Do you think Lana is a complete fake?

[pinupgirls 1,056]

After reading countless articles about the authenticity of lana del rey aka lizzy grant, im really not sure what to believe anymore. 

 

Of course ill always adore her music. 

In almost every interview she talks about living in a trailer park. When asked how long though, she switches it up every time. 

 

One year, a year and a half, and then less than a year. 

 

I of course love her, but do you believe her story of how she grew up? Such as alcohol dependence, trailer park, etc. 

[trayertrash 7,210]

I think her past may be a blur to her so she pieces together things that she remembers & things family & friends remember to create complete memories, often which can contradict themselves.

[TIARNZUS 4,596]

I may be manufactured-but at least I'm the one whose behind it. XXX LDR

[Trash Magic 28,372]

no I think she is very genuine and I think she just wants to be liked

[YUNGATA 14,955]

I think parts are fabricated and other parts are honest. Like all good story tellers, she draws from experience and creates something that she can connect to on a personal level but isn't 100% fact. I don't take any issue with it tbh, I'm here 4 the ride 

[Chris Cuomo 3,320]

every artist goes through image reinventions and all that, doesnt mean they're "fake''. I don't doubt that she had alcohol problems or lived in a trailerpark (there r pics) since she bases so much of her music on these things. exaggerations, sure. Fake, not really.

[sweetie 6,627]

[TrailerParkDarling 5,691]

http://lanadelreyfan.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/lanaonline_28529.jpg

 

the way the interviewer here describes her is how i see it

 

she exaggerates a lot and knows what she is doing but there is surely some truth in it

 

btw.. what the f*** is she talking about re: the paintings from photographs?? lol uhhh

[elllipsis 1,441]

Why would creating an artistic persona make her a "complete fake" though?

 

I think she gets inspiration from her own life and that of other people, and writes about her fantasies & experiences, real or imagined. I wouldn't feel cheated or think her music is any less worthy if I found out K only existed in her imagination, for instance. Her music (lyrics) comes directly from her, which is more than can be said about the vast majority of pop artists out there; personally, that's authentic enough for me. I can't say I believe the prostitution + alcohol + meth etc. scenario (not to the extent she portrays it anyway), but I think it takes a particular sort of person to create such a dark fantasy & write so many songs about it, and I guess I kinda appreciate that.

[Trash Magic 28,372]

http://lanadelreyfan.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/lanaonline_28529.jpg

 

the way the interviewer here describes her is how i see it

 

she exaggerates a lot and knows what she is doing but there is surely some truth in it

 

btw.. what the f*** is she talking about re: the paintings from photographs?? lol uhhh

Lol

"There aren't many pictures of when I was singing before" oh really bitch

[Vivaldi 91]

I oddly love the fact that she lies a lot about her past; it keeps us intrigued. Lana Del Mysterious 

[Viva 3,169]

I said this 100 times: Lana is a storyteller first and a writter second. I think she met very interesting people among her life. I would be surprise if she lived more than 1 month in a trailer park and if she never lived in one wouldn't be a surprise at all. I think she creates several characters some probably based in people she met in her life others from her own imagination. I don't think she ever had a drug problem related to cocaine, meth and the hardcore ones. Maybe she started abusing alcohol at young age....maybe not.

 

I think she lies sometimes, sometimes she creates a character. In my opinion the difference between Lana and most is the fact she created that vision. the lie or character is in part who she wanted to be and how she sees certain types of girls. The difference between her and most is the fact she is a character of her own creation and she is in control of that character because he is a part of her. The character fits her since is her.

 

I think Lana is very smart, very political and has a opinion about society and uses the integration between sound (music) and image (videos) to give life to her visions/stories. I think National Anthem is a genious criticism towards US and is a very interesting political and social video. I think Lana is very ironic as well.

 

She is a liar but her lies are carefully chosen and even in that she is in control

 

There are 2 types of people who will always have to prove themselves more: the ones born in extreme poverty and the ones born with a golden spoon. The poor girl surviver story is in a way a ice breaker

 

IMO in the pop scene I would say Miley is going for the same line character wise but in a completely different trajetory the thing is that just like Lana she is in control.

