10 Reasons Why Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence Is Already The Album of the Year

On June 13th, Lana Del Rey released her third studio album, titled Ultraviolence. The controversial singer captured the US number one slot for the first time in the record's opening week, despite not performing on American TV in over two years and only conducting a handful of print interviews. Ultraviolence sold 182,000 copies in its first seven days alone, marking a career-best sales week for Del Rey and worldwide, the album sold 880,000 copies, debuting at number one in twelve countries. Furthermore, the release of Ultraviolence marked the largest sales week for a female artist since Beyonce's self-titled album sold 310,000 copies in its third week back in December 2013. We may only be nine months into 2014, but with her third official release, Lana Del Rey has already crafted the album of the year. Of course, music is incredibly subjective, and Del Rey has divided the public more than almost any other artist in the past decade, so we figured you may need some convincing. Read on to discover 10 reasons why Del Rey has dethroned all other performers this year with the release of Ultraviolence, the strongest work of her career so far. 10) Ultraviolence Preempts The Critics Del Rey has faced more than her fair share of criticism since she first appeared on the scene back in late 2011. Despite her initial success with Video Games, critics were keen to shoot her down, declaring that Del Rey's public persona was false and that her music contained no real depth. On Ultraviolence, Del Rey deliberately makes fun of herself, overtly satirizing comments fired her way in an attempt to bait the critics who denounced her earlier music. On the single Brooklyn Baby, Del Rey pokes fun at hipsters, describing a character who defines herself in terms of how cool she is, wearing feathers in her hair and discussing beat poetry. The shallow picture she portrays here is one that critics have often used to describe Del Rey herself in the past and those who take the lyrics at face value may continue thinking this way of her in the foreseeable future. In response to gossip, Del Rey penned another track on the album called I Fucked My Way To The Top, which declares that power must be obtained for women through their sexuality. The explicit title is a prime example of how Del Rey actively seeks to provoke her critics, luring them into falling for her bait. In a recent interview, Del Rey freely admits that she has slept with a number of industry guys in the past, but ultimately, none of them helped her to become the success that she is today. 9) Ultraviolence Has A Cinematic Vision After Del Rey released a twenty-seven minute long film called Tropico to close the book on the Paradise release, it's no surprise that her cinematic leanings continued into the Ultraviolence era. Three of the singles released so far have been accompanied by highly stylized promos that bring Del Rey's cinematic vision to life. West Coast opens with stunning shots of the ocean which are inter-cut with scenes of Del Rey and a lover walking along the beach. The majority of the video is shot in black and white, until Del Rey suddenly bursts into flames at the end, filling the screen with shades of red and orange that match her bright crimson dress. In contrast, the promo for Shades of Cool celebrates coloor from the outset, superimposing Del Rey over luscious flowers and exploding fireworks. Towards the end of the video, a shot of Del Rey pulling herself out of a swimming pool references Marilyn Monroe's performance in Something's Got To Give, paying homage to the cinematic inspiration that pervades every aspect of her style. While the first two videos were cinematic in a traditional sense, Del Rey experimented more with the promo for the title track Ultraviolence, filming the entire video on an iPhone. The promo follows Del Rey as she wanders outside in a wedding dress and finally enters a church to find no one is waiting for her at the altar. Ultraviolence was directed by Francesco Carrozzini, who also created a video for the Beyonce track Jealous. Ironically, the cinematic styling of the Ultraviolence set would have lent itself perfectly to a visual album concept and would arguably have created a far more unified vision than Beyonce achieved with her experimental release. 