Rank Lana's Opening Tracks

[moonbeam monsoon 1,281]

4 minutes ago, Surf Noir said:

i didn't know so many people felt so strongly about nfr

 

i think it's a fitting opening track for the album and it's nice, but it's definitely not my favorite at all

I for one am glad the time has come for the tough conversations on nfr. I love NFR as an album title but as an opening track… it pains me to say it’s lackluster ok 

[Make me your Dream Life 89,066]

Ppl who don’t like the nfr title track dk what its like to transcend it’s undeniably one of the casually coolest tracks she’s ever made. The quality and sound vicinity to it is impeccable. 
 

The song has a levitating quality. And the subject matter, a very important concept. Such good balanced writing. 
 

it’s not a sledgehammer, it’s a magazine on a coffee table or breaking abruptly when the stoplight turns red

[SalvaWHORE 34,237]

5 hours ago, moonbeam monsoon said:

I for one am glad the time has come for the tough conversations on nfr. I love NFR as an album title but as an opening track… it pains me to say it’s lackluster ok 

it's no lackluster, NFR title track  is one of the greatest track she ever created - therefore it's now one of her significant artpiece if i'd have to say.

The lyrics, the vocal performance, the details, the layering, the mixing and that OUTRO - i don't know how to describe but the melody that was written/composed for this particular song is one of the peak moment of her artistry-wise. When i first hear it, all i think about it was just another boring linear kind of ballad, but the more i listened to the song the more i realiz:  there were a lot to dig deep and appreciate in the way Lana joined herself into the production, not just simply "sang" the song.

Regardless of how y'all feel about Jack, i feel blessed because we got "NFR" and "White Dress" as album openers of our 2 latest eras - along with the BB era - "Text Book" - i can say she literally mastered the art of opening an album for real. (But i still prefer "White Dress" over "Text Book" and "NFR", it's just too beautiful to be behind NFR).

[Fingertips 72,053]

26 minutes ago, Surf Noir said:

i didn't know so many people felt so strongly about nfr

 

i think it's a fitting opening track for the album and it's nice, but it's definitely not my favorite at all

It's her worst opener, and NFR is one of my favorite albums. 

[Dark Angel 203,708]

5 minutes ago, Thunder said:

It's her worst opener, and NFR is one of my favorite albums. 

 

i wouldn't say it's bad, it's my least favorite, text book is definitely a better opening track, in my opinion, i don't understand why some people dislike it so much 

[pawnshop 999]

lana’s ONLY worst title track is Love and that’s it

[Fingertips 72,053]

1 minute ago, Surf Noir said:

 

i wouldn't say it's bad, it's my least favorite, text book is definitely a better opening track, in my opinion, i don't understand why some people dislike it so much 

I was surprised to see Text Book as an opener at first, but I do really enjoy the song and it sounds like another great opening track in context. It opens the more autobiographical tone of blue banisters

[issgouding 1,428]

1 minute ago, pawnshop said:

lana’s ONLY worst title track is Love and that’s it

it was called "Young and In love"" and after leak she renamed it 

[SalvaWHORE 34,237]

17 hours ago, Surf Noir said:

 

i wouldn't say it's bad, it's my least favorite, text book is definitely a better opening track, in my opinion, i don't understand why some people dislike it so much 

Text Book isn't her best opener - but regardless it's still an interesting track in story-telling & production, absolutely good with intriguing anyone at a first time listen.

[Super Movie 51,878]

53 minutes ago, Surf Noir said:

i didn't know so many people felt so strongly about nfr

 

i think it's a fitting opening track for the album and it's nice, but it's definitely not my favorite at all

I've grown more appreciation for it over the past month or so than I have in the two years it's been out. It feels very classic to me for some reason, like it's an old song from the 70s. I can almost hear the crowd cheering at a reunion tour when the piano kicks in lol. I wouldn't call it Lana's worst opener by any means, but it's not my favorite either. 

[GeminiLanaFan 49,439]

Since NFR, her opening and closing tracks never seem like the right choice… like we need to let them sink in, as opposed to BTD, Cruel World, HM and Love (same with almost all of her closers), which hit right away. The only time that an opener or a closer from her struck with me after LFL was White Dress. That being said, I wouldn’t change any of her openers or closers, it’s just that her albums don’t hit as hard from the beginning nor haunt you at the end. 