[my ol man isa batman 480]

[Viva 3,169]

Why would creating an artistic persona make her a "complete fake" though?

 

I think she gets inspiration from her own life and that of other people, and writes about her fantasies & experiences, real or imagined. I wouldn't feel cheated or think her music is any less worthy if I found out K only existed in her imagination, for instance. Her music (lyrics) comes directly from her, which is more than can be said about the vast majority of pop artists out there; personally, that's authentic enough for me. I can't say I believe the prostitution + alcohol + meth etc. scenario (not to the extent she portrays it anyway), but I think it takes a particular sort of person to create such a dark fantasy & write so many songs about it, and I guess I kinda appreciate that.

 

 

I think Ride, monologue and song, says a lot about Lana. Was the first video after the backlash wave settle down and I think in a way tells her story. I think Lana is in between her own lyrics. You can find Elizabeth and Lana in between not the words. Does that make sense?

 

Like in Ride (song/video/monologue)  for example Imo is kind off her story, how she ended up in Interscope and being Lana Del Rey.

 

 

I was in the winter of my life

And the men that I met along the road were my only summer.

At night, I fell asleep with visions of myself

Dancing and laughing and crying with tem.

 

Three years down the line of being on an endless world tour

And my memories of them were the only things that Substained me and my only real happy times.

 

I was a singer, not very popular one,

Who one had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet -

But upon an unfortunate series of events

Saw those dreams

And divided like a millions stars in the night sky

That I wished on over and over again - sparkling and broken.

 

Imo this part is very telling. Lana tried for years to break into the industry. I don't think that Interscope was in her plans. I think she aimed for a more indie label. She wanted to do poetry, not mainstream music. A series of unfortunate events happened. She got the deal, the album or campaign didn't take off.

 

But I didn't really mind because I knew

That it takes getting everything

You ever wanted and then losing it

To know what true freedom is.

 

When the people I used to know

Found out what I had been doing

How I had been living - they asked me why.

creating Lana Del Rey and working with interscope. people that she used to know are just random musicians or people who saw her at a indie label singing as Lizzy.

 

But there's no use in talking to people who have a home,(home is a fixed personality being people who wouldn't do anything to chase their dream. Are not able to change everything about themselves.)

They have no idea what it's like to seek safety in other people,

For home to be wherever you lie your head.

 

I was always an unusual girl,

My mother told me I had a chameleon soul.

No morall compass positioning due north, no fixed personality.

Just an inner indecisiveness

That was as wide and as wavering as the ocean.

 

Her characters in her songs show that indecisiveness, her not having a fixed personality is the ability to turn herself into a character in her own story. IMO Lana plays with words. Like many political songwritters did during our dictatorship. You will probably see the resemblances better than others and get what I am talking about. Just go to youtube and watch Calice form Chico Buarque or the songs from Caetano during his exilium in London. Also look at the way Garcia Marquez writes..

And if I said that I didn't plan

For it to turn out this was, I'd be lying -

Because I was born to be the other woman.

 

The other women is Lana del Rey. She was born to be Lana. Lizzy was born to die in a way.

 

I belong to no one - who belonged to everyone,

Who had nothing, who wanted everything

With a fire for every experience

And an obsession for freedom

That terrified me to the point I couldn't even talk about -

And pushed me to a nomatic point

Of madness that both dazzled and dizzied me."

Lana belonged to no one and to everyone. Lana had nothing and wanted everything. Lana the character pushed her to a nomatic point. The caos after Video Games, the madness dazzled her and also dizzied her

 

I've been out on that open road

You can be my full time, daddy

White and gold

Singing blues has been getting old

You can be my full time, baby

Hot or cold

 

Don't break me down

I've been traveling too long

I've been trying too hard

With one pretty song

 

This is one of the most interestings parts to me. Lizzy tried for so long, traying so hard. Don't break Lana down she only has one pretty song (video Games)

 

I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast

I am alone in the night

Been trying hard not to get into trouble, but I

I've got a war in my mind

So, I just ride, I just ride

I just ride, I just ride

Dying young and I'm playing hard

That's the way my father made his life an art

Drink all day and we talk 'til dark

That's the way the road doves do it, ride 'til dark

 

