Is "Beyoncé" just a big rip-off of Lana Del Rey?

[evilentity]

Beyoncé is certainly no stranger to accusations of plagiarism in her videos. Considering the large number of videos comprising her eponymous visual album, it would not be surprising if some of them were less than original. Did she copy Lana Del Rey?

 

Compare the album cover design and font to a Paradise box set booklet:

With Tropico, the "Ride" video, the "Blue Velvet" promo for H&M, and the "Song of Myself" promo for L'Officiel set to the intro to "Cola", Lana released some sort of video for almost every song on Paradise. One could argue that even the idea of releasing videos for the entire album is derivative. Now let's look at those videos.

 

 

PRETTY HURTS

Much like the opening bars of "Ride", the opening bars begin with the image of Beyoncé singing into a slender microphone, wearing a mostly white dress against sparkly blue stage curtains:

 

The song's themes—eating disorders and the dark side of being a beauty queen—are straight out of "Boarding School", "Brite Lites", and "Pin-Up Galore". Indeed, here we see Mrs. Carter in Ms. Grant's short-cut meth-haired beauty queen style complete with sash accessory:

 

Beyoncé also replicates Lana's arched back & cupped hand underwater poses from the "Blue Jeans" video:

 

She not only borrows Tropico co-star Shaun Ross, but doubles down on the African albinism by casting Diandra Forrest. To top it off, Beyoncé even has the audacity to lift Lizzy's iconic trademark sequined bra:

 

 

GHOST

In "Ghost", Sasha Fierce is not herself, assuming the identity of Lana's Rosalita alter ego from her "Song of Myself" video for L'Officiel:

 

 

HAUNTED

The "Countdown" singer's video for "Haunted" begins with a hauntingly familiar countdown straight outta one of Lizzy's DIY "Gramma" videos:

 

Then in true diva style, Beyoncé makes her male servant light her cigarette for her like a little bitch like Barrie at a Lana show:

 

The whole video imitates the imitated Lynchian style of Lana's "Blue Velvet" promo for H&M complete with the requisite Doppelgangers:

 

Yet it borrows scenes from "National Anthem" & Tropico. Black guys gambling? Check.

 

Strippers giving lapdances to white businessmen? Check.

 

People in whiteface? Check.

 

Bubbles? Check.

 

Originality? ...Anyone? Bueller?

 

 

DRUNK IN LOVE

In addition to lyrics that sound like a first draft of "Brite Lites" ("Flashing lights, flashing lights, you got me faded, faded, faded"), this intoxicating concoction's potency is poured from "National Anthem", where Lana grinds on another snifter-wielding rapper, A$AP Rocky:

 

 

BLOW

The cotton candy confection of the music masks Lana-like lyrics ("Every time I close my eyes", "I'ma let you be the boss of me", "Give me that daddy long stroke" and an interlude in French) in a video easily summarized as "pin-up girls at the roller derby". We also see a close-up of a disco ball a la her DIY "Yayo" video:

 

And Beyoncé perched on the hood of a car in a fuck-me pose like Lana in the "Born to Die" video:

 

In this case, we're lucky that "Blow" doesn't Soileau. Bradley sucks.

 

 

NO ANGEL

In an inversion of Lana's "angels forever" refrain, the "Halo" songstress proclaims, "You're no angel either, baby." She asks, "Tell me do you want to ride?" Like Lana in "Ride", Beyoncé is Queen of the Gas Station, knocking off Lana's hot long curly hair and cut-off jeans look. Unlike Lana, at least she's responsible enough to only be figuratively smokin' at the pump.

 

We see chicks on the back of motorcycles:

 

Tacky word bling:

 

And pole dancers making it rain:

 

 

YONCÉ

In "Yoncé", she continues the ghetto theme, banging around with her gang of ghetto girls like Lana in Tropico:

 

Who does Beyoncé think she is to appropriate all these signifiers of ghetto culture from gangsta Nancy Sinatra? Rather uppity if you ask me.

 

 

CONTINUED...

[evilentity]

PARTITION

In "Partition", the camera takes us inside a palatial estate that almost looks like it could have been the setting for the "Born to Die" video. See the exterior and interior below:

 

In the first of several scenes curiously similar to ones out of "National Anthem", we find Mrs. Carter seated at an immaculately set table, barely noticed by her rapper husband peering over his newspaper:

 

In her mind, she embarks on a sexual fantasy. Again she channels Rosalita:

 

Her rapper husband feels up her leg in a vehicle:

 

She puts on a show for him, donning a sequined flapper headdress like Lizzy wears in this photo:

 

Silhouette techniques like something out of "Summertime Sadness" are employed:

 

Beyoncé pole dances like Lana in Tropico over a sexy French spoken interlude like in "Carmen":

 

Like A$AP Rocky in "National Anthem", her rapper husband watches her performance voyeuristically, smoking a cigar:

 

 

JEALOUS

Beyoncé is a jealous, jealous, jealous gurrrrrl. This video begins in the same estate reminiscent of "Born to Die" as in "Partition". In one scene, the former Miss Knowles is draped over a pinball machine like Lana in "Ride":

 

In another we see a "tunnel lined with yellow lights":

 

 

ROCKET

Like "Blue Jeans", "Rocket" opens on a black & white close-up of a reflection of the artist's face in a ripple of water:

 

Later in each video we watch the artist submerge her face in water in slow motion:

 

 

MINE

Like Lana in the poster for Tropico, we find Beyoncé re-enacting Mary in the Pieta:

 

Also, is that another Shaun Ross cameo?

