Discussion: Is Lana an ICON?

[PARADIXO]

 

In your honest opinion, is she an icon to you? Why?

[StealingTheMoonlight]

I do think that Lana has influenced pop culture greatly, but I also think it's a bit early to be calling her iconic.

[Thunder Revenant]

I think her overall "style" definitly influences the "pop culture". But I wouldn't call her an icon ...

[Chris Cuomo]

^ Agreed. Britney for example is someone who deserves to be called an icon. Not only has she dominated pop for over a decade, she has ~ revolutionized ~ it. Lana is really only beginning her break through in the U.S., while she is a big name and has accomplished a lot, I don't think she ever wanted to be an icon. So it's hard to put her in that lane.

[Atom Heart]

Marina, twigs, Bjork and those other artists were already on a career path to success (or already attained success) well before Lana. You can't attribute the style twigs created to Lana at all because she has been a dancer and singer working on music since 2007. Marina also blew up on tumblr but Lana has nothing to do with that besides the fact they were interchangeable as internet icons at some point.

[MahaMaha]

Off topic but when Nina Dobrev and Trey Songz presented best rock video at the VMAs and she mentioned the "inventive new vibe of Lorde", FMWUTTT started playing as imaginary background music in my head. Nothing against that little girl but it's like Marina said: after all those Lady Gagas there comes Lana doing nothing and being fascinated. I think that's also why she wasn't successful before because people needed to be sick of a redhead Rihanna, blue haired Katy and whatever fucking hair Nicki had. Now they are all coming back to a much more natural look, because crazy isn't cute no more. And if Video Games and BTD wouldn't have been successful, who knows if Lorde would have been able to put out an album or at least not the kind she released. It would have probably ended up much more Indie, kind of like Love Club? She said she listened to BTD while writing the album and you can tell she did.. but if that would not have been successful in the first place the Record label would've pushed her in another direction, maybe go all Pop like her BFF Taylor Swift. Sorry for ranting but I hate when people think Lorde's the icon here..

[ultraviolenced]

I don't think Lana is an icon. I love her as a singer, but she isn't influential enough to really be called an icon.

 

  On 8/29/2014 at 10:53 PM, AmericanBeauty said:

Britney for example is someone who deserves to be called an icon. Not only has she dominated pop for over a decade, she has ~ revolutionized ~ it. Lana is really only beginning her break through in the U.S., while she is a big name and has accomplished a lot, I don't think she ever wanted to be an icon. So it's hard to put her in that lane.

I agree with this. People like Britney are icons - hell, I would consider Beyonce an icon.

[PARADIXO]

By "icon" I don't mean the new Britney Spears, or Madonna, or something like that. What I actually mean is that she's an icon of this generation, the internet/digital era. We don't know if she will get bigger in, I don't know, 10 years. I'm just talking about this decade. But I kind of agree with you guys

[Heaux]

  On 8/29/2014 at 10:17 PM, PARADIXO said:

 

Let's go back to the "at a time when dance-pop smash hits used to rule the world" thing. Indie/Alternative music is so famous now. Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Marina and the Diamonds - When "being indie" became a trend, they started with Lana and then they found out the artists I just named. She's one of the most hated singers out there. Today, in 2014, her name is kind of important in the music industry. She was an indie singer back in 2011, but now she's popular, she's mainstream. People made her popular and mainstream. She's like the savior of alternative music. Thanks to her, people listen to Marina, twigs, MO, Bjork, and more. I'm not saying that they weren't famous before Lana, but since "being indie" became a trend, people now listen to these amazing artists. 

 

 

Marina was more successful (and arguably a lot more indie) pre-lana then after her tho and just as many people listened to artists like Bjork and FKA Twigs before 2011, in terms of mainstream popularity alternative indie type music is seen less on the charts (think back to times where people like Fiona Apple had top 20 hits in america)

[HEARTCORE]

But what is an icon? #controversial

[Hundred Dollar Bill]

Lana hasn't been around long enough to be an "icon," sorry. REAL icons would be MJ, Madonna, Britney Spears, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, people like that who have been around for a while. People who've made HUGE impacts in their area of fame for extended periods of time. People who are well known across the world. Stuff like that. If Lana remains relevant (an important factor in icon status) for like 10+ more years and greatly influences music or fashion or something, then maybe yes. But you're not an icon 3 years into fame. Sorry.

[Angel Forever]

In my opinion, it takes time for one to become an icon. I think Britney Speans, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis, Marilyn, the Beatles (...) are icons. Lana is in her way to it, singing about the Americana, being successful with a no mainstream sound. But even Lady Gaga who was considered a pop breakthrough, I would not consider an icon yet.

 

  On 8/29/2014 at 11:22 PM, PARADIXO said:

By "icon" I don't mean the new Britney Spears, or Madonna, or something like that. What I actually mean is that she's an icon of this generation, the internet/digital era. We don't know if she will get bigger in, I don't know, 10 years. I'm just talking about this decade. But I kind of agree with you guys

 

Yes, she was/is arguably one of the main products of the internet era. I think Video Games (song/video) is iconic, though.

[Sitar]

Only in terms of style imo

 

What are y'all bringing up FKA twigs for?

