Album Review: Born To Die -Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey has the Youtube generation to thank for her rise to “fame.” After her video for the song “Video Games” went viral, the pouty, self-proclaimed “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” became the center of online attention –both good and bad. The people that loved her couldn’t get enough, and the haters still reported on every move she made. Her somewhat alouf past, both professionally and pesonally, has been the subject of many blogs and music critics alike. But after bombing her US television debut on SNL, plenty of doubt has been placed on whether or not Del Rey is for real. Now after months of waiting, Del Rey has dropped her debut album, Born To Die. Unfortunately for the budding songstress, it’s not doing her case any favors.

Born To Die opens with the slow-burning “Video Games.” The song is still as beautiful as ever with its cascading string-section and soft piano. While Del Rey sings, “It’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you” it’s hard to tell if she’s sincere or not. Unfortunately, this doubt spills into the entire record. Like “Video Games,” tracks like “Without You” and “Dark Paradise” show Del Rey’s vulnerability, but at the same time make her sound like mellow-dramatic. The album’s constant theme is a love that Del Rey plans to hang on to forever, regardless of circumstance. While it may be relatable, it gets boring, needy even, and leaves her sounding desperate rather than strong.

While some of the tracks find themselves drowning in party clichés (the song “This Is What Makes Us Girls” even nausiatingly so) and youth rebellion, you can’t deny that they’re catchy. “National Anthem,” “Off to the Races,” and “Born To Die” are epic in some sense, but don’t convey any more power or prowess than the others. It’s Del Rey’s attitude that makes these songs stand out. Whether her sexuality is subtle or not, these songs are alluring and take more than one listen. Other tracks like “Million Dollar Man,” “Lolita,” and “Lucky Ones” are differently formulated, almost jazz-like. Del Rey’s husky vocals captivate, until her borderline-baby talk jolts the listener back.

The downside to Born To Die is that, although it’s her major label debut, it sounds amateurish. There doesn’t seem to be any real effort to make each track stand out while being cohesive and sounding like a complete record. Lana’s American teen runaway love story falls flat in the sense that it all seems one-dimensional. Hopefully on her sophomore effort, there’s a stronger sense of self-assurance, which should inspire new narratives and sounds. Born To Die wasn’t the ambitious, refreshing pop album we were all rooting for. Instead, it’ stagnant and repetitive. Maybe alter-egos aren’t the way to go anymore, maybe Lizzy Grant should make her return. **5.7/10