Lana Del Rey

"Blue Jeans" Video

Just noticed, via @LanaDelRey on Twitter, that there's a new video out for "Blue Jeans" off of Born To Die.

I've really been fascinated by the whole Lana Del Rey phenomenon.  "Video Games," to me, is undeniably great.  That chord progression, the strings, the reverb, "I say you da bestest..." It just never gets old for me.  The other thing that never gets old for me is the debate around how "authentic" LDR is as an act.

I consider myself a card-carrying member of the mindieverse.  But it's become like a political movement.  In the same way that nobody likes a stern talking-to from their lefty, liberal friends (of which I am one) about the environment or veganism or whatever, most people aren't really offended that LDR shot to stardom overnight because her record company pushed some market-researched buttons to trick you into thinking that she was anything more than a pop star.

And there are, obviously, a couple of pernicious "-isms" at work here as well.  Rockism dictates that she's committed the ultimate sin by, perhaps, not having written 100% of her songs all by herself.  And, of course, sexism makes it okay for us to say she's nothing more than a pretty puppet being worked by her handlers and to speculate as to whether those are her original lips.  The New York Times actually referred to her as "a skinnier Adele," and I'm not quite sure which artist should be more offended.

Anyway, it's just pop music.  I don't own Born To Die, but what I've heard -- the title track, "Video Games," "Off to the Races," "Blue Jeans" -- all sounds pretty good.  I like the spaghetti western, Quentin Tarantino-esque sound on several of the songs and I think she has a pretty good sense of humor, despite her deadpan public persona.

Here's the video: