Success Is The Best Revenge.
The last three years have been tumultuous for Lana Del Rey. The release of her 2012 album Born To Die was overshadowed by that curiously controversial Saturday Night Live performance, and the same press who praised her 2011 breakthrough "Video Games" seemed to turn on her, questioning her credibility and talent in nearly every review. At Complex, we've always had love for LDR, putting her on our February/March 2012 cover and naming Born To Die the No. 4 best album of 2012. Luckily the public agreed, and Born To Die went platinum, eventually selling over 7 million copies worldwide. Lana Del Rey is a global star.
Lana returned in June with a new record, Ultraviolence, and even her worst critics finally seem ready to admit that she's got a gift. The new project, produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, has a more stripped-down sound, but Lana's lyrics are as richly intriguing as ever. For our August/September issue, we once again had a chance to collaborate with the singer, teaming up with photographer Neil Krug to shoot our latest cover story down on the West Coast. Writer Dana Droppo sat down with Lana to discuss the ups and downs of her rise to the top, the making of her excellent new album, and whether or not she feels vindicated.
