Lana feature in Billboard Magazine - February 25th, 2023 [INTERVIEW] - Updated

[Rorman Nockwell 53,500]

"Caroline will you be with me" 

Help 

[MrFameKills 10,416]

5 hours ago, Elle said:

 

What overall themes did you try to capture in this record?

Family of origin is the overall theme. I think with Blue Banisters I wanted to capture this idea too, but I flew it under the radar. I was trying to address some criticisms that I had heard said after Chemtrials… mostly that people don’t know much about me. I didn’t promote that theme of Blue Banisters at all intentionally. In this album, I got to really finish my thoughts and get super specific, which I was not comfortable with completely before… I do list my grandpa, my brother, my dad, my Uncle Dave. In the song “Fingertips,” I sing “Charlie stop smoking / Caroline will you be with me / will the baby be alright? / Will I have one of mine?” I think I was able to open up about this because Mike was so casual to work with. All in my living room. It allowed for that. “Fingertips” tells everything about everyone from day one until now.

 

 

view full photoshoot here

It's so surreal seeing her talk about the album like this lol and even addressing Blue Bannisters, considering we didnt get a peep back when it was released. I'm glad she's doing interviews again

[Sweet 959]

The shoot is giving: 

[honeymoon is alive 14,229]

13 minutes ago, Sweet said:

The shoot is giving: 

literally I saw the pictures and remembered of adele, both beautiful and talented artists 

[marryingkind 2,491]

3 hours ago, emliqua said:

as Lana said recently “if you get it you get it”  I think it’s possible to love the “old Lana” and also grow with her and appreciate a different new type of writing style. But if it isn’t for you, that’s okay! People are allowed to like what they like there are plenty of things that a lot of people love that aren’t for me. 
personally I eat up everything she does, I’m with the users on here who can still relate/appreciate lyrics despite her personal name dropping. I think it’s sweet and that she as an artist is creating music for herself and that’s how it should be 

I love how she name drops her family and friends. Idk, it feels more human to me and now I can relate even more to her. It makes me think about my own family and friends - WW, for example, was a game changing song for me.
 

[Morissetteus 1,542]

6 hours ago, Morissetteus said:

I definitely hoped for more and surprised; there was almost nothing about the upcoming album. Why is that? Maybe something small and cute because of the award?
 

i would expect some more stuff for later issues 

 

6 hours ago, Elle said:

More from the interview with more content about the album! x

Why Lana Del Rey Is Opening Up About Her Family on ‘Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’

There is, in fact, a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard. Though a few online spectators suspected the tunnel, which inspired the name of Lana Del Rey’s album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, out March 24, might be located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Del Rey recently revealed that the underground tunnel is actually in Long Beach, Calif. — not far from Los Angeles, where Del Rey has lived for the last six years.

The singer-songwriter’s use of SoCal iconography has been a cornerstone of her songwriting for over a decade, from Born To Die’s (2012) depictions to old Hollywood glamor to Norman Fucking Rockwell’s (2019) allusions to Venice Beach. While it’s present on her new project as well, Del Rey admits she is not quite as focused on “world building” as she once was, and instead is “living from the neck up,” focusing her craft on more lyrically driven and intimate songwriting.

Del Rey’s Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd discusses unrevealed details and stories about her “family of origin,” especially in songs like “Fingertips,” which she says “tells everything about everyone from day one.” Just weeks before its release, Del Rey – who is Billboard’s 2023 Women in Music Visionary honoree — talks about creating the album in her living room, and why she is ready to talk about her family.

 

How did your new album begin to take shape?

Mike Hermosa, who produced the majority of the songs on this album, would come over to my house, and I would hear him in my living room playing piano. He’s not even a musician full time. He’s a DP, a cameraman. I would hear him play, and I’d be like “can I record that?” or I’d sneakily record something.

Eventually I asked if he could just keep playing, and I could sing. Then, every Sunday when he wasn’t working, he would just kind of noodle around, and I would sing. That’s how we wrote the first song: “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” I knew right away that I really, really liked it.

I enjoyed how casual writing with Mike was. He didn’t have a dog in the race. He wasn’t interested in anything beyond just playing. It’s fun that the entire album didn’t feel like we were making one until the end when Jack Antonoff came in and was like “I really like this. Can I put something on top of this?” When Jack comes in, you know you’re making a real record.

 

Do you feel this casual approach to songwriting was able to open you up creatively?

This process was almost like automatic singing. I just knew exactly every word to sing for everything he played because the chords were perfectly arranged. I think my overall feeling when writing this album was just, “wow, I got lucky.”

Also, I realized that, even when I’m seeking so many other things in my life, music really seeks me. It’s like a little bird following me around. Somehow when I didn’t want to make music, I was presented with the best collaborators I’ve met. I just had them in my living room. I realized music is the one thing that constantly shows up for me, even when I’m looking for something else.

 

Since you were singing so automatically, as you put it, did you go back and edit, or did you leave it as is?

There was a lot of editing, because it was mostly a stream of consciousness, but every now and then I’ll have a complete song come to me fully formed. The song “Fingertips” I created in one sitting, voice memoed it, and sent it to [the producer and composer] Drew Erickson. He came back to me the next day with a full orchestra. Again, I just felt so lucky: lucky for the songs, lucky for these producers, lucky for the project.

 

You have Jack Antonoff coming back on this record. He’s worked on so many major albums in the last five years, including two of your own (Norman Fucking Rockwell and Chemtrails Over the Country Club). As someone who has worked with him so often, what’s his secret? Why does everyone want to work with him?

He can play anything on any instrument. He can fit the right instruments and melodies to any idea you’ve had. I think he plays something like 16 instruments. For us, it’s definitely very collaborative. I think probably out of any projects he’s worked on, he would say I give him the most direction.

It’s funny because I recently heard all of his records he made from when he was in high school, and I still hear so much of what he’s done on Taylor [Swift]’s new record from that high school record. He’s just prolific. It’s absolutely wild to watch. That’s why it’s so fun because you really get to create any sound with him. He’s also a girl’s guy. He gets it!

 

He’s also a featured artist on the album too. How did that come about?

I was done with the album, and he came in for a couple days. We sat there, and I said, “let’s just play the piano.” I can make a song out of anything Jack plays. That’s actually how Norman got started too. He just plays and I just sing. He started playing something and then I was thinking about his fiancée [Margaret Qualley] who I just can’t live without! I love her. I started singing “he met Margaret on a rooftop / she was wearing white / and he was like / ‘I might be in trouble.’”

I asked him what he thought we should say in the second verse because with him and Margaret it was a “when you know you know” situation. He had the idea to sing about what you should do when you don’t know. He started singing, and I told him he should just sing it on the record. It was really fun.

 

What overall themes did you try to capture in this record?

Family of origin is the overall theme. I think with Blue Banisters I wanted to capture this idea too, but I flew it under the radar. I was trying to address some criticisms that I had heard said after Chemtrials… mostly that people don’t know much about me. I didn’t promote that theme of Blue Banisters at all intentionally.

In this album, I got to really finish my thoughts and get super specific, which I was not comfortable with completely before… I do list my grandpa, my brother, my dad, my Uncle Dave.

In the song “Fingertips,” I sing “Charlie stop smoking / Caroline will you be with me / will the baby be alright? / Will I have one of mine?” I think I was able to open up about this because Mike was so casual to work with. All in my living room. It allowed for that.

“Fingertips” tells everything about everyone from day one until now.

 

Are you nervous about being so forthcoming about your family in this record?

I was. I was so uncomfortable. Then, by the grace of God, I felt completely unburdened.

 

Your father, Rob Grant, is releasing an album on Decca Records on June 9, and you’ll be featured on two songs. Has he always been musical?

My dad has always played piano and he sang when he was younger with my uncle who’s a traveling organ player for Emmylou Harris and Buddy Guy. They wrote country records back in the day. I don’t know how and when it came to him. But I think he just decided he wanted to record it. And [my manager] played it for Decca Records, and they loved it. I’m not talkative when it comes to myself, but you will learn so much about me in hearing him. It gives so much context to the family.

Did I just manifest that? Wow! 

[TropicoKitten 4,918]

“It’s funny because I keep telling people, “I haven’t worked in three years,” but really I just haven’t done shows in three years. As soon as I start getting ready for a show, that’s when it feels like work.” Is this a good or bad sign in terms of a potential tour? 

