2012 was marked by winged eyeliner and vampire love triangles. But for sad girls around the world, their teenage years were forever changed with the release of Born to Die, the debut album from then-unknown Lana Del Rey. Of course fans will note Lana Del Rey – aka Elizabeth “Lizzy” Grant – released music for years under her real name, but Born to Die marked the birth of her poetic persona.
The album tackles themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of love, explored through Lana’s melancholic ballads and yearning vocals on tracks such as “Born to Die,” “Dark Paradise,” and a personal favorite, “Video Games,” where Lana declares: “It's you, it's you, it's all for you / Everything I do / I tell you all the time / Heaven is a place on earth with you.” Her haunting sentimentality is famously inspired by her then-boyfriend who spent his time playing World of Warcraft. The mundane subject matter beautifully captures the simplicity of love, enhanced by one of Lana’s most raw and genuine vocal performances.
Despite clear beginnings of Lana’s status as a balladeer, Born to Die also delivers pop gems with “Diet Mountain Dew,” “Carmen,” and the ever-popular “Summertime Sadness.” Drawing on her own experiences in boarding school as a party-girl, Lana builds a poetic persona obsessed with the superficial, while making adept references that highlight her love for Americana and 1950’s culture. In the catchy, “Off to the Races,” Lana first displays her witty referential nature singing the opening lines to Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 novel, Lolita. “Blue Jeans” idolizes James Dean, while the Paradise Edition includes a cover of “Blue Velvet,” a nod to both Bobby Vinton’s original crooning love song and David Lynch’s exploration of the dark undertones of small-town America. These references make for a clear curation of her iconic aesthetic.
A witty blend of references and existentialism viewed through romantic eyes make for a beautiful debut of Grant’s poetic persona, Lana Del Rey. The beginning of an extremely successful career, Born to Die is a no-skip sad girl essential, delivering catchy songs and memorable moments defining Lana both as an artist and pop innovator.
Want more? Find all of KVRX's top 25 albums of the last 25 years here.