10 Years of Born to Die

[venicebitx 6,018]

I remember getting insta and posting retro cars with the Nashville filter at her maximum, just because thats what lana should liked 

[venicebitx 6,018]

 the flower crowns are back

[longtimeman 8,908]

I've told this story many times before, but I came to Lana a little late (November 2013), the morning after the 50th Anniversary of JFK's assassination. She was just in the air for some reason, and I think one of the Tropico trailers came out that weekend, but I kept seeing this hate for this artist who I vaguely remember had a lot of love sent her way not that much earlier.

I was in my late thirties, and thought that I'd seen it all in music. I'd been through (personally) Heavy metal, punk, indie rock, noise, jazz, and on and on. I didn't think I could still be surprised. And then I saw the Born To Die cover and something sparked in me. There was something about it. It was the opposite of any other pop record cover at the time. I can't even explain how it made me feel, and then to be hit with the Paradise Edition cover as well, which was posed and framed the same as BTD, but was so different as well. It felt like art. I downloaded the album from Youtube and put it on my ipod, and went for a walk.

The first thing I noticed was that it didn't sound like anything else I'd heard. People talked about it being trip-hop or sadcore, but I'd grown up on the first waves of those styles. This was its own thing. But it was everything. Lana's voice. The production. The music. The lyrics. The songs. All perfect. Song after song, and by the time I found myself back at home, I was up to National Anthem, and was lost in it. The shift in tone between the first and second verses - of someone finding themselves through presenting a front for people, of telling white lies about yourself, of figuring out how to get what you want. It was satirical without distancing itself ironically from real life. I was sick of songs with no stakes, and here were (so far) six songs that all were about things that mattered to the singer.

For the next three months or so, (I bought The Paradise Edition the day after I heard it), I coudn't listen to anything else. I don't mean that I didn't want to - I would flick something on, and listen for ten seconds, before putting Born To Die back on. I had been like that with records when I was twelve years old, but not since then. And back then, I only had access to about twenty records in total, and if I wanted to hear a different record, I'd have to go through the whole process of getting together some money, getting myself to a record shop, sneaking it in to the house, and finally finding a time when my parents were away and I could copy it onto a cassette so I could listen to it in my room. But here, with the whole world of music at my fingertips, I could only listen to this one record.

Born To Die might not still be my favourite Lana record, but it's the one that started it all, both for her and for me, and it will forever be a masterpiece.

[Elle 121,074]

Just now, sunchase said:

Do u mind telling us about ur other interactions with Lana? I would like to know ur interaction in 2019 bc i see ur profile pic seems to be from that year

 

Sure! That technically wasn't my first interaction, as I'd say that was back in 2015. I saw Lana in Atlanta with said best friend mentioned above, and I had made Lana a little photobook with pictures that showed my journey with her up until that point - photos I had taken at previous shows, photos from the Ultraviolence release party I hosted, and other little Lana memories. Right when she walked on stage, she headed straight to me as I was waving the book out, and bent down and asked, "Is that for me?" I was in such shock as she hadn't even been on the stage for a full 30 seconds, so all I could really do was nod my head and say, "Yes!" and hand it to her. She looked at the cover, smiled, showed it to the audience, and then headed to the mic to begin singing Cruel World.

I think though, I have a stagehand to thank for that. A couple weeks before that show in Atlanta, my bestie and I saw her in Indiana too and as we were waiting at barricade, we noticed a stagehand eating ice cream. My friend yelled to him jokingly asking if she could have a bite, and he pointed a finger at her, disappeared for a minute, and came back with a bag of chocolates and gave us some. We talked for a bit before he went off to continue setting up. Then at the Atlanta show, we saw him again, eating another ice cream while setting up! We yelled at him again, he looked our way and his jaw dropped, and then disappeared to come back and give us more chocolates. He seemed pretty surprised to see us again and asked us where we were actually from, so we told him we actually lived there in Atlanta, but we travel to see other shows. I then told him about the photo book I made that I was planning to give to Lana that had some of the photos from other shows I had been to inside, including the Indiana one. He said, "That's so special. I think Lana will really like that." and gave me a wink before going back to continue setting up for the show. So, I kind of think he told Lana that I had something for her and that's why she came straight to me when she came onstage. Maybe not though, maybe it was just coinicidence, but I really wish I had gotten that guy's name to properly thank him for that if he was the one behind it.

Spoiler

Photos of Lana taking my book captured by my best friend, and a photo I took of me actually handing the book to Lana! x

 

My second interaction with Lana was the one in London I told in my other post, and then a few months later when the LA to the Moon tour began, I saw her again in DC. The same best friend in all these stories had since moved to DC and I had moved to Brooklyn NY, so I took the Amtrack over to see her for the show! In the middle of the set, the band played the Burnt Norton instrumental while Lana came down and talked to some fans. She was there for quite awhile! She started in the middle of the barricade and went all the way to the very end of the right side, which is where me and my friends were. I was with my best friend and then two other friends who I also met and stood by at the London show! Such a huge coincidence. She came up to me and I told her it was nice to see her again and introduced her to my friends, and she signed my Ultraviolence CD and we snapped a picture. After she finished talking to us, she stood in front of us an let us know how she could really feel our energy and thanked us for that. Then she went back onstage to continue her show!