[Lad]

She is every icon

[James]

Not really a worldwide icon... But an indie icon

[slang]

Just considering LDR's physicality, she looks, imo, like she's from the same planet as Marilyn, or posesses an advanced degree in Monroeness. This is in contrast to Madonna dressing up as Marilyn, which just looks like that. Maybe LDR's photographic history (the amount of images she has relative to everyone else) supports a glamor icon view of her.

 

On the other hand, when one says someone's an icon, one typically means it as an icon for something. So Marilyn is an icon for (dumb, smart, and/or glamorous) blondes. Elvis is an icon for (uninhibited/talented/dumb) males. Or whatever. So what should LDR be an icon for? This seems like the more relevant question. The "what is she an icon for now?" question depends on whether one knows her music well.  If LDR goes on to grow as an artist and duplicates the creativity of her last 10 years, it will not be possible to selectively ignore her artistic side, and this would undoubtedly make her an icon for something, or perhaps an iconoclast relative to pop music. It is this sense that I hope she becomes more "iconic". 

 

 

Also:

@ : "She is every icon".

 

I interpret this as: she dwells on "the past" (including past icons) and so is kind of a meta-icon, which is a neat role in pop. LDR's interest in the past keeps us aware of both artistic progress and regression, which is a good thing. For instance, I wasn't aware of The Doors or Jeff Buckley prior to LDR's saying she liked them. By making me aware and by my becoming more familiar with these artists, she has raised the bar on artistic accomplishment both for herself and everybody else, imo.

[PARADIXO]

  On 8/30/2014 at 10:11 AM, slang said:

 

Just considering LDR's physicality, she looks, imo, like she's from the same planet as Marilyn, or posesses an advanced degree in Monroeness. This is in contrast to Madonna dressing up as Marilyn, which just looks like that. Maybe LDR's photographic history (the amount of images she has relative to everyone else) supports a glamor icon view of her.

 

On the other hand, when one says someone's an icon, one typically means it as an icon for something. So Marilyn is an icon for (dumb, smart, and/or glamorous) blondes. Elvis is an icon for (uninhibited/talented/dumb) males. Or whatever. So what should LDR be an icon for? This seems like the more relevant question. The "what is she an icon for now?" question depends on whether one knows her music well.  If LDR goes on to grow as an artist and duplicates the creativity of her last 10 years, it will not be possible to selectively ignore her artistic side, and this would undoubtedly make her an icon for something, or perhaps an iconoclast relative to pop music. It is this sense that I hope she becomes more "iconic". 

 

 

Also:

@ : "She is every icon".

 

I interpret this as: she dwells on "the past" (including past icons) and so is kind of a meta-icon, which is a neat role in pop. LDR's interest in the past keeps us aware of both artistic progress and regression, which is a good thing. For instance, I wasn't aware of The Doors or Jeff Buckley prior to LDR's saying she liked them. By making me aware and by my becoming more familiar with these artists, she has raised the bar on artistic accomplishment both for herself and everybody else, imo.

 

You just wrote something really interesting. 

 

Oh and what Miss America said it's just a Lady Gaga quote lmao

[larina]

In my honest opinion, Elizabeth Woolridge Grant is everything.

[leaked_version]

She is an icon. Why? She has very early in her career, established a style in terms of looks, video & music that people recognize. She has very, very early on in her career established a very devoted fanbase which is quite big and global. 

 

She is doing lots this era that maybe does affect her status, but overall she is doing fine.

 

You don't have to have a career for 10, 15 or 20 years to be an icon. After such a long time, the word "diva" is probably more appropriate.

 

And what the heck is it with you people to bring up FKA Twigs in this discussion here? She has just started and is plummeting down the charts in her 2nd chart week.

 

And somebody posted that Britney has revolutionized pop music? With what? Don't get me wrong, Britney is an icon, but because of her lack of involvment in her music in every aspect of the game, she will never reach the status of some other female singers.

 

Lana has impacted the charts worldwide with a very distinctive image. Something Marina for instance can only dream of.

[LiamViljoen]

You guys saying "She's just starting it's too early to tell"

 

Jeff Buckley only ever released one album

He's considered the greatest folk singer that ever lived.

 

So far she has released albums that, in my opinion, will go on to receive classic status, but that wouldn't necessarily make her an icon. One thing that all icons hold in common is they all have a distinctive look and style and made a big impact to music (or whatever they specialised in) in their time that has lasted for decades. Lana has both of these things going for her (wether her impact shall last as long as other iconic musicians I cannot say) She also is controversial in the media for her views (or, ya' know, boredom) on topical issues. Yes, a lot of you may argue that her answers to questions regarding delicate issues have often been downright stupid, but overall in the way she acts and leads her life and how she portrays herself I think she's revolutionising feminism so that now many women don't feel like they have to live an entirely independent life to be considered smart, strong women and if they prefer a sexual dominance from their partner they won't be made to feel like "freaks" or "sluts"

 

People also call her a bad influence on young female listeners but really that's just sexually uptight idiots and male chauvinists that think singing about your weaker, less empowering experiences is inappropriate.

 

She's also polarising amongst critics and BTD was WIDELY hated amongst American critics although it received a strong critical reaction in Europe. If you ask me in years to come critics will realise they unfairly dismissed her and her music will receive the classic status it so thoroughly deserves.

 

Add onto all this the fact that she is gorgeous and much like other icons (Dylan, Monroe) she changed her name to fit better her style and imagery and yes, Lana does have strong potential as an icon, if any of what I just wrote makes sense that is...