Norman Fucking Rockwell - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[Foxglove 2,266]

highlights of NFR era:

 

• long ass wait and confusion between when it was announced and when we got it
• most simplistic album yet
• pre-release thread purgatory
• Lana going to church looking straight outta brainwashing cult camp
• matcha addiction
• when skirtsandsuits blocked me bc i said money cant buy substance and that she wanted to kill the gays
• insta saddie culture

a masterpiece? enduring hype?  yall they sell this album at fucking walmart right next to Lover.  Lana is not the next Joni Mitchell

[West Coast 45,795]

highlights of NFR era:

 

• long ass wait and confusion between when it was announced and when we got it
• most simplistic album yet
• pre-release thread purgatory
• Lana going to church looking straight outta brainwashing cult camp
• matcha addiction
• when skirtsandsuits blocked me bc i said money cant buy substance and that she wanted to kill the gays
• insta saddie culture

a masterpiece? enduring hype?  yall they sell this album at fucking Walmart right next to Lover.  Lana is not the next Joni Mitchell

 

I want to point out the fact that skirtsandsuits blocked you. That is an achievement in itself. I wish Lana's whole sorotity sisters/trust funds circle would block me too!

[ArtDecoDelRey 15,284]

mariners and venice bitch still remain two of her best and most career defining songs idc idc

[Flowerbomb 65,594]

i like NFR, i did and i do.  it's good, it's cute, it's accessible, it has brief glimpses of meaning and lucidity regarding an extremely disorienting modern world.  it is Lana, for sure.  no one else could have made this album.  to be fair tho, to me, it's very clear that Lana lacked inspiration going into this album - something she freely admitted.  Lana herself talked about having writer's block, being inspired by Jacking Off's chord progressions and writing melodies, etc etc.  That is something that I think definitely comes through in NFR.  Being so invested in her earlier work which was so imbued with potency and necessity, like Lana saying "i had to make these albums" - NFR is not that.  it's good, yes.  but it's dull-er than her previous work.  it lacks the umph of her first three albums.  it doesnt have that je ne sais quoi that Lana's early work had heavy in spades.

 

so can we be honest... is this really her best work?  i see all the people claiming this as her "magnum opus" or "masterpiece" which is like... did you not listen to Honeymoon?  Ultraviolence?  NFR doesn't even make sense without the context of Lana's past work.  If NFR was her first album, it would've gotten panned af.  the only reason people are paying so much attention to it is because we know what Lana has done and is capable of.  NFR is her most basic album.  and i'm not even saying that as a bad thing, i just really think it is.  and that's a whole vibe or whatever.  it feels like she's dumbing herself down for a broader audience.  it feels like she's trying to assimilate into celeb culture and whatever.  which is fine.  it's her art, it's her life.  and i like it.  i still listen occasionally.  but masterpiece?  i think that time is past.

 

maybe i am being too subjective, but idk.  With her first three albums, i felt something so strong.  a sense of urgency, desperation, stifled power, hopelessness as art, hopelessness as the essence of freedom, truth, iconography, apathy as self-protection, caring as a personal failure that was yet so necessary and unavoidable, SOMETHING powerful and mysterious and important that couldn't be fully described.  NFR feels like taking all that and stripping of it of substance and regurgitating it as pure aesthetic bc she knows that's what worked for her in the past.

 

when Lana was Lizzy, she wasn't successful or known.  She didn't have accolades or a huge following or worldwide fame and recognition.  but she had spirit and drive, she KNEW what she was doing was good and meaningful and mattered.  and we can all hear and feel that in her unreleased music.  i remember listening to her unreleased stuff after Born to Die came out and being like "damn this bitch is a for real star and a musical genius, she has such potency and magic, she is so much more for believing in herself without any recognition."  it was a whole thing.