Spoiler

Selfie Lana took of us, the Ultraviolence booklet she signed, a photo of her signing my booklet taken by my best friend, a photo of Lana talking to me taken by someone behind us, and a photo of the bigscreen where Lana was talking to me & my friends! x

 

Another interaction that I don't always count but still feel like it was worth mentioning was at the Ally Coalition later that year at the end of 2018. I wasn't even planning on going, but the show was on my girlfriend at the time's birthday, and she really wanted me to come with her, so I shelled out the $500 for front row seats. At the end of her set, she was talking to fans on the side of the stage while Jack thanked her for performing. Even though it was my girlfriend's birthday, she had brought a gift for Lana! Lana was sort of at the opposite side of where we were and my girlfriend was so shy and I was like "yell out to her!" and she was like "no, I'm scared!" So finally, I just shouted, "Lana, she has a gift for you!" Lana heard and came over, accepted the gift, and talked to me and my girlfriend for a bit. I didn't ask her to sign anything or take a picture because I wanted that moment to be for my girlfriend and Jack was just closing out his little speech, so right after she talked to us she walked offstage. It was still such a sweet moment that I remember (even if things didn't end well w my gf a couple months after that skkkk.) Chuck also took a picture of the group I was friends I was with after the show and posted it on her IG story!

Spoiler

Photo of Lana talking to me and my (ex)girlfriend

 

Then, my most recent interaction was during the NFR Tour at the Wichita date! After the show, another close friend of mine who I brought with me & I went out to the gates by her tour bus since she had been chatting with fans after the show by her bus at the last couple of shows. We were also by a fellow LanaBoards member I met up with and his friends! We waited for an hour, and then Lana came out. She was out there with us for 2 whole hours in the Kansas cold of November talking to every single person who was out there waiting for her. There wasn't a crazy amount of people, but still somewhere between 50-100. This just shows how much of a heart of gold she has. While we were waiting, I actually got to talk to Lana's dad for awhile too! He was super cool. He told us about Lana's journey to learning to fly (and I sang a bit of "Aviation" in response and he was like, "Yes! I'm surprised you know that song!") and a little story about how one time when they were canoeing, Lana tipped it into the lake because she saw a spider. We were one of the final people Lana talked to, but came over to us after Rob told her it was someone's birthday (one of the personal friends of the LanaBoards buddy I was with.) The girl was turning 18, and so Lana shared that the first thing she did when she was 18 was go up to Canada to have a glass of champagne since the legal drinking age permitted it, and got a tattoo. Then, I got a chance to have a little chat with Lana. In the months prior to that show, I had gone through a really, really dark time. Definitely the hardest part of my life thus far, and I don't think I really quite completely overcame it until mid-2020 - early 2021. I told her that some of the Songs on Norman such as Hope and The Greatest were really helping guide me through that rough time, and I thanked her for her and her music. She gave me a hug, signed my NFR booklet, and snapped another picture! She then went down a few people and someone asked her about the rumoured East Coast leg of the tour at the time, and she asked where she should go. I said, "ATL, ATL!" and she looked at me, smiled, and said, "ATL? Okay!" Since we were towards the last final people she talked to, it was super quiet and personal. Everyone was very respectful of everyone else's chats, and it's a moment I'll remember forever. Like all of them!

Spoiler

Selfie Lana took of us & the NFR booklet she signed for me!

 

She's also interacted with me several times on Instagram throughout the years - liking my comments, liking my posts, and shouting me out during livestreams. I always get so happy whenever she recognises me!

 

 

 

Looking back on all these special memories just goes to show how Lana has truly brought me so many of the best days of my life over all these years. I hate to imagine an alternate reality where I never discovered her back in January 2012, just two days after the album release, by stumbling across the Born to Die music video on YouTube after being given a recommendation to check out her music. I truly don't know where I'd be without her or how different my life would be

[WhiteHot4ever 636]

1 hour ago, sunchase said:

Girl i want an update on your life after 10 years.. genuinely how are you ? I wish you don't feel alone anymore 

How 💋 beautiful 💋 you are! 
I was broke, literally a homeless, living with bad bad people , with no family around, drop out of school, pretty awful situation.. I was dealing with a borderline personality disorder and taking no meds bc can’t afford it so… you can imagine.  
But this album give me something. A lifeguard. Life can be more, more, more!  Now I’m finishing a degree, taking meds, a part-time job and I think a find my tru love… oh god life can really change for everyone don’t give up !!! Never!!  

[Fingertips 72,034]

 

 

 

Some of my favorite music videos ever. What an era.

