“Hot Girl Summer” has come to an end and “Sad Girl Summer” is here to take her place. Lana Del Rey released her sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell, on August 30th, creating nothing short of a masterpiece. Serving up somber summer vibes, on an album that feels like a foggy morning cruising down the PCH.
Lana’s previous album, Lust For Life made its debut in 2017, and has left fans waiting for two long years. She’s filled the gap by teasing followers on her Instagram (@lanadelrey) with various snippets of songs from the upcoming album. The sad girls and sad boys have been patiently waiting for this lyrical queen to release her next piece of art, and it’s finally here.
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Fans rejoiced in the latest release, with the album amassing millions of streams in the first day alone. After listening myself, it’s an undeniably cohesive work. The whole project flows so smoothly – it almost sounds like one long song that never ends. I’ve listened now beginning to end a total of three times since its release. It’s perfect for when you’re doing any kind of work. Whether it’s reading, writing, cleaning, showering, or just hanging out, Lana’s soothing voice will guide you. Her moody lyrics often make me feel like I’m being serenaded.
It’s rare to find a “no skip” album, but I truly love every single song. The two that I can’t seem to stop repeating are “Venice Bitch” and “Fuck it I love you”.
“Venice Bitch”, details Lana’s lover and their relationship. She writes about all the good times they’ve spent together and how they make the relationship work. My favorite lyric is found in the second verse: “Give me Hallmark; one dream, one life, one lover.” Lana depicts what all hopeless romantics dream of – that picture perfect love story with one special person. I was so mesmerized when listening that I didn’t even realize the song was over 9 minutes long.
“Fuck it I love you” on the other hand, took me a little bit of time to interpret because it can be unclear who the song specifically pertains to. Initially, I thought it was dedicated to Lana’s lover, but overall I think it is a song dedicated to herself. These lyrics gave it away for me: “So I moved to California, but it’s just a state of mind. It turns out everywhere you go, you take yourself, that’s not a lie.” Changing locations in hopes of changing her habits was proven ineffective.
Lana also highlights her drinking and use of drugs while being there and how it’s slowly getting to her, but even after all of the negative talk she ends the chorus with, “fuck it, I love you.” She is aware of her actions and how they are affecting her, but in the end she digs deep enough within to tell herself that she’s loved through it all.
Out of all of Lana’s projects, this album is my favorite. It is evident that she poured her heart into it, like she always does, and as a result the album is perfection. If you’re a new Lana listener, take some time to really listen to her lyrics, they’ll kiss the softest parts of your soul.
Maybe it resonates with me so much because I am a sad girl myself. Or maybe the way she speaks to my California soul. Either way, “Sad Girl Summer” has just started and at this rate, I don’t think it’ll ever end.
