Lana's Magnum Opus

[thatsomason 1,201]

Since y'all were fretting over this in the Honeymoon Discussion thread, explain why you think _______ is Lana's magnum opus

[luckyonewithoutyou 1,929]

Using the actual definition of a magnum opus, I'd say Video Games, duh. It was her big break and its the song that most people know her for besides the Cedric Gervais remix

[fork2 90]

I'd have to say Ultraviolence, though it is not my personal favorite--that was when the critics REALLY loved her. I mean, they liked Video Games but mocked it as being overly indie, and BTD, same. But Ultraviolence, people recognized her raw talent, past the "indie" or whatever impression they had.

[James19709 638]

Sorry if it's a stupid question, do you mean an album or a song?

[graham4anything 2,859]

I find it next to impossible to rank her songs/albums or saying what is "THE" song because to me, all are one continuing song broken down into 3 or 4 or 5 minute paragraphs (metaphorically speaking)

 

Pawn Shop Blues

Never let me go

Yayo- all the versions

 

Video Games- one day this will be re-released, or someone will cover it and it will become the #1 song it deserves to be. (and then Lana can win songwriter of the year).

 

but you know what---

 

I think the song that shows Lana Del Rey perfectly, if you need to show someone who never heard of her, or asks, play me one song that would show me what is it about Lana

it would be

 

Once upon a dream.

and I pick this over all the others because it is a cover version of a song/tune that just about everyone from their youth knew or knows

and she picked it up, and made it LANA.

 

To use a baseball metaphor- Lana picked up the bat in the 7th game of the world series, with her team down 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, the count 3-2.

And knocked it out of the ballpark like Robert Redford in the Natural.

 

So my answer is

 

ONCE UPON A DREAM   (and may Lana be involved with the coming sequel in some form, this time perhaps an ORIGINAL song that could be her Oscar).

[joshuasean2900 281]

It's difficult to pick a single magnum opus. She has a critical magnum opus in the whole of Honeymoon, a commercial magnum opus in Video Games and we all have personal magnum opus(es?)

[renaissance 8,329]

West Coast because I mean listen to West Coast 

[SuperMegaStan 9,978]

West Coast because I mean listen to West Coast 

 

someones got the only correct answer here.       

 

 

(i think it's among Pawn Shop Blues, Kill Kill, Video Games, Blue Jeans, Ride, West Coast, Shades of Cool, Black Beauty, Terrence Loves You, and God Knows I Tried)

[fork2 90]

In my eyes I think it is Pawn Shop Blues for writing skills--but I still stand by Ultraviolence as being magnum opus under the definition.

[joshuasean2900 281]

someones got the only correct answer here.       

 

 

(i think it's among Pawn Shop Blues, Kill Kill, Video Games, Blue Jeans, Ride, West Coast, Shades of Cool, Black Beauty, Terrence Loves You, and God Knows I Tried)

[SlowGinFizzzz 15,354]

Off To The Races. 

[Dominikx4 25,399]

Fine China

[graham4anything 2,859]

YAYO

 

it's the one song that combines every single chapter and her doing it in concert solidified it

 

it's also one song that proves it is 100% Lana

 

Had she never done another song, YAYO is immortal.

 

(sorry, just realized I already answered, for some reason thought I looked at the date and thought  this was a brand new thread, sorry about that)

[fl0ridakil0s 3,959]

Body Electric

the lyrics and the instrumental are heavenly in every single way.

[Bootynugget 2,921]

It's Off To The Races for me gurls. 

The storytelling, the flow, the beats she'll never top it which makes me sad to think about but wow that song actually never gets old.

[Sitar 22,207]

The first half hour of Ultraviolence, but especially Shades of Cool

[Kommando 3,264]

Had she never done another song, YAYO is immortal.

This. She has a really good collection of songs that stand on their own as true masterpieces. Not many artists do, even very good ones. Works that are proof of her intellectual and emotional instincts, her love for music, whether it be pop or guitar-voice pieces. She is a modern classic, maybe not renown, but some of her stuff, even from her May Jailer days, is just transcendental and yes, immortal.

[HunterSThompson 4,646]

I would have to say, just by using a strict interpretation of the term "magnum opus," that Video Games or Young & Beautiful or Ride would be it.  In terms of her records, I'd say Ultraviolence is her magnum opus--critics loved it as well as fans. It was a meticulously created album with a distinct sound, powerful lyrics, and multifaceted story to tell. BTD was great, as well as Paradise, but it wasn't celebrated by critics as much as UV. Honeymoon just seemed like a natural progression of her sound and image, but it wasn't as grand or unique as UV by any means. 

 

Also, personally, I think the whole Ultraviolence project was her magnum opus. It's such a beautiful record 

[Constantine 4,074]

This. She has a really good collection of songs that stand on their own as true masterpieces. Not many artists do, even very good ones. Works that are proof of her intellectual and emotional instincts, her love for music, whether it be pop or guitar-voice pieces. She is a modern classic, maybe not renown, but some of her stuff, even from her May Jailer days, is just transcendental and yes, immortal.

[Kommando 3,264]