 

 

XO

In "XO", Beyoncé orchestrates perhaps the largest NYC land grab since Dutch settlers bought Manhattan Island from Native Americans for 24 bucks, stealing the famed amusement destination from the Queen of Coney Island herself:

 

 

 

 

 

***FLAWLESS & SUPERPOWER

Since I can't find any Lana plagiarism in either of these videos, I'm just gonna go ahead and assume they must be borrowed from the "Dark Paradise" and "Cola" videos that never materialized. @@Ultraviolence Watch these. One of them may be the closest thing you'll ever get to your precious "Cola" video.

 

 

HEAVEN

Here we have the biggest plot heist since Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds ripped off Gremlins. In "Heaven", Beyoncé portrays a woman mourning her deceased female bff in a series of flashbacks. Sound familiar? Of course it does. It's the plot of Lana's "Summertime Sadness" video. Not content to copycat one Lana video, "Heaven" filches from a few. A shot in a church mirrors the chapel in "Born to Die":

 

In a flashback, Beyoncé's girlfriend sprays alcohol at a campfire party echoing scenes in "Ride":

 

And we see her and her gal pal riding in a car like Lana & Jaime King:

 

She only barely tries to disguise her copying Lana's recitation of the Lord's Prayer in Tropico by saying it in Spanish. Oh, and speaking of Spanish, here's Rosalita yet again:

 

 

BLUE

Sure, there's another "tunnel lined with yellow lights":

 

The sequined bra is back:

 

And she evokes Lizzy's showgirl style:

 

But most saliently, this song is about Beyoncé's, uh, baby Blue love, the black baby daughter she had with a rapper. What a blatant "National Anthem" ripoff!

 

 

GROWN WOMAN

Last but not least, the video for "Grown Woman" consists of home footage of Beyoncé's childhood performances, a clear homage to Lana's DIY videos.

 

 

:troll: :troll: :troll: :troll: :troll: :troll: :troll: :troll: :troll:

 

[Rebel]

Thank god for the troll faces at the end, I swear I was going to write a really long post...

[comeintomybedroom]

[Sitar]

That's one way to spend a night.

[VegasBaby]

Loved it.

 

Never understood Beyonce's fame.

[COLACNT]

reminds me of this

 

 

although i think it would be interesting if we had a thread discussing lana's (current and continual) influences on the music industry. i read in an article somewhere about how the current state of pop has become more melancholic, or "inward" and immediately thought of her potential (unspoken) impact 

 

also, as a bit of an aside, is just me or do people use the word sonic like all the fucking time these days? outside of this forum, and without irony! seems like its become such a blog-worthy adjective in the recent year or so. i swear before 2011 i never saw that word being used unless it was followed by 'the hedgehog' 

 

(unless i just never paid the proper attention)

[Sucker]

i was about to call you a delusional fuck.

[Cleopatra]

Quite entertaining esp the screen caps positioned side-by-side. I'm 10000% sure it's B666yoncé though. 

[Trash Magic]

Tbh I did think of the beginning of Pretty Hurts being similar to Ride and Heaven being Summertime Sadness lol

Can't wait for someone to hijack this and use it as actual proof of b copying Lana

[Mileena]

Lol, I thought this was serious at first. I still don't get the appeal of Beyonce, she's pretty and that's about all I can think of. 

[phahad]

i actually brought this up a long time ago to my bffl whos a beyonce fan, when she was in the h&m campaign. she also did some other stuff but this is mainly what i remember.  good job evil

[ConeyIslandQueen262]

wow I think to create this thread was the only thing you were doing the last days, right 

[Save-Me-Oprah]

The efforT

 

[lauradelxx]

I have no words

[Creyk]

Reductive

[trayertrash]

I went on a huge rant & was ready to post until I saw the troll faces 

[Rafael]

Not to mention she straight up sang "National Anthem" in front of a whole nation without ever crediting the real artist. I mean look at the dates:

 

 

Plot Twist: Beyoncé is the greatest Lana/Lizzy/Lizzi/Lizzie/May fan of us all... @@evilentity, consider your days numbered 

[ConeyIslandQueen262]

Not to mention she straight up sang "National Anthem" in front of a whole nation without ever crediting the real artist. I mean look at the dates:

 

 

 

Plot Twist: Beyoncé is the greatest Lana/Lizzy/Lizzi/Lizzie/May fan of us all... @@evilentity, consider your days numbered 

 

         &     

[ConeyIslandQueen262]

***FLAWLESS & SUPERPOWER
Since I can't find any Lana plagiarism in either of these videos, I'm just gonna go ahead and assume they must be borrowed from the "Dark Paradise" and "Cola" videos that never materialized. @ULTRAVIOLENCE Watch these. One of them may be the closest thing you'll ever get to your precious "Cola" video.

 

@@evilentity you're the best