Norman Fucking Rockwell - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[Nikogo 11,079]

I’ve given a LOT of thought lately about my disappointment about NFR, and I think I have it more figured out

 

I think the main thing for me was the fact that we had the melodies for at least the verses for almost every song, and some songs (like HIAB and Cinnamon Girl) we had almost everything in the form of snippets. Listening to HIAB for almost 2 years in the form of snippets made it feel super stale on arrival. (Not to mention the structure of the song is super weird and didn’t flow like I thought it was going to) Same thing with Cinnamon Girl, we didn’t know the kerosene line but the melody stayed the same, and she played the higher vocal part before the outro on her story, essentially giving us the full song in the matter of two Instagram posts and her story.
 

And then the problem with the singles (MAC and VB). They were almost A YEAR old by the time the record came and as much as I love them (MAC is a top 5 track for me) I think in my head its hard to think of them when thinking of NFR, like they were their own singles not related to an album (which I know is a me thing). And I get why she put Doin Time on the album but it reallllly didn’t fit. It’s probably my favorite cover she’s ever done but it really throws off the vibe of the album. 
 

so now that I’ve been contemplating where it went wrong with me, in developing more of an appreciation for it. Not that it’s suddenly my number one album but I do think the rollout and snippet situation really made me sour to the album and now that that’s going away I’m appreciating it more. (And the instrumental to HTD is iconic, sorry not sorry)

[boom like that 3,661]

So its been a year and a half since my initial badly written review of NFR and I feel like sharing my updated thoughts on the album 

 

Norman fucking Rockwell: I think its a cute track that I really like. Solid and safe and a nice title track.

Mariners Apartment Complex: Still love this song since the day it came out. It set my high and massively disappointed expectations for the album and is still a classic.

Venice Bitch: Still such a great song. I always listen through all 10 minutes of it when I stream it. I also loved the song since the day it came out but thats a given with VB and MAC.

Fuck it I love you: Initially I thought it was an okay song but its now one of my favorites off the album wasn't much of a competition for that though It never fails to get me in that good vibe and I can always just listen to it whenever. The end of the song especially is just mwah

Doin' Time: Don't really like this song still. Its good, yes, its also mainstreamy which isn't really a bad thing. I don't really vibe with the lyrics since it is such a straight guy song. Love the music video though.

Love song: Still hate it  The snippet was far superior than the rest of the song. I especially hate the prechorus part with the dress chest mess best test lyrics. The chorus itself isn't all that bad but basic at the same time. The verses are the best part of the song. 

Cinnamon girl: My opinions haven't changed much for CG. Its a solid song and I quite enjoy it. I like it a lot but it is basic for Lana.

How to disappear: Its weird to me people like this song.

California: The biggest glow up for me personally. I disliked it at first because it didn't click with me, but then it did. Its such a great song now and I catch myself singing it in my head. The prechorus and verses especially get stuck in my head. The "and if you come back to california/america, just hit me uuuuuuppp" line to  I also think it uses the best throwback on the whole album with the "flipside" lyric. It felt natural whereas every other reference on the album felt forced Love song.

The Next Best American Record:

The greatest: I like the song quite a bit now! I don't really get why people think its like VB or MAC level but I do think its really good. I wish the guitar solo was more aggressive, for the type of song it is, about "the culturE", I feel like it would've benefited with that emotion in the production. Other than that I think the outro is beautiful and the transition to the rest of the piano ballads was a great detail.

Bartender: Still love this song. Feel like y'all hate on one of the better songs on the album too much. Rick could slap his dick on the mic and I'd still eat it up.

Happiness is a butterfly: Its such a cute song. Kinda forgot my initial thoughts on this track but its really cute. My favorite part has to be the part right before the prechorus in the second verse. Where shes like "I'll pick you up if you're in town on the corner, ah-ah-uh-ah"  Always loved that part ever since she teased it in one of the million snippets.

hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it: I actually really love the first verse and the first chorus. Its the second verse and second chorus that loses me. Feel like some of the lyrics were too intricate and so personal to the point where only she knows what shes singing about. Which to some is actually a positive, the mystery behind those confusing lyrics, but to me personally its not. I especially hate the iPad lyric I wish she never wrote that down. Everything else after I like though. But overall just usually pass on the song mostly because of this.

 

Now I think my main issue with the album is how overhyped it was. The critics praised it so hard and the GP were all over it and honestly I think it was because it was what was "popular" at that moment. NFR was trendy and we saw all the normies hop on it. They call it her best album when UV and HM are right there and the disregard to her previous work leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Obviously that isn't Lana's fault or Jack's fault or the album's fault. I don't think anyone could have predicted such a safe project to be so over hyped  even Lana herself seems to feel that way, shocked about it, especially in the most recent interview. I don't think the album is bad at all, I actually do like it just definitely not as much as her other albums. I can't say I love it but I can say I do love some of the tracks individually.