Don't leave me now

Don't say goodbye

Don't turn around

Leave me high and dry

 

I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast

I am alone in the night

Been trying hard not to get into trouble, but I

I've got a war in my mind

I just ride, I just ride

I just ride, I just ride

 

I'm tired of feeling like I'm f*cking crazy

I'm tired of driving 'til I see stars in my eyes

I look up to hear myself saying

"Baby, too much I strive, I just ride"

 

I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast

I am alone in the night

Been trying hard not to get into trouble, but I

I've got a war in my mind

I just ride, I just ride

I just ride, I just ride

 

"Every night I used to pray that I'd find my people -

And finally I did - on the open road.

We had nothing to lose, nothing to gain

Nothing we desired anymore -

Except to make our lives into a work of art.

 

Live fast. Die young.

Be wild, and have fun

I believe in the country America used to be.

I believe in the person I want to become.

I believe in the freedom of the open road.

 

And my motto is the same as ever -

I believe in the kindness of strangers.

And when I'm at war with myself - I ride. I just ride.

 

Who are you?

Are you in touch with all your darkest fantasies?

Have you created a life for yourself where you're free to experience them?

I have! I am fucking crazy, but I am free!"

 

Also very interesting. She asks if you created a life for yourself. Since Lizzy literally created a life for herself. Certainly Lana sounds crazy when she tells all those lies but in a way her life now is the fantasy she created for herself

 

[readyforheavensgates 181]

No, I believe her. I also don't doubt that she had alcohol problems and lived in a trailer park. 

[Mileena 2,691]

considering the fact there's a bunch of pictures of her living in a trailer park, and there's some pictures where she really did look like she was on meth, no i don't think she is lying. exaggerating isn't the same as lying, you have to exaggerate in songs, otherwise it'd just be like going to the shops and buying bread. 

[DUKE 2,530]

As for the quick judgment in the media, I suppose it's a mixture of going along with the overall journalistic opinion on her and being overwhelmed with deciphering who she is. It may be easier for some to write something off as "fake" when the subject you're dealing with is too complex to be broken down in a few words.

 

Also, and I think this needs to be pointed out explicitly, a lot of what Lana does follows an almost story-like type of narration. The way she speaks about her past, the way she sometimes (but definitely not always; more on that later) explains her work and especially the way she speaks in her work sounds very scripted, well-thought-out and partially exaggerated (as in artistically modified). It almost seems as if she is really trying to create an unreality with words and images. All this is doubtlessly essential part of her artistry.

 

She almost succeeds at creating this illusional reality (= unreality), but a conflict of some sort arises when she suddenly spares us "the epic narrative" and austerely speaks about things as they are/were. For instance, when she talks about "this guy" she once was with, she suddenly seems a lot more real. Few people are willing to live and express their lives like Lana does; society calls them dreamers. I am not trying to say Lana is necessarily a dreamer, but she certainly has highly imaginative qualities. 

 

I don't think the word "fake" applies to artists and work of arts in general unless we're indeed talking about replica of something. In the end, the CDs, the music videos or even the words she utters are real, so there's nothing fake about that. Considering all of us are experiencing her art in a very intense way, it may be hard at times to put things in perspective, but I am of the personal conviction that what she does should be regarded like a painting in a gallery, presupposing it is a painting and not a photograph. Not that I'm for the institutionalisation of art, though. Why are we presupposing that the art she creates is real? Reality isn't created, reality exists and oh my, I am getting into this a bit too much right now. 

 

I am sure that what she does is authentic, but bear in mind that she's proclaimed to be "making [her] life a work of art." She is not creating a standalone piece [of art], she is making her whole life one; her being both creator and creation at the same time. 

 

It's not quite as simple as that, though. I reckon that I have mostly been arguing for her making art which shall not be mistaken for reality (what the hell is reality even?), but there is another conflict that arises here. I don't know who of you have met her or seen her live, but we all know how squeaky, excited and disappointingly [irony] humble she is on and off stage. 

 

I guess she's real and unreal at the same time. Personally, I think she struggles holding the balance between being a creator and creation of blood and flesh, like all artists do sometimes. I don't know if any of this even remotely answers your questions or meets the purpose of this thread. Well, at least I spent some time thinking on this fairly eventless Wednesday. 