 

NFR is like, when you get everything you ever wanted and lose what made you get it in the first place.  that's what it feels like to me.  which is a whole vibe.  it might be her most depressing album because of that, which is powerful in its own way.  it feels like Lana losing herself.  being burnt out.  i appreciate NFR, i really do.  and i think there's meaning in seeing how it fits into her body of work.  but i think it only packs a kick because of its relation to her past work, because we see the growth and change Lana has gone through.  and that, to me, means it cant possibly be her best, most potent, "masterpiece" or "magnum opus".  i love her art, and i love her as an artist.  but not as much anymore.  i think she lost something, and i think NFR is proof of that.  i think the accolades and critical raving about NFR is proof of that.  she's not an underground underdog rock star heroine enigma.  she's a pop star.  a regular person.  good for her, if that's what she wants.  but she doesnt have the power i felt in her first three albums.  the experiences she went through before she was a bonafide star are more potent than whatever's happening now.  maybe that's proof of what i always saw as her original point ----- you may get everything you want, and it'll still be hollow because what the world sees as success is bullshit, what society idolizes is trash, and what really matters gets ignored and forgotten.

 

This is such a good post, everything I've wanted to say about the album but couldn't put into words 

[GeminiLanaFan 49,048]

legit question cuz i've not really been around lanaboards post-release for any other album - is NFR post-release era the messiest and most divisive one yet?? there are so many strong differing opinions on the album. is this a common theme with lana's albums post-release or??

LFL has divided opinions as well. HM wasn’t a darling at first for many. We mostly agree with all of her albums before HM. But the « new Lana » doesn’t please everyone (I don’t see it as « new Lana » as much as growth and being less raw).

[Foxglove 2,266]

I want to point out the fact that skirtsandsuits blocked you. That is an achievement in itself. I wish Lana's whole sorotity sisters/trust funds circle would block me too!

 

i mean i did kinda go off on one of her posts repeatedly where she was posing outside the beverly hills hotel owned by the sultan of brunei who quite literally wants to kill the gays.

 

 

This comment is honestly much more interesting, introspective and nuanced than any review, critique or thinkpieces I've read about NFR or Lana these past couple months. Thank you so much for your contribution! 

 

 

This is such a good post, everything I've wanted to say about the album but couldn't put into words 

thank you   idk why Lana's music / artist's journey affects me like this but i feel very connected to whatever message she has ended up spreading.

 

also the endless Lanaboards NFR drama is the only thing keeping this thread alive, everyone pls keep arguing. im so bored

[West Coast 45,795]

i mean i did kinda go off on one of her posts repeatedly where she was posing outside the beverly hills hotel owned by the sultan of brunei who quite literally wants to kill the gays.

 

 

 

 

thank you   idk why Lana's music / artist's journey affects me like this but i feel very connected to whatever message she has ended up spreading.

 

also the endless Lanaboards NFR drama is the only thing keeping this thread alive, everyone pls keep arguing. im so bored

 

Agree. It's not like Lana is keeping that album alive herself and also it's not like outside of her fandom people are much interested in it either, might as well keep it alive on this dying thread. You're welcome, that really was one well written post! 

[Pico Ocean Boulevard 41,094]

After you guys mentioned skirtsandwhatever..

 

Is Lana  still friends with her soccer mom matcha chatcha yoga friends because the last time I see them together was in summer like July or even June. Maybe it because of the tour  ....

 

and  Lana also didn't attend the homophobic church in the last few months.Or am I missing something?

[West Coast 45,795]

LFL has divided opinions as well. HM wasn’t a darling at first for many. We mostly agree with all of her albums before HM. But the « new Lana » doesn’t please everyone (I don’t see it as « new Lana » as much as growth and being less raw).

 

Agree. There has been a division after each album was released. I can't really say which one between LFL and NFR has been the most intense (I would tend to say that after the release of LFL the fans were more divided than ever). When artists present something new and "different" there are always fans that don't really follow the bouncing ball. I didn't really like LFL in its entirety at the time of its release (and still don't if I'm being honest) but for entirely different reasons than why I'm not feeling NFR.

 

I definitely see Lana has being less raw, or poignant, and much more subdued and tamed as she was on her previous records with NFR, which might explain why her most fervent critics finally gave her acknowledgment with this album. It's definitely not as polarizing as her past releases.

