Blue Banisters - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[Fingertips 72,043]

I found my new Lana driving record with Norman and Ultra

 

It actually sounds so good just driving aimlessly as the sun sets

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

7 minutes ago, Thunder said:

I found my new Lana driving record with Norman and Ultra

 

It actually sounds so good just driving aimlessly as the sun sets

I can’t tell you how lovely of a moment I had this afternoon when we had a brief appearance from the sun amidst the otherwise cloudiness lol. I was driving to a lunch during work and the sun flare hit the red trees and was reflecting off of the skyscrapers as I was listening to Thunder. A very surreal driving experience indeed 

[Fingertips 72,043]

2 minutes ago, IanadeIrey said:

I can’t tell you how lovely of a moment I had this afternoon when we had a brief appearance from the sun amidst the otherwise cloudiness lol. I was driving to a lunch during work and the sun flare hit the red trees and was reflecting off of the skyscrapers as I was listening to Thunder. A very surreal driving experience indeed 

Wait, same. Wildflower Wildfire through car speakers...

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

Just now, Thunder said:

Wait, same. Wildflower Wildfire through car speakers...

Omg same. The bit-crusher breakdown while the sun is blinding you…

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

19 minutes ago, IanadeIrey said:

Nectar of the Gods is such an LDR staple, a classic, unreleased or not. So glad it found a home! 

 

I remember at the Violet signing at B&N last October, Lana mentioned how prophetic her own poetry can be and how even her own songs can speak to her years down the line (and just two weeks later, she would record Text Book and the title track, two tracks integral to BB). All the leaked songs that ended up on BB, I have certainly gathered new meanings from while listening to them within the context of the entire record. It’s quite amazing to witness part of her journey with those tracks. 

 

It really is. They couldn’t possibly find a better home in this record: including them in previous projects would probably have a more diluted impact. It saddens me that some people are interpreting this inclusion as laziness or lack of direction when in reality it seems to me that Lana knew exactly what she wanted to express with her vision and used the right songs to do it.

 

What you don’t tell no one, you can tell me…

 

[American Whore 51,340]

the fact that the album's most played tracks is changing so much on apple music. it started off being the singles, then quickly changed to Dealer and Black Bathing Suit, now it's Thunder, Dealer, IYLDWM, and Textbook. what is happening?!? lmao i guess everyone is listening to random tracks on the album now

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

3 minutes ago, Sportscruiser said:

 

It really is. They couldn’t possibly find a better home in this record: including them in previous projects would probably have a more diluted impact. It saddens me that some people are interpreting this inclusion as laziness or lack of direction when in reality it seems to me that Lana knew exactly what she wanted to express with her vision and used the right songs to do it.

 

What you don’t tell no one, you can tell me…

 

I 100% agree! The almost mournful to hopeful depiction of herself and her surroundings derived from family-of-origin dynamics that runs from Wildflower Wildfire to Sweet Carolina is genius. It’s brilliant how lyrically, they all serve to share her personal history, but she goes ultra-meta and uses tracks that are actually artifacts of her personal history. 

[hashtagtylerh 3,934]

2 minutes ago, Hydroponic Weeds said:

the fact that the album's most played tracks is changing so much on apple music. it started off being the singles, then quickly changed to Dealer and Black Bathing Suit, now it's Thunder, Dealer, IYLDWM, and Textbook. what is happening?!? lmao i guess everyone is listening to random tracks on the album now

the first day I spammed the hell out of BBS but I haven't listened to it much lately, tbh Thunder, Dealer, IYLDWM, Text Book, and NOTG (everything you listed + NOTG lol) has only gotten better with every listen and now they're always playing. Their lyrics and sounds are so gorgeous and I find myself humming them throughout the day wanting to play them. I'm assuming lots of others had similar listening experiences 

[American Whore 51,340]

Just now, hashtagtylerh said:

the first day I spammed the hell out of BBS but I haven't listened to it much lately, tbh Thunder, Dealer, IYLDWM, Text Book, and NOTG (everything you listed + NOTG lol) has only gotten better with every listen and now they're always playing. Their lyrics and sounds are so gorgeous and I find myself humming them throughout the day wanting to play them. I'm assuming lots of others had similar listening experiences 

that's very true. is there a way we can find stats for apple music?

[DeadSeaOfMercury 22,978]

Chemtrails AOTY 2022 Grammys

Blue Banisters AOTY, Arcadia SOTY, Vocal Pop AOTY 2023 Grammys.

She won! 

 

Spoiler

Even though the Grammys are dead to me after NFR…

Spoiler

It would be cool though 

 

 

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

Just now, IanadeIrey said:

I 100% agree! The almost mournful to hopeful depiction of herself and her surroundings derived from family-of-origin trauma that runs from Wildflower Wildfire to Sweet Carolina is genius. It’s brilliant how lyrically, they all serve to share her personal history, but she goes ultra-meta and uses tracks that are actually artifacts of her personal history. 

 

And the way she delved into the concept of motherhood through different lenses: as a fractured relationship (like the one she has with Patty) able to provoke unspeakable trauma for years and years to come and how that filtered down to the way she sees herself in other relationships (Wildflower Wildfire); as a bond she did forge with someone not blood related who did love her unconditionally without bringing the darkest aspects of her past into the mix (Living Legend); as a tender lullaby sung to an imaginary child in which she says everything she wishes her own mother had told her when she was a kid herself (Cherry Blossom); and finally as an affirmation of her own unshakable support and infinite love for the kids of her dearest ones and how in even the worst times and contexts, she’ll always be there for them as a person and as family, above and beyond everything else (Sweet Carolina).