[Hello Heaven 1,578]

I agree with what most people are saying in this thread. Let's face it, if you want to be famous and you want to write songs then you have to exaggerate a little bit here and there to sound more interesting. And a lot of artists have songs written for them and their management is very controlling over their image - I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I just think it's bullshit when people say Lana's fake because in her career and personal life I feel that she's very interdependent and really knows what she's doing/what direction she wants to go in.

 

We don't really need to know the exact time scale and every little detail about her past, we have enough proof to say that she must have spend at least a bit of time in a trailer park and I don't think she'd make up having alcohol dependence and drug issues even if she does make out it was a bigger problem than it really was, tbh I hope she was exaggerating on that part. I think she just likes to bring her fantasy into her reality - as Lizzy Grant she always seemed to have lots of big dreams gangsters and now she's famous I think she wants to make a sort of beautiful story out of her past but obviously it has to be a little dramatized or nobody (apart from us stalkers) would be terribly interested, if that makes sense. 

 

She's just so mysterious 

[pinupgirls 1,056]

I love her so much, and I concluded that she probably went through a bunch of crap in her life, rich or not, and this is what she is willing to share with us. Im thankful for all of those who gave me some deep explanations. They were all amazing. 

[lola 6,640]

i think this explains her very well:

omfg this is -so- lana 
 

People of Enneatype Four construct their identities around their perception of themselves as being somehow unique and fundamentally different from others. This deep felt sense of being “different from” or “other than” pervades the Four’s sense of self, and functions as the basis for the Four’s attempt to create a persona that properly reflects who they feel they really are. Fours are not content (or even able) to live out the role assigned them by their societies or their families; they self-consciously search for an expression they feel will be truly authentic. Of all the types, Fours are the most acutely aware that the persona is a construct – something which has been created and can thus be re-created. This is indeed the fundamental respect in which Fours are artists; they may or may not be artists in the conventional sense of the term, but all Fours have a sense that their identities are, in some respect, their own creation.
 
Fours generally construct a persona and project an image which has flair or “style.” This style may be, for instance, one of casual elegance (“shabby chic” perhaps), or it may be more flagrantly counter culture, but whichever image is chosen, it will tend to bear the Four’s own original stamp and will be an expression of the Four’s current sense of self.
 
There is a paradoxical quality to this whole endeavor. Fours strive for authenticity, for an expression of themselves which is “true,” but the image they portray is, by its nature, delusory, and inevitably fails to convey the true depths and complexity of the self. It also necessarily falls short of the Four’s own personal ideal. This sense of perpetually “falling short” contributes to the Four’s sense of inadequacy, as Fours feel that they are not only unable to live up to society’s ideal but to their own individual ideals as well. This dynamic of striving and falling short is at the core of the Four’s sense of shame, frustration and heightened feelings of self-consciousness.
 
To be sure, Fours compensate for their feelings of inferiority with an equally strong sense of superiority. Fours tend to feel a sense of disdain for whatever is ordinary and for the “common” sorts of lives with which most people seem to content themselves. They tend to feel that their outsider status, their sense of style and their heightened sense of self-consciousness, confer on them a stamp of genuineness and “class.” Thus a feeling of being a member of the “true aristocracy” alternates with deep feelings of shame, and fears of being somehow deeply flawed or defective.
 
The Four’s inner landscape is thus complex, and their issues surrounding identity fraught with frustrations. There is even an enervating quality to the whole psychic drama, which, along with the Four’s emotional sensitivity, contributes to the Four’s characteristic need to withdraw. When Fours withdraw, they immerse themselves in their own mental landscapes where they are free to cultivate and analyze their feelings. In the realm of fantasy, Fours are not constrained by the mundane considerations which are the plague of everyday life; the inner life can thus become more real than the outer.
 