[Jared 3,131]

Glad to see you're still hanging around and highly overestimating the impact your repetitive posts have on other people, Jared. It's a bit concerning that you're so pissy over people not thinking that the album is her absolute best.

 

 

As one member already noted earlier in this thread, it's not Jared who they find here (being all ''pissy'') each time they log in.

On the contrary, they find the same 3 people (mostly Honeymoon stans) circle jerking each other and posting the same repetitive garbage about the NFR and its producer, Jack Antonoff, that they posted each and every day since the August (a reminder that it's almost Christmas now!) Idk, maybe you don't notice them because their repetitive posts fit your own biases? 

 

Anyhow, the way things are going, those same people will be here on Christmas Eve going on about Jack's production. Now that's a real concern right there! We should help them find the peace and happiness!

 

[West Coast 45,795]

Anyhow, the way things are going, those same people will be here on Christmas Eve posting going on about Jack's production. Now that's a real concern right there! We should help them find the peace and happiness!

 

While you will still be posting the same articles/reviews and year end/decade end excerpts and try to push critics' views on this album down our throats, while simultaneously re-posting the same three gifs over and over again. Like I said in earlier posts, it's very bold of you to come here and be like "UV and HM are so delusional hating this magnum opus months after its release " while your only contribution to this dying thread is posting what critics are saying about the album, for lack of original thoughts on your part.

 

I'm legitimately curious, does Jack Antonoff pays your bill or something? Like why are you so damn defensive about people having a say about his production/mastering skills, or lack thereof? You can't even have an argument with any of us, it's always the same redundant rhetoric with you: "BUT CRITICS SAY (...)!!!1!  ".

 

You're a troll, Jared. Enough said. 

[FallingCherry 7,731]

The NFR album has the best story telling. Actually, it's her only fully story telling album. It has some of her most vulnerable lyrics ever and some of the best melodies. The vocals are poignant. Dare to say the high "blue" at the end of the title track or the verses in HIAB aren't on another level emotionally, and I'll kick ur ass.

Also, I have to say, I'm impressed that some of you still have the strength to post daily the same shit you've been posting since August. We're in December. I would've been exhausted. One last thing, harassing Jared is really low. You can dislike someone, but you better keep it for yourself because at this point, it's just sad to see. I suppose we're all adults, so let's not act like we're 5...

[West Coast 45,795]

No one is harassing anyone. Pointing out people's action in a forum is not harassement, I'm sorry but that's an exaggeration. Seeing people selectively clutching their pearls over other people's comments is fascinating to me. I've said it several times on this thread: agree to disagree. He has an opinion, I got mine. It's possible to debate. I don't think I have resulted to personal insults in any of my posts? Nor have I even blocked or muted anyone on this thread.

 

We all appreciate certain things to a certain level. I just get annoyed when someone's only input on this thread is quoting critics and claiming those as irrefutable facts. But also, resulting to make gross assumptions about people who prefer an album over the other (going back to his multiple comments about Utraviolence and Honeymoon "stans" being dumb and delusional).

 

He's got an opinion (or shares an opinion with critics would be more accurate) over NFR. Good for him. I don't. If you don't want to be apart of this discussion, move along.

[slang 1,532]

Agree. There has been a division after each album was released. I can't really say which one between LFL and NFR has been the most intense (I would tend to say that after the release of LFL the fans were more divided than ever). When artists present something new and "different" there are always fans that don't really follow the bouncing ball. I didn't really like LFL in its entirety at the time of its release (and still don't if I'm being honest) but for entirely different reasons than why I'm not feeling NFR.

 

I definitely see Lana has being less raw, or poignant, and much more subdued and tamed as she was on her previous records with NFR, which might explain why her most fervent critics finally gave her acknowledgment with this album. It's definitely not as polarizing as her past releases.