[Sweet 959]

5 hours ago, emliqua said:

as Lana said recently “if you get it you get it”  I think it’s possible to love the “old Lana” and also grow with her and appreciate a different new type of writing style. But if it isn’t for you, that’s okay! People are allowed to like what they like there are plenty of things that a lot of people love that aren’t for me. 
personally I eat up everything she does, I’m with the users on here who can still relate/appreciate lyrics despite her personal name dropping. I think it’s sweet and that she as an artist is creating music for herself and that’s how it should be 

So well said! I agree with you 💯! 
She as an artist owes us nothing when it comes to creating art. She’s one of the few hedonistic artists we have left who hasn’t yet sold out to cater to the masses. I love every road she takes because she slays it and she always keeps on getting better and better! It may take me sometime to get where she’s at but historically I’ve always reached where she intended to take me. Sooner or later!
 

[irvnex 1,250]

I honestly think her "new" writing style is for her true fans, and with this I mean people who are interested in her as a whole. In her life, her stories, the things she has lived, the things she still has to tell us and all that. I know people who loves her music but can't stand her talking about nikki lane or whatever. I personally think it's cute too and shows how deeply she cares about the people that surrounds her. It shows she really has a good heart. But I do get that people who only likes her music, but don't really care that much about her as a person, are not into this writing style. I personally eat up everything she writes because I'm really interested in everything she has to tell. I loved Violet and I'm excited for her next book too, and I feel like I would love to sit with her just to hear her talk about all the things she has lived or whatever she would like to talk about but yeah that's me as a fan. People that don't care about her as a person probably don't even know the people she will talk about so I kinda get it.

[Sweet 959]

9 hours ago, Poor Stacy said:

Totally re: worlds

 

The only album that felt like it had less of a vision or “world” than the others to me is Blue Banisters. That felt like more of a scrapbook, intentionally messy, old songs meet new songs, loosely retracing “karmic lineage”, etc.

 

It’s interesting that she thinks NFR! and Chemtrails don’t have their own world. They seem very rich with vision to me. Even if she utilized a couple old songs to build it, it all fits and works under a very specific atmosphere.

 

Ocean Blvd already feels like it’s own world, though. A darker, deeper dive into Lana’s mind (and probably still picking up the pieces after Sean based on the context around the first two singles).  I genuinely believe her when she says it’s her most personal album yet.

She did say with Norman she was building a world I believe? Not fully sure… but the Blue Banisters album was definitely the start for her ditching the world building I agree. It was chaotic but full of intention and to me it’s a record where her songwriting was the main focus. Very confessional and singer-songwriter vibes. 

[anwdelrey 8,964]

13 hours ago, brandon said:

because it’s the woman’s awards issue and the woman of the year is Always the cover of that. she is not woman of the year, sza is.

this has nothing to do with ben or ed 

 

why do people always want someone to blame  sometimes it just is what it is 

I really dgaf.

[Thats why they call me Dita 7,268]

6 hours ago, TropicoKitten said:

“It’s funny because I keep telling people, “I haven’t worked in three years,” but really I just haven’t done shows in three years. As soon as I start getting ready for a show, that’s when it feels like work.” Is this a good or bad sign in terms of a potential tour? 

I’m hoping good.. but I definitely read that as she’s not gonna tour.. she’s enjoying things right now so why ruin a good thing 

[Blue Ink 5,897]

12 hours ago, irvnex said:

I honestly think her "new" writing style is for her true fans, and with this I mean people who are interested in her as a whole. 

The concept of "true" and "fake" fans is a bit meh in my opinion. Artists are liked for their art in the first place and not as private people. I admire Monet for being a great painter and still don't care about his private life. Does that make me a phony? 

Idk nowadays it's like if you aren't interested in every meal and fart of your favorite artist you're "fake" fan. 

It's interesting to know a bit about her private life and where her art comes from and I really enjoy Violet because of that. I also would have loved to get Behind The Iron Gates. But I don't need to hear it in every song, that's all. 

 

I'm not saying she shouldn't write these lyrics, it's her choice. But that true fan/fake fan thing needs to be dropped.

