she develops ideas rather than actual experiences or the experiences are deeply entrenched under the tropes she uses (in my view there is nothing wrong with that until the music is good and the lyrics aren't to cliched) UV seems to me much more personal than the previous releases. I think that CW, SoC, WC are about her complicated relationship with Barrie, BB, MPG, FMWUTT are about her reception and her critics, OM and TOW are evoking situations when she imagines herself looking back on her life and career. UV is a conceptual song in my view (Who the fuck is Jim?) as is SG but regarding the latter I feel that she's evoking something more personal (her sexual insecurities, that she's only good as a mistress). Maybe is just my interpretation but in UV case I could do these interpretations, so I can listen to the album with the feeling that she's deeply involved with the songs. This is the reason why I like UV more than the first two releases

I have a feeling that HM will be very different from UV (those boys for the new video do not fit with anything on UV)

I remember when West Coast came out, It was mesmerizing, different from BTD or Paradise but so Lana. I really hope that the first single will be at the level of WC which didn't become a hit but only because she didn't promote it and her label was off base with the release. I hope that this time she delivers the whole package (TV shows) we deserve it