 

I think your criticisms of NFR will have more validity, if on the next album she sounds like NFR again. Then you can really say she's "tamed". As it is, the album in the context of previous ones, is not a simple repetition of her past style, or anybody's style currently, and that can be impressive, if you like what she did. I like what she did more than you, so I'm less critical about it. As for the critics going apeshit over NFR, I think a lot of this can be explained by critics just not wanting to look stupid in the future, or maybe they actually like this style the best, idk. At any rate, I'm glad she got the AOTY nomination, in the same sense that I'm glad Kendrick Lamar got a Pulitzer prize for DAMN, even if it wasn't necessarily his best album.

[West Coast 45,795]

I think your criticisms of NFR will have more validity, if on the next album she sounds like NFR again. Then you can really say she's "tamed". As it is, the album in the context of previous ones, is not a simple repetition of her past style, or anybody's style currently, and that can be impressive, if you like what she did. I like what she did more than you, so I'm less critical about it. As for the critics going apeshit over NFR, I think a lot of this can be explained by critics just not wanting to look stupid in the future, or maybe they actually like this style the best, idk. At any rate, I'm glad she got the AOTY nomination, in the same sense that I'm glad Kendrick Lamar got a Pulitzer prize for DAMN, even if it wasn't necessarily his best album.

 

We'll see. I stand by what I've written here. I have spoken to many fans in these threads as well as in private and on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It's not just "3 fans that keep writing the same things over and over again" and my conversations with them over this album and also Lana's antics beg to differ. I think it's easy for some users to make us look like black sheep, and delusional, for not liking this record all too much and discredit us over our views.

 

But, it's a shared sentiment amongst many fans that this album is different, and perceived much differently by a lot of fans (whether that's positive or negative). I've seen many comments on publications that praise this album that are like "Well it's a good record, but let's not exaggerate", I've even seen people calling it overrated", which at this rate, I might start to say that myself too. Sorry.

 

I'm still very much interested in Lana and her work and I'm hopeful to hear what she'll bring next.

[Barttender 1,118]

I hope she finds that true pure love, she deserves it. and motherhood will be the most profound and important love she'll ever experience

I hope so... But not with this guy.

[Jared 3,131]

1st place on albumoftheyear.com

 

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/summary/2019/

 

Here's how Decade-End lists are shaping up so far. (Don't mind me, I'm just sharing the pieces of information that I find interesting  )

 

Decade-end lists

 

BORN TO DIE

Billboard's 20 Best Albums of 2010s

NME's Greatest Albums of the Decade: The 2010s

Uproxx's Best Albums Of The 2010s

The Independent's 50 Best Albums of the Decade

Noisey's 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

Stereogum's 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

 

 

ULTRAVIOLENCE

Consequence of Sound's 100 Albums of the 2010s

Cracked's 100 Albums of the Decade

NME's Greatest Albums of the 2010s

Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

 

 

HONEYMOON

N/A

 

LUST FOR LIFE

N/A

 

NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL

AllMusic's 200 Best Albums of the 2010s

Cleveland's 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s

Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of the Decade

The Independent's 50 Best Albums of the Decade

NME's Greatest Albums of the 2010s

Noisey's 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

Paste's 30 Best Pop Albums of the 2010s

Pitchfork's 200 Best Albums of the 2010s

Rolling Stone's100 Best Albums of the 2010s

Stereogum's 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

Uproxx's Best Albums of the 2010s

Vice's 100 Best Pop Albums of the 2010s

The Young Folks's Top 50 Albums of the 2010s

 

[WaitForLife 5,238]

I don't get the hate for NFR too. It's a great album and has eveything Lana fans want from her.

[West Coast 45,795]

 

Here's how Decade-End lists are shaping up so far. (Don't mind me, I'm just sharing the pieces of information that I find interesting  )

 

 

Isn't there a specific thread just for that though. Yawn. 

 

You're literally delighting in the fact that her most fervent critics are now sucking up to her because they realized how foolish it was to discredit her first three records, when it couldn't sound more disingenuous on their part at this point in her career. 

[West Coast 45,795]

I don't get the hate for NFR too. It's a great album and has eveything Lana fans want from her.

 

I mean, agree to disagree. There's a richness and level of intricacy in her other albums that is nowhere to be found on NFR. In that sense it's her most basic album. But to each their own.