[irvnex 1,250]

45 minutes ago, Blue Ink said:

The concept of "true" and "fake" fans is a bit meh in my opinion. Artists are liked for their art in the first place and not as private people. I admire Monet for being a great painter and still don't care about his private life. Does that make me a phony? 

Idk nowadays it's like if you aren't interested in every meal and fart of your favorite artist you're "fake" fan. 

It's interesting to know a bit about her private life and where her art comes from and I really enjoy Violet because of that. I also would have loved to get Behind The Iron Gates. But I don't need to hear it in every song, that's all. 

 

I'm not saying she shouldn't write these lyrics, it's her choice. But that true fan/fake fan thing needs to be dropped.

I never said you can't be a fan if you're not interested in her life... I only said if you are deeply interested in her as a person, besides her music, then you're probably going to be more into this new writing than someone who loves her music but doesn't care about her life. I never said if you're not interested in her life you're a fake fan lmao. I said I know people who loves her music but are not interested in what she has to say about her friends and family in her writing, and that doesn't mean you're not a fan, but her writing about her family and friends is a big part of her art now for what it seems, and I think if you're interested in her as a person, you'll find this writing cute and loving as a lot of us do. I don't care about Jen or Nikki Lane either, I just like to see her writing about what she loves since I find it cute, but I never said if you're not interested you're not a fan, that's all.

[fishtails 12,841]

The magazine should be available here today: https://shop.billboard.com/

 

But the one that's been made available is a collector's edition featuring TWICE....I'm not sure if it's the same magazine Lana is in or not lol

[baddisease 15,852]

I love this interview.

[chemtrailsovertrailerpark 214]

1 hour ago, fishtails said:

The magazine should be available here today: https://shop.billboard.com/

 

But the one that's been made available is a collector's edition featuring TWICE....I'm not sure if it's the same magazine Lana is in or not lol

I think there will be a cheaper non-collectors edition that has SZA on the cover. Hmmm. Gonna wait n see. 

[Sweet 959]

20 hours ago, irvnex said:

I honestly think her "new" writing style is for her true fans, and with this I mean people who are interested in her as a whole. In her life, her stories, the things she has lived, the things she still has to tell us and all that. I know people who loves her music but can't stand her talking about nikki lane or whatever. I personally think it's cute too and shows how deeply she cares about the people that surrounds her. It shows she really has a good heart. But I do get that people who only likes her music, but don't really care that much about her as a person, are not into this writing style. I personally eat up everything she writes because I'm really interested in everything she has to tell. I loved Violet and I'm excited for her next book too, and I feel like I would love to sit with her just to hear her talk about all the things she has lived or whatever she would like to talk about but yeah that's me as a fan. People that don't care about her as a person probably don't even know the people she will talk about so I kinda get it.

It’s true! 

[genghis khan 5,079]

omg you guys are so annoying...

[Sweet 959]

8 hours ago, Blue Ink said:

The concept of "true" and "fake" fans is a bit meh in my opinion. Artists are liked for their art in the first place and not as private people. I admire Monet for being a great painter and still don't care about his private life. Does that make me a phony? 

Idk nowadays it's like if you aren't interested in every meal and fart of your favorite artist you're "fake" fan. 

It's interesting to know a bit about her private life and where her art comes from and I really enjoy Violet because of that. I also would have loved to get Behind The Iron Gates. But I don't need to hear it in every song, that's all. 

 

I'm not saying she shouldn't write these lyrics, it's her choice. But that true fan/fake fan thing needs to be dropped.

Artists actually make art about life or experiences of life. Lana has evolved and has become direct in her words about her life whereas in her earlier work, she was more mysterious. 
 

I’m not calling you a fake fan but by what you wrote, you don’t sound like a true fan and that’s okay! You are a fan and you’ll love her stuff on your own terms and you mentioned you have certain conditions for her work to follow for you to truly enjoy it. A true fan wouldn’t care about any of that. A true fan would love her art coming from her as a person. Whether she’s spilling her guts or not or in your case, how she’s spilling and what she’s spilling.
 

Also, as someone who loves Lana as a whole (private life and all) I do have songs I prefer and albums as well but it’s purely based on evolution process of both me and Lana as people. 
 

So, I do think the discourse of true fan is valid. Fake fan, I think could be worded better but it also makes sense to me.