It’s been a fast and furious ride for singer Lana Del Rey since her notorious January 14, 2012, American TV debut on Saturday Night Live. Performing her singles “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans” a full two weeks ahead of the January 30 release date of her debut full-length, Born to Die, Del Rey’s appearance was almost universally panned, eliciting the ire of a wide range of critics including actresses Juliette Lewis and Eliza Dushku. Even NBC news anchor Brian Williams was pulled into the fray when an email he sent to Gawker Media’s Nick Denton calling Del Rey’s performance on the show “one of the worst outings in SNL history” was leaked to the public.
The critical drubbing only set the stage for Del Rey to essentially stage an epic comeback with the release of Born to Die. Bouncing back from the SNL debacle with a triumphant performance of “Video Games” on Late Show with David Letterman, the singer made massive strides in 2012, going on a sold-out world tour, selling loads of records and picking up lucrative endorsements with brands including H&M and Jaguar.
With her follow-up EP, Paradise, all but solidifying Del Rey’s definitive sound – dramatic, orchestral ballads packed with innuendo and sexuality, the singer’s comeback was made complete with “Young and Beautiful,” her standout contribution to the widely-discussed soundtrack The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann’s Film, which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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While she had intimated never releasing a sophomore album, Del Rey let it slip that she’s been working on a new full-length to follow-up the enormous success of Born to Die, which went on to sell more than 3.4 million copies worldwide.
“It’s a little more stripped down but still cinematic and dark.” the singer told BBC Newsbeat about the album back in February, adding that she has “moved on to a more spiritual place lyrically.”
What sonic directions could Del Rey take with her next album? While she might be all but guaranteed continued success with more racy torch songs, her vocal styling could allow her to take a wide range of musical chances and likely get away with it.
Go Deep Into The Dance Club Scene – The dance floor loves Lana Del Rey. A simple online search for Del Rey remixes turns up dozens of different versions of practically every song she’s ever released. The Cedric Gervais remix of “Summertime Sadness” (below) is a hit on the Billboard Dance/Mixshow Airplay chart, reaching No. 4. With EDM’s booming popularity paving the way for more subtle forms of dance music, Del Rey could easily flirt with making a tasteful house music album with the help of producers like Disclosure, MK and Derrick Carter.
Read the four other directions Lana could take on Radio.com