8) Ultraviolence Is The Best That Del Rey Has Ever Sounded Del Rey has been criticized in the past for some weak public performances, but whether you think she can sing live or not, it's impossible to deny that her voice sounds exceptional on this record. Previous albums utilized the more commercial aspects of her voice, but with new-found confidence, Del Rey showcases a different side to her sound, one which may surprise even her most dedicated fans. The singer transforms from track to track, effortlessly veering from the shivering soprano of West Coast and the tender fragility of Is This Happiness? to the piercing highs of Money Power Glory, all the while retaining the sensual vulnerability that has become Del Rey's signature over the course of three album releases. The big soaring melodies of Ultraviolence reveal a surprisingly powerful voice that finds the beauty in every lyric, swooping between notes in a way that remains entirely unique to Del Rey. 7) Ultraviolence Explores Feminism In A Unique Way Del Rey infamously declared feminism was "not an interesting concept" in an interview just prior to the album's release, but the singer certainly makes an effort to explore the idea on numerous songs throughout Ultraviolence. The song Fucked My Way To The Top toys with the concept of using your sexuality to attain your goals, something many feminists may balk at, but depending on your perspective, some may argue that this is in fact empowering for women. Money Power Glory further celebrates dominance over the opposite sex, telling the story of a femme fatale who is out to squeeze everything she can from the men of this world. The words "You should run, boy, run," reveal Del Rey at her most menacing as she sings with a venomous rage that strikes fear into the hearts of the men she would destroy. Lyrically, the most divisive song on the album is the title track Ultraviolence, which depicts a woman caught in the passion of a physically abusive relationship. The title of The Crystals song, He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss), from 1962, becomes a disturbing refrain in the chorus, as Del Rey sings about sirens that could signify either a deadly emergency or the allure of sexual attraction. The way in which Del Rey intertwines sex and violence on the track may be unsettling for some listeners, but the passive aggression you can hear in the verses suggests a degree of irony which critics should consider before attacking the controversial singer. 6) Ultraviolence Ditches The Hip-Hop Orchestra Del Rey burst onto the scene in 2011 with a unique combination of orchestral torch songs backed by hip-hop beats. For her new album, she enlisted the help of The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach to tone down the hard-hitting production in favour of a simpler sound that evokes the 1960's and a time when the American Dream had begun to fade into decadence. This back-to-basics approach is a perfect fit for Del Rey's tortured aesthetic, but the record label didn't agree at first. Apparently, a label representative refused to release Ultraviolence until Del Rey agreed to work with one of Adele's producers. Luckily, the singer was late to the meeting, so while the producer waited, they listened to what Del Rey had recorded so far with Auerbach. Reports suggest that Adele's producer loved the material and said nothing needed to be changed, so suddenly, the label representative changed their mind and gave the project their full support. Auerbachs' interpretation of Del Rey's vision has helped the singer create her most authentic record so far and critics seem to agree too, as Ultraviolence has attained Del Rey's highest score yet on Metacritic. 5) Ultraviolence Contains Another Killer Cover While Del Rey writes the vast majority of her own material, she also excels at re-conceptualising vintage ballads and making them her own. The singers interpretation of Blue Velvet is a beautifully restrained take on the classic song and her version of the Disney track Once Upon A Dream sounds like it could have actually been written for her. To close the standard edition of Ultraviolence, Del Rey chose to record a track called The Other Woman, which was made famous by Nina Simone back in the late 1950's. Ultraviolence tells a number of stories throughout its running time and each uses the public persona of Del Rey as a mouthpiece, glamorizing the dangers of excess, but this closing number acts as the perfect kiss-off, warning women that such pursuits rarely lead to happiness. The mournful lyrics paint the picture of a woman always on the sidelines, acting as the third wheel to the rich and powerful men who she clings to. Del Rey's vocals quiver with pain throughout and the bluesy saxophone encourages the listener to sympathize with the young starlet, even though she brought her woes on herself. 