What was your reaction of the BTD to UV transition?

[Honeyyoung 17,096]

just got inspired by this tweet. for those who were in the fandom in 2013-2014, what was your reaction to the change of sound? a lot of people hated it at the time apparently

[Veinsineon 76,785]

Around the paradise tour I think it was just kinda organically headed that way anyway , but it was very satisfying. Like , other than the mystique of the honeymoon era, the utter Fire she was on during this era was insane. And then obviously with the untouchables leaking we kinda spoiled it anyways

[Venice Peach 54,293]

I hated it at first lol. I adored WC so I set my expectations very high for the first listen. I didn't like the vocal production and the less "poppy" melodies so I felt really sad that Lana wasn't for me anymore .  But then it grew on me very quickly and became one of my favourite albums of all time.

It also expanded my musical taste to other less mainstream genres cause before UV if I didn't like an album immediately I just gave up and didn't give a second change to anything that wasn't catchy pop music. That album really changed me 

[sweetie 6,627]

It was just perfect for me  I was truly blown away, and it really solidified me as a stan. I was on LB during that time so I can just look at some of my old posts 

 

About the UV title track:

On 5/27/2014 at 9:20 PM, sweetie said:

My first impression was that this song is basic as hell & sounds like the typical film soundtrack... but it really grew on me, up to the point where it's now my fav out of the 3 we have so far. The pre-chorus and bridge are heavenly tbh. So excited for the studio version 

 

On 6/4/2014 at 9:39 PM, sweetie said:

I absolutely love it, especially the bridge. Lana can do no wrong tbh

 

On 6/4/2014 at 10:50 PM, sweetie said:

It's everything I could have asked for and more. The chorus especially is so sensual and strong... It's perfect. Dan Auerbach knew what he was doing.

 

About BTD vs UV:

On 6/12/2014 at 7:52 PM, sweetie said:

As iconic as Born To Die was... I feel like Ultraviolence is on a higher level sonically and lyrically. BTD has a lot more "filler" tracks than UV for sure.

 

 

[rightofjupiter 16,591]

i was SO excited– i'd become a fan during BTD era but hated the production on the songs. it was clear to me that lana was really talented but i didn't vibe with the sound of the songs. when UV dropped i was in heaven– it was everything i could've wanted from lana and more. i remember west coast dropping and being like ????? this is gold!

[Fingertips 72,034]

I remember driving around town, seeing the posters for West Coast on billboards and I knew that she was about to release something pretty game changing. The day West Coast dropped; I knew she was on a different level than the rest of the girls 

[Venice Jesus Whore 4,471]

Absolutely loved it. I thought WC was one of the best songs ever made. It felt genius at the time. The blending of genres, the tempo change (neither were typical at all in pop artists at the time), and still completely Lana. 
 

I loved the rest of UV from the start too. Despite the record being so dark and melodramatic, I actually associate it with summer because it was released during my vacation in 2014, and I just remember blasting it while boating around on the water. 

[West Coast 45,793]

I remember some people being underwhelmed with the album and criticizing the so called "Ultraviolence microphone" thing, but I also remember people being shook every time she released a single (especially 'West Coast' ). As other people mentioned it I feel like Paradise/The Paradise Tour was an obvious transition from pop to rock as well. 
 

Personally speaking that was the best rollout/era even though it was kinda short lived. 

[palemoonbaby 15,102]

I didn't remember how exatly I felt but I remember I had many emotions at the same time: "I love it" "What is that..." "Mood" "I'm confused, what's happened and what I listened". But ending totally loving that.

[Doll Harlow 12,367]

I wasn't a full stan yet but I remember seeing the vinyl in Barnes & Noble during the summer of 2014 and being so intrigued by the title (I'm a huge A Clockwork Orange fan) and the cover itself. When I finally listened in 2015, it was one of the best first listening experiences I had ever had. I remember being confused by people saying that they missed the old Lana because to me it was a better sound for her. Now people are saying that they miss UV era Lana. 

[rabbit 5,269]

UV made me a for-life fan, it was perfect 🖤 Born to Die was the first “pop” record I really connected with, but longed for something a little darker from her. So when it came out, I couldn’t be happier. Oof, then Honeymoon right after was just a killer, such an amazing trio of records :’)

Spoiler

My ex boyfriend gifted UV for my birthday, right before he left me to move to the coast with a woman he’d been seeing for a few years. I was pretty fucked up around that time, and while it was a really hard listen, it truly got me through a very very dark time in the end. Will always hold it close to my heart 🖤

 

[Deadly Nightshade 12,849]

BtD was my pre-teens album and it suited that period perfectly . When i entered my teens i started listening to more alt and rock music . So when I found out about WC I was left speechless . I still believe that it is if not the best one of her most well crafted songs . Mainstream artists could only dream of making that song in that period . After that song I was pretty sure that the album would be a masterpiece . I used to listen to the entire album multiple times a day  and really appreciate it’s greatness during my summer holidays  . From the imagery to the music everything was so spot on. She was unstoppable in that period . I still believe that she has to revisit the genre and expand that soundscape because it definitely suits her so much . 

[honey dew 11,776]

For me it was like BTD was a rocket launch and you don't know if it's gonna break through to space or explode and then UV was the rocket  flying into a wormhole that suddenly appears and beaming back signals from a dimension you'd been dreaming of your whole life and you discover you're actually from that dimension and that's why you'd never been able to feel like anyone or anything could connect to your soul as deeply as those signals did and you might not be able to get back to your dimension but from then on you always had that connection and those signals from home anyone else?

[Let the Light In 18,642]

I remember listening to world premiere of West Coast on BBC Radio 1. It felt like the most beautiful song I have ever heard. I was completely blown away by the tempo change and the production. It was such an experience.

[hashtagtylerh 3,934]

I'm ashamed to admit this but I hated it at first haha, I was expecting more of the same. The rock vibes and a few of the synths (like at the end of West Coast) threw me off. However I quickly came to love UV and it's my favorite album now

 

I also remember hearing the premiere of West Coast and staying up to watch all the music videos; the aesthetics definitely made me appreciate the songs more. UV song + vid is my fav piece of art of all time I think, so gorgeous

[Fireffie 3,668]

UV is what really made me become a stan! I loved BTD but I still didn't consider myself that much of a fan, but when West Coast and Shades of Cool came out.. I remember being so hooked up, I'd listen to them all the time and I was in love with the West Coast video. I was only 14/15 years old so I don't remember that much but I wish I could experience it again 

[Alison by Slowdive 26,146]

i was so young but i remember like... not even questioning it? i remember listening to west coast's release on a bus one night and it was the best thing i'd ever heard, just like all of BTD had been  BTD and paradise had already been such a unique blend of genres so although the rock influences on west coast were new, i really don't remember it feeling surprising/jarring/confusing etc.

[111 36,678]

when i heard wc on that bbc radio premiere i knew it was the best thing i ever heard

it was over for btd at that moment

 

[The Siren 30,521]

i wasnt a fan until sept 2014

[Wild One 3,306]

Not my personal taste but the transition had me quite shocked I’d say.

I very much loved the cinematic sounds and the orchestra and such.

To this day, UV still isn’t one of my favorite albums.

I’m more into classic ballads and soft strings.

I used to slander the album but now I found peace with it.