 

Truly a majestic and intricate reflection on what constitutes motherhood, through a delicate mixture of reality and fantasy and past, present and future.

 

No one does it better 

 

[boom like that 11,902]

 

From last week during my first BB listen 

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

10 minutes ago, Sportscruiser said:

 

And the way she delved into the concept of motherhood through different lenses: as a fractured relationship (like the one she has with Patty) able to provoke unspeakable trauma for years and years to come and how that filtered down to the way she sees herself in other relationships (Wildflower Wildfire); as a bond she did forge with someone not blood related who did love her unconditionally without bringing the darkest aspects of her past into the mix (Living Legend); as a tender lullaby sung to an imaginary child in which she says everything she wishes her own mother had told her when she was a kid herself (Cherry Blossom); and finally as an affirmation of her own unshakable support and infinite love for the kids of her dearest ones and how in even the worst times and contexts, she’ll always be there for them as a person and as family, above and beyond everything else (Sweet Carolina).

 

Truly a majestic and intricate reflection on what constitutes motherhood, through a delicate mixture of reality and fantasy and past, present and future.

 

No one does it better 

 

So well-said! Beautiful words as always. Nectar of the Gods even reflects on that tug-of-war within herself that seems to have been won in WW (choosing to be a “wildflower” over a “wildfire,” or a conscious detachment from the qualities embodied by her mother), but she later realizes is somewhat visceral upon indulgence in all things, including inspiration that this record carries (“I get wild and fucking crazy like the colour blue” “once I found my way, but now I am lost”). It’s poignant that it comes after the climax and sudden epiphany of WW that marks a shift in the record’s narrative (and her life, in that way). 
 

Every track on the entire record serves such an important purpose. She really is the greatest. 

[Honeyyoung 17,096]

thunder is that bitch

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

6 minutes ago, IanadeIrey said:

So well-said! Beautiful words as always. Nectar of the Gods even reflects on that tug-of-war within herself that seems to have been won in WW (choosing to be a “wildflower” over a “wildfire,” or a conscious detachment from the qualities embodied by her mother), but she later realizes is somewhat visceral upon indulgence in all things, including inspiration that this record carries (“I get wild and fucking crazy like the colour blue” “once I found my way, but now I am lost”). It’s poignant that it comes after the climax and sudden epiphany of WW that marks a shift in the record’s narrative (and her life, in that way). 
 

Every track on the entire record serves such an important purpose. She really is the greatest. 

 

You floored me with that one. You have such an eloquent and intelligent way to see the world and it shows 

[Three White Butterflies 27,477]

9 minutes ago, boom like that said:

 

From last week during my first BB listen 

 

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

1 minute ago, Sportscruiser said:

 

You floored me with that one. You have such an eloquent and intelligent way to see the world and it shows 

Awwww! So do you, my friend!   I’ve been loving all of your posts in this thread, they are such a breath of fresh air and your presence is full of light. Thank you and right back at you 

[Venice Jesus Whore 4,471]

I don’t get all the love for Thunder. It’s not bad, but totally forgettable for me. I feel like 70% of the song is just “just do it, don’t wait.”

[Super Movie 51,699]

Okay, so here are my thoughts on Black Bathing Suit and a bit on Wildflower Wildfire:

 

Black Bathing Suit is a journey through Lana's feelings during spring-summer 2020, and maybe even earlier in the year. It's clear that certain lyrics are in relation to things like the public response to QFTC, the absolutely vile comments people were making about Lana online, and what I think is the most interesting aspect of it all: the backlash Lana got on Mothers Day in 2020 for not posting about her mother, but rather making a post about why it can be a hard day for her and others (that whole situation pissed me off, but we don't have time to unpack all of that). I never knew if Lana had seen the hate from that post since she never addressed it, but it's clear to me through this album that she did. She literally says in the second verse of WW "You say there's gaps to fill in, so here, here's the deal..." and then the lyric about her mother. It was like her saying "you really want to know what I've been through? here you go". It's something that's so heartbreaking to listen to, but I think that for Lana, it felt important to say. 

 

So more on BBS. Another lyric I want to highlight is the "your interest really made stacks out of it for me, so thanks for that", which I think is kind of sarcastic. Obviously NFR did fantastic in terms of sales and reception, so she's saying that the public's interest in the album really "made stacks" out of that album, but then we get the flippant "thanks for that" that we also get in Arcadia. It's not a genuine thank you. It's Lana being frustrated that despite people loving that album, they went right back to hating her just months after (I'm not getting into QFTC right now, I'm more so talking about the body shaming and general bullying that went on). And I think that the "you don't know me any better than they do" lyric is super interesting as well. There were a lot of assumptions being made about Lana around that time, so it's her saying "you don't know me any better than the rest of the public does, so don't act like you do". The whole song exudes this perfect mix of anger, vulnerability, confidence and a hint of sarcasm. She gives you that not only through her lyrics, but through her production and vocal delivery on the song. It's so smart and so creative. 

[lustforlife 19,008]

That album is so unfinished rough and deep... It reminds alot Joplim, Patti, Joan Jett, all those girls who doesnt give a fuck about reputation. Here for it