4) Ultraviolence Is A Tragic Concept Album Detractors have criticized Del Rey in the past for crafting a stylized persona in her work, but all artists do this to an extent and with Lana, this artificial character is arguably the biggest draw of her songs. Through the tortured ruminations of this central noir inspired figure, Del Rey is able to explore the depths of melancholia without sounding overly depressing. Ultraviolence is a concept album yearning to find the beauty in tragedy, romanticizing extreme emotions of loss and isolation. Del Rey was born to create dark ballads that wrap doomed affairs and American decadence into one sad, haunting work of art. The sweeping desolation of the opener Cruel World sets the tone for the rest of the album and even the more pop-friendly songs like West Coast contain a bleak undercurrent. Even with song titles like Sad Girl and Pretty When You Cry, the album never strays too far into the gloom, remaining sad but ultimately not depressing. Del Rey's sensual yet childlike vulnerability is threaded throughout Ultraviolence, unifying each track with a consistent tone that should sound repetitive, but actually reveals itself to be more and more varied with every listen. In an era where single downloads reign supreme, it's refreshing that Ultraviolence was clearly designed to be enjoyed as an entire experience, one that is perfect for hazy summer days and long, intimate nights. 3) Ultraviolence Contains The Best Alternative Summer Jam In Years Earlier songs by Del Rey such as National Anthem and Summertime Sadness contained huge pop hooks, but by eschewing the hip-hop beats, the singer appears to have also stopped searching for commercial hits. However, that doesn't mean that Ultraviolence is a difficult album to listen to by any means. While tracks like Iggy Azalea's Fancy and Ariana Grande's Problem dominated the airwaves this summer, music fans looking for an alternative summer jam needed to look no further than Del Rey's lead single for Ultraviolence. The evolution of Del Rey's music can be heard most clearly on the track West Coast, which sounds like nothing the singer has ever recorded before. While the song retains Del Rey's signature airy vocals and vulnerable delivery, the groove of the production gives the track a sultry sway reminiscent of Stevie Nicks in her heyday. West Coast may not be instantly catchy, but the hypnotic production and haunting refrain looped at the end of the track take hold of the listener without you even realizing it, until you find yourself returning to the song over and over again. Del Rey is determined to follow her own path and this refusal to commercialize her music has made Ultraviolence her most powerful work to date. 2) Ultraviolence Marks Del Rey As An Important Songwriter The depravity of American culture has always been the key focus of Del Rey's work, and while the songs on Ultraviolence continue to include her trademark obsession with money and bad boys, the artist's songwriting skills have evolved in tandem with the music itself. Every song on the album contains powerful imagery which heightens the melodramatic content of the stories Del Rey tells. By investing every lyric with cinematic levels of excess, the listener becomes drawn into the tale of Del Rey as a character, one who cannot help but be drawn to flawed, abusive men. There are points where Del Rey almost dares you to dislike her, but there's something appealing in that honesty which demands we invest emotionally in the artifice of her character. Del Rey cleverly keeps the spotlight on her central character at all times, relegating these hateful men to the shadows, so the impact of the devastation is honed to an uncomfortable degree for the listener. Ultraviolence is a more mature and nuanced exploration of heartbreak than any of Del Rey's previous work and as a songwriter, she has never been better. 1) Ultraviolence Is Completely Unique Del Rey's debut, Born To Die, initially polarized music fans and critics alike, provoking extreme reactions due to its utterly distinctive sound. In an industry obsessed with duplicating success, it's surprising that Del Rey has no serious imitators and fittingly, the singer stands alone with her style, separate from the typical scenes that currently dominate the charts. Ultraviolence continues this trend with a collection of songs that are completely unique in popular music today. It would sound absurd if any other major artist sang tracks like Sad Girl or Brooklyn Baby, but Del Rey pulls them off in a way that couldn't sound more natural. Literally no one else could have made an album like Ultraviolence in today's market without sounding contrived or unconvincing. While listening to the record, one could almost imagine that Del Rey was born in an earlier time and then transported to the modern day as a tortured soul singer, one who outlived the innocence of previous decades and became tainted by the decadence of today's society. Whether you buy into her persona or not though, it's impossible to deny that in a world of imitators and wannabes, Lana Del Rey is a truly original pop star and it's a shame that there are not more of those around. Tell us, do you think Ultraviolence the album of the year? Is it the best record that Del Rey has created? Sound off in the comments section below.