PARADIXO 31,624 Posted June 13, 2015 One year ago, Lana Del Rey released her most incredible work to date... Ultraviolence. Lana looks strong and sexy on the album cover, inviting you to take an exciting trip across the U.S. You are in the desert, and while she's about to tell you a personal and sad story, "Cruel World" starts playing. The seven-minute psychedelic track sets the tone for the whole record; super-slow beats, chaotic moments, loud guitars, lo-fi vocals, depressing lyrics, long melodies and black and white imagery. When the opening song ends, the title track appears with its synthesized strings, dark lyrics and beautiful drums. The dreamy ballad caused controversy last year due some of its lines, especially The Crystals reference and the pre-choruses. In "Shades of Cool", she sings about one of the most common themes on Ultraviolence: feeling so sick about the sadness of her lover. "You are unfixable", she laments with her slow and jazzy vocals. One of the most characteristic things about the album is that she's angry every now and then. In "Shades of Cool", Dan Auerbach's guitar solo reflects that. "I'm sorry, you're gone with me..." "Brooklyn Baby" is a sweet yet sarcastic summery love song. You're heading to the West Coast while she tells you about her "not-as-cool-as-her" boyfriend. And you're finally there... Badass drums, wah-wah effects, 70s vibes and sexy guitar riffs. "West Coast" discusses about life's dilemmas over a high-quality, hot production. The tempo change on the chorus is definitely one of the most importand and sexiest parts of the album. "Sad Girl" is a underrated bluesy track about a womanizer man that, at the end of the day, he only loves and cares about his money. One of Lana's goals with this album was to show her vocal abilities, and in "Pretty When You Cry" she does not disappoint. It seems like she's crying on the first part of the song but then she becomes a strong person and repeats the same line over and over with her beautiful head voice. "Because I'm pretty when I cry... I'm pretty when I cry-y-y..." This may be her rawest and most emotional song yet. The differences between Ultraviolence and Born to Die are obvious, but there's something that not many people had payed attention. There's no more "He grabs me, he has me by my heart", "I will love you until the end of time", "I'm nothing without you". On this album, she finally has a conversation with herself: "Oh, what can I do?", "I can't make him better", "I can see my baby swaying", and even though those conversations are quite depressing, it seems like she's not as desperate as the Born to Die lolita. In "Money Power Glory" she adds religion as a topic, and that's not very common from her. The demomic rock ballad has slow and loud beats, multiple voices and a great guitar solo. Things go chill with the minimalist "Fucked My Way Up to the Top", a trip hop-influenced track about the critics. The standard version of the album finishes with the first real ballad, "Old Money", a haunting song with lyrics you could interpret in a lot of different ways, and Nina Simone's "The Other Woman". The trip has finished. You went from Tennessee to New York, from the East to the West. Lana is now getting ready to drive alone, stronger than ever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ultraviolence went #1 in 14 countires, got Gold in Australia, Canada, Germany, Mexico, U.K. and U.S., Platinum in Brazil, France, Poland and sold 1.5M worldwide. It also entered the Top 10 in eighteen Albums of the Year lists. 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PARADIXO 31,624 Posted June 15, 2015 Omg the mods finally approved this Don't let it flop guys 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
luminom 3,275 Posted June 15, 2015 her best album so far <3 love this! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LittleFool 1,912 Posted June 15, 2015 It may have been a short lived era, but the mood and imagery she created through the music is strong as ever. Definitely a favorite album for me, and I firmly believe that UV will standout in her discography as one of the, if not *the* strongest, album she has created. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tristesse 1,761 Posted June 15, 2015 Your post is perfect. Ultraviolence is by far my favourite album of hers. Thank you 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HEARTCORE 18,833 Posted June 15, 2015 underrated masterpiece will never forget rip 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