[moonbeam monsoon 1,281]

5 minutes ago, GeminiLanaFan said:

Since NFR, her opening and closing tracks never seem like the right choice… like we need to let them sink in, as opposed to BTD, Cruel World, HM and Love (same with almost all of her closers), which hit right away. The only time that an opener or a closer from her struck with me after LFL was White Dress. That being said, I wouldn’t change any of her openers or closets, it’s just that her albums don’t hit as hard from the beginning not haunt you at the end. 

The only opener you actually excluded in the end here was NFR

and really all I’m saying is that an opening track shouldn’t require future ruminating, it should launch the album with a clear moment - odd or controversial, like White Dress, but a transcendent moment nonetheless. Perhaps the album could’ve used lightly buoyant levity later but as a launching point NFR just ain’t it 

[The Siren 30,529]

1. White Dress
2. Norman Fucking Rockwell
3. Text Book
4. Cruel World
5. Kill Kill
6. Ride
7. Honeymoon
8. Born to Die
9. Drive By
10. Love

[moonbeam monsoon 1,281]

The true audacity of this list, I see you still haven’t slept well

edit - ps I’m absolutely kidding. But also I can’t believe you listed Cruel World, Honeymoon, Ride, AND Born to Die below NFR! 

6 minutes ago, The Siren said:

1. White Dress
2. Norman Fucking Rockwell
3. Text Book
4. Cruel World
5. Kill Kill
6. Ride
7. Honeymoon
8. Born to Die
9. Drive By
10. Love

[Dark Angel 203,708]

1. honeymoon

2. kill kill

3. born to die

4. white dress

5. cruel world

6. ride

7. text book

8. love

9. norman fucking rockwell

10. for k

[GeminiLanaFan 49,439]

22 minutes ago, moonbeam monsoon said:

The only opener you actually excluded in the end here was NFR

and really all I’m saying is that an opening track shouldn’t require future ruminating, it should launch the album with a clear moment - odd or controversial, like White Dress, but a transcendent moment nonetheless. Perhaps the album could’ve used lightly buoyant levity later but as a launching point NFR just ain’t it 

I think NFR is a good representation of the album: piano, a doomed love story, Mellotron, Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter vibes, Lana mentioning the word blue lol. But with Mac and VB following it, no song stood a chance as a grand opener… 

anyways, I began loving Text Book so much more knowing it was the opener of BB. It was the only place the song was « fitting » on the tracklist it seems. 

[palemoonbaby 15,282]

1.Cruel World (this is how you opening the album)

2.Born To Die (it's so iconic, cinematic intro then hip hop beat and transition into darkness)

3.Kill Kill (yeah, she nailed and classic jam we love) @Surf Noir

4.Ride 

5.Text Book (bold and great "let me tell my story" introduction)

6.Honeymoon (if it was BBC version, it would be higher)

7.NFR (great opener but not good as the rest)

8.Love

9.White Dress (sorry guys)

[YourGirl666 13,256]

Ranking of the opening choices

1. Ride

2. Born to Die

3. Honeymoon

4. Kill Kill

5. NFR

6. White Dress

7. Cruel World

8. Text Book

9. Love

 

Ranking of openers (based on the quality itself)

1. Honeymoon

2. NFR

3. White Dress

4. Cruel World

5. Ride

6. Born to Die

7. Text Book

8. Kill Kill (it would be higher if we were talkin about the demo)

9. Love

[lanasbottom 23,695]

1 hour ago, The Siren said:

1. White Dress
2. Norman Fucking Rockwell
3. Text Book
4. Cruel World
5. Kill Kill
6. Ride
7. Honeymoon
8. Born to Die
9. Drive By
10. Love

visual representation of this ranking: 

 

[IanadeIrey 62,142]

Honeymoon is my personal favourite opener, as it’s just so ominous and entrancing, and immediately brings in this film noir feel with her clear vocals delivering the opening lines, followed by another swelling of strings