 

I like the album a lot more than my first listen, but I still don't consider it anywhere near the holy trifecta. Its cute, I'll give her that, but when cute is next to gorgeous well gorgeous is going to devour cute 

[peachlipgloss 147]

this is a little random but since we’re all eagerly awaiting cocc i’ve been religiously listening to nfr to pass the time and i have to say that i really disliked TNBAR initially, it was always a skip when i listened to the album but last night i was in my feelings and i listened to it like it was the first time i’d ever heard it and i like it so much more now. i’ve been listening to it all morning  

Just now, peachlipgloss said:

this is a little random but since we’re all eagerly awaiting cocc i’ve been religiously listening to nfr to pass the time and i have to say that i really disliked TNBAR initially, it was always a skip when i listened to the album but last night i was in my feelings and i listened to it like it was the first time i’d ever heard it and i like it so much more now. i’ve been listening to it all morning  

(of course my top favorite tracks are still HIAB and cinnamon girl) <3

[Distantly 1,713]

8 minutes ago, peachlipgloss said:

this is a little random but since we’re all eagerly awaiting cocc i’ve been religiously listening to nfr to pass the time and i have to say that i really disliked TNBAR initially, it was always a skip when i listened to the album but last night i was in my feelings and i listened to it like it was the first time i’d ever heard it and i like it so much more now. i’ve been listening to it all morning  

(of course my top favorite tracks are still HIAB and cinnamon girl) <3

I understand this because I never liked Bartender too too much until a few weeks ago I went on a frenzy and listened to it on repeat for days and I finally saw the light

[peachlipgloss 147]

7 minutes ago, Distantly said:

I understand this because I never liked Bartender too too much until a few weeks ago I went on a frenzy and listened to it on repeat for days and I finally saw the light

honestly i love when this happens! it’s happened to me more than once where a song of hers takes quite a while to grow on me but once it does it makes such a difference when im listening to the album all the way through. it pains me to say that blue jeans was a song that had to grow on me

[Contemplating God 17,434]

14 minutes ago, Distantly said:

I understand this because I never liked Bartender too too much until a few weeks ago I went on a frenzy and listened to it on repeat for days and I finally saw the light

Godtender stans, rise!!!! 

 

One of her most unique songs!!

 

The power

[99centlips 6,796]

botched tender...HA HA HA

[JehovahThikness 11,747]

upsetting to see the crowd acting like this when she's singing one of her most personal songs :/ I get singing along (quietly/calmly), but there's people screaming out, joking, laughing, talking to each other, etc. there's other songs to do that to  she's not even reacting to people's expressions like she usually does, she seems annoyed. also at 3:08 at the black narcissist line, someone says "fuck azealia banks"  really making the whole fanbase look horrible smh

 

 

[sexyslutboy 2,888]

6 minutes ago, JehovahThikness said:

upsetting to see the crowd acting like this when she's singing one of her most personal songs :/ I get singing along (quietly/calmly), but there's people screaming out, joking, laughing, talking to each other, etc. there's other songs to do that to  she's not even reacting to people's expressions like she usually does, she seems annoyed. also at 3:08 at the black narcissist line, someone says "fuck azealia banks"  really making the whole fanbase look horrible smh

 

 

 

i could go off about that all day. i understand when people sing along because it's part of the concert experience but people who randomly scream and shout stupid things out trying to be funny is SO INFURIATING and disrespectful! That one video of some guy yelling "sit on my face"  was well recieved by lana who found it funny but that behavior is still just selfish and attention seeking

[Trash Magic 21,475]

I've been going to the beach lately when its been bright out but so cold and it's so peaceful and this album just hits so different in that setting. Watching the blinding glistening waves while listening to Mariners and Venice Bitch especially.... This album is a nautical masterpiece. Such an immersive soundscape throughout. Hope... has actually revealed itself to be top 3 from the album over time.

This was me today

 

And on another note the fact we never got the beach interview with Zane Lowe sucks 

[Distantly 1,713]

18 minutes ago, Trash Magic said:

I've been going to the beach lately when its been bright out but so cold and it's so peaceful and this album just hits so different in that setting. Watching the blinding glistening waves while listening to Mariners and Venice Bitch especially.... This album is a nautical masterpiece. Such an immersive soundscape throughout. Hope... has actually revealed itself to be top 3 from the album over time.

This was me today

 

And on another note the fact we never got the beach interview with Zane Lowe sucks 

I’ve mentioned this before and it’s probably worth mentioning again now, considering her recent interview tactics. 
 