 

[venicebitx 6,018]

https://twitter.com/MTVNEWS/status/1486731832536281088?s=20&t=afq9iTkC9BH825AoBcGllg this is new? never seen tgis part, she was so young

[boom like that 11,691]

a cultural reset.. if i hadn't listened to video games and carmen im afraid i would've still been trapped in my edm glitchhop house limbo to this day  I'm grateful for BTD and Lana to open me up to genuinely good music. I've found so many wonderful artists because BTD was the gateway. The impact that Video Games, Carmen, Off to the races had on me when I first discovered them to then unwinding Lana's discography to find masterpieces like UV HM AKA and eventually her unreleased  BTD was the it girl and people can be haters all they want but it doesn't change the fact that BTD is that bitch.. she changed the industry and pop culture itself, can't deny whats only fact 

 

2 hours ago, pin up galore said:

i started listening to lana in late 2014 (when i was 11 )

wait you're younger than me? 

[Coney Island King 25,991]

This album literally changed my entire music world. 

[ChaoticLipster 24,539]

16 minutes ago, Coney Island King said:

This album literally changed my entire music world. 

Me too…it like opened up a whole music universe for me

[drugmunny 8,879]

1 hour ago, venicebitx said:

 

 

my blurry collection lol

the single picture discs 

[venicebitx 6,018]

2 minutes ago, drugmunny said:

the single picture discs 

It took a while and im still missing ride 

 

selfless promo if anyone wants to sell ride picture disc hit me up

[trailerparkdream 1,326]

35 minutes ago, Coney Island King said:

This album literally changed my entire music world. 

Same. I saw someone else say it was the first time they truly “felt” music and I feel the same way. 
 

the only music that can even come close to giving me that is usually older music like 60s-90s but it’s still not like Lana & before I discovered her it’s like I didn’t even have that ability? Or I wasn’t open to it.
i always loved music (i mean most people do) but I didn’t know what it was like to love it this much before her. 
the way it’s expanded beyond but it’s all because of her it’s just interesting to me. 
 

songs like video games & yayo or shades of cool & west coast just to name a few… 

I just don’t even have words to describe how perfect those songs sound to me. 
 

lanas debut and what followed right after is such a dream. F*** the criticism. The impact is so easy to see. 

I can’t fathom being able to express my thoughts & feelings & my past and make such beautiful art with it. She takes the emotions from the deepest parts of me and puts it all into words.

She’s perfected an aesthetic that was always a part of me but I didn’t know how to show it without her lead. 

It’s a funny joke to be like “Lana shaped me” but like it’s actually true lol. She helped me learn what I actually like at an age when things were so confusing to me. It’s been such a fun ride. 💙

[drugmunny 8,879]

where is Nicole Nodland with the outtakes for the anniversary?

[the ocean 67,597]

Just now, drugmunny said:

where is Nicole Nodland with the outtakes for the anniversary?

 

no don’t they’re just gonna be overly photoshopped and they’re all gonna be tagged as “lana won’t let me near the psd files for the ldr9 photoshoot so i’m leaking these as revenge”

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,803]

BORN TO DIE CHANGED MY LIFE. I’LL NEVER FORGET THE ANTICIPATION & EXCITEMENT THIS ALBUM CREATED WITHIN ME… ldr.fm was our home back then. I’ll be spinning this record all day long. So thankful for Lana & this site.

[caitlyn valliulina 4,424]

words can't describe the cultural impact this album has had on modern day music. i cant believe its been a whole decade - time really flies. 

[Gorgeous Gardenia 29]

I'm thinking about what these ten years have meant for the industry and how much has changed in terms of the consumption of music and in particular, artists. There was such a "big push" behind Lana. Sure, she was one of the first to be propelled via the internet and YouTube but she was after all already signed to Polydor when she first uploaded "Video Games" in May of 2011. I miss the magazine covers we purchased in stores, and the slew of television programs an up and coming artist like Lana was expected to work. Those pesky interviews from mid 2011 to early 2012, where she'd either get upset and walk out on the interviewer or make up some bold-faced that would be thoroughly investigated later on Lipstick Alley. TV is dead now. Music forums are dead. Most shops have reduced the amount of physical magazines they sell. SO much has changed. I'm sad. And yeah, the they/thems weren't around back then, so that was nice, too.

 

mod note: user was warned for this post

Edited January 27, 2022 by admin
do not be disrespectful of people's pronouns x

[Super Movie 51,553]

2 minutes ago, Gorgeous Gardenia said:

I'm thinking about what these ten years have meant for the industry and how much has changed in terms of the consumption of music and in particular, artists. There was such a "big push" behind Lana. Sure, she was one of the first to be propelled via the internet and YouTube but she was after all already signed to Polydor when she first uploaded "Video Games" in May of 2011. I miss the magazine covers we purchased in stores, and the slew of television programs an up and coming artist like Lana was expected to work. Those pesky interviews from mid 2011 to early 2012, where she'd either get upset and walk out on the interviewer or make up some bold-faced that would be thoroughly investigated later on Lipstick Alley. TV is dead now. Music forums are dead. Most shops have reduced the amount of physical magazines they sell. SO much has changed. I'm sad. And yeah, the they/thems weren't around back then, so that was nice, too.

You could've said all this without invalidating people's pronouns 

[Gorgeous Gardenia 29]

1 minute ago, Super Movie said:

You could've said all this without invalidating people's pronouns 

 

You're a rat.