Fours are primarily emotional by nature, and of all the types, probably have the most complex palette of emotional states. While Fours are not blind to the “facts” and the supposed “objective” state of affairs, they tend to interpret reality at least as much in terms of its symbolic content and emotional resonance. John Keats, a Four, expressed this well when he stated: “I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart’s affections and the truth of the imagination.” Fours are thus emotionally attuned to meaning, and this attention to meaning sometimes gives Fours access to a dimension of reality that others miss. Such insight might find expression in art, literature or music, but is often enough simply manifested in an idiosyncratic lifestyle which expresses the Four’s own personal vision. When Fours are unbalanced however, their emotional sensitivity, which is generally accompanied by an introspective nature, can result in states of self-absorption or descents into melancholia or despair.
 
Fours tend to inhabit their emotional states, making them often seem somewhat moody or temperamental. This emotionality feeds the identity issues which are at the core of enneatype Four. As Fours introspect, looking for who they “really are,” they encounter a constantly shifting play of emotional states emanating from a wellspring which seems to have an infinite depth. There seems to be no ground, no center for the Four to hold onto. The “true self” cannot be found, so the Four shifts focus to the level of presentation and persona. Some Fours act out their emotional states in episodes of high drama, while others are more likely to withdraw, but as those in the Four’s life are frequently unaware of the inner chain of connections which has given rise to the Four’s current emotional state, there tends to be an unpredictable quality to intimate relations with Fours. Fours are often in search of the perfect lover, someone who will rescue them from their self-absorption, but as they have high expectations of lovers, suffer from a sense of shame, and easily feel misunderstood, love relationships seldom progress smoothly. On the high side, they are highly sensitive to the emotional states of those they love, are non-judgmental (of everything except bad taste) and are unafraid of looking at the dark side of human nature. They can therefore be highly supportive of friends and lovers.
 
In the traditional Enneagram, Fours are said to suffer from “envy.” Fours often idealize qualities they find in others and then come to envy those same qualities. By a process known as introjection, they sometimes try to incorporate those very same qualities into themselves. This, in turn, once again, triggers the Four’s struggle for authenticity, as the idealized quality is seen as basically belonging to “the other.” The envy that Fours experience is a fundamental manifestation of the Four’s feeling of defectiveness and tends to be a recurring problem for type Four individuals until such time as they have learned self-acceptance. Often enough, the envy that Fours experience actually manifests as a longing…a sort of wistful desire that they too be capable of the simpler sorts of happiness that others seem so readily able to achieve.
 
When unbalanced, the Four’s envy can take a nasty turn as unhealthy Fours tend to project their self-loathing outward. At such times, the previously sensitive Four can become spiteful and vindictive, feeling justified in being so because they have been misunderstood, and because they have suffered so terribly. As Fours have a well developed emotional intelligence, they know how to wound with words, and, when they are unbalanced, feel incapable of restraining themselves. They tend to lash out at the very ones who have been most supportive and who might be trying to help them. If this causes the Four’s intimates to withdraw, the Four’s abandonment issues are likely to be triggered, resulting in a frantic attempt to re-ignite the relationship. This can become a recurring pattern in the life of an unhealthy Four.
 
Fours sometimes masochistically cultivate their negative emotional states. They actually “fall in love with suffering” as they come to believe that suffering is a sign of their depth of soul. The idea of themselves as being melancholic can thus become a part of their idealized self-image, making it difficult to overcome. Bouts of self-indulgence and even dissolution are not uncommon, as unbalanced Fours feel justified in attempting to compensate for the general lack of pleasure that they experience in their lives. Rather than looking for practical solutions to their difficulties, Fours are prone to fantasizing about a savior who will rescue them from their unhappiness.
 
Healthier Fours, on the other hand, are grounded in an identity much deeper than their currently chosen persona or their shifting emotional states. Healthy Fours retain their emotional sensitivity & receptivity without experiencing either as a source of pain & wounding. Having learned self-acceptance, they are capable of experiencing a sort of happiness that embraces both the light & dark sides of life. Their happiness is thus devoid of the grasping after pleasure that characterizes so much that goes by that name. It has a fullness & depth to it that is the deepest & truest source of creativity. It has always been the task of enneatype Four to confront the complexities of the emotional life, and it is very often Fours who retrieve for us much that would prefer to stay comfortably hidden from consciousness, much that is dark and unsavory, much that is disturbing and unsettling. But, when healthy, Fours show us our happiness too.