I wonder if the interview happened but they didn’t put it out cause maybe Lana got offended at something he said/asked and things got sour? For one thing, we’ve seen more recently especially how she acts during interviews. But the hint of this was there back then too when she went after that Ann woman. Secondly, (and this part may be a reach) why wouldn’t they put out the interview if they went through the lengths to make it so pretty and at the beach. Unless they cancelled it before hand for some reason. Third, and this is the part that’s convincing for me, I remember Zane was at the Grammys red carpet and they asked him about the AOTY nods and his thoughts. He went through every one nominated and pretty much gave them all high praise. He’s interviewed most of them and has relationships with these artists so it makes sense. But then at the end he said, in a more hushed voice, something along the lines of “oh yeah and Lana did something cool too” and it just felt off

 

So, idk, maybe a reach, but yeah 

[JehovahThikness 11,747]

25 minutes ago, Trash Magic said:

I've been going to the beach lately when its been bright out but so cold and it's so peaceful and this album just hits so different in that setting. Watching the blinding glistening waves while listening to Mariners and Venice Bitch especially.... This album is a nautical masterpiece. Such an immersive soundscape throughout. Hope... has actually revealed itself to be top 3 from the album over time.

This was me today

 

And on another note the fact we never got the beach interview with Zane Lowe sucks 

my boyfriend and I stayed in Sausalito, CA (really close to San Francisco) in a houseboat airbnb and NFR was really a defining album of that nautical experience  NFR has such a unique aesthetic I love it sm 

[Trash Magic 21,475]

2 minutes ago, Distantly said:

I’ve mentioned this before and it’s probably worth mentioning again now, considering her recent interview tactics. 
 

I wonder if the interview happened but they didn’t put it out cause maybe Lana got offended at something he said/asked and things got sour? For one thing, we’ve seen more recently especially how she acts during interviews. But the hint of this was there back then too when she went after that Ann woman. Secondly, (and this part may be a reach) why wouldn’t they put out the interview if they went through the lengths to make it so pretty and at the beach. Unless they cancelled it before hand for some reason. Third, and this is the part that’s convincing for me, I remember Zane was at the Grammys red carpet and they asked him about the AOTY nods and his thoughts. He went through every one nominated and pretty much gave them all high praise. He’s interviewed most of them and has relationships with these artists so it makes sense. But then at the end he said, in a more hushed voice, something along the lines of “oh yeah and Lana did something cool too” and it just felt off

 

So, idk, maybe a reach, but yeah 

Wow I didn't know about that red carpet interview. Sounds shady, are we still uncertain about if it was ever even filmed or cancelled before they filmed it? It sucks cause she was so positive about this album I can't imagine her doing anything detrimental in a pre question for the culture world.

[Trash Magic 21,475]

1 minute ago, JehovahThikness said:

my boyfriend and I stayed in Sausalito, CA (really close to San Francisco) in a houseboat airbnb and NFR was really a defining album of that nautical experience  NFR has such a unique aesthetic I love it sm 

That sounds incredible. I've been to Sausalito twice and it has to be the prettiest place ever for me. Yes the aesthetic is just so defining for the album.

It's always been so amazing to me how they made such a structurally ugly, industrial shipyard be something so beautiful and so fitting for NFR!

 

[DCooper 6,363]

47 minutes ago, Trash Magic said:

I've been going to the beach lately when its been bright out but so cold and it's so peaceful and this album just hits so different in that setting. Watching the blinding glistening waves while listening to Mariners and Venice Bitch especially.... This album is a nautical masterpiece. Such an immersive soundscape throughout. Hope... has actually revealed itself to be top 3 from the album over time.

 

Flawless description 

[Distantly 1,713]

50 minutes ago, Trash Magic said:

Wow I didn't know about that red carpet interview. Sounds shady, are we still uncertain about if it was ever even filmed or cancelled before they filmed it? It sucks cause she was so positive about this album I can't imagine her doing anything detrimental in a pre question for the culture world.

I don’t think we have any confirmation on if the interview was cancelled all together beforehand or if it happened but never aired, unfortunately. But it did seem like he was avoiding talking about her at all on the red carpet if you ask me 

[Clampigirl 24,429]

Currently singing along to all the tracks... Ahh, I love this record so much.

[Rico25 1,740]

Her best album 

[Dragon 32,718]

HM can have a more dramatic and heavier presence, but hiking casually to this album. so comforting and the change of pace. yes. 

On 2/1/2021 at 1:10 PM, JehovahThikness said:

upsetting to see the crowd acting like this when she's singing one of her most personal songs :/ I get singing along (quietly/calmly), but there's people screaming out, joking, laughing, talking to each other, etc. there's other songs to do that to  she's not even reacting to people's expressions like she usually does, she seems annoyed. also at 3:08 at the black narcissist line, someone says "fuck azealia banks"  really making the whole fanbase look horrible smh

 

 

I think I was there that night, no wait yeah definitely. some of the fans were just oof. 

it was still a magical night tho. amazing. the fireworks ahh 

imma love this album forever

[Aphrodite 1,681]

 

sorry this is my favourite album trailer