“We both know that it’s not fashionable to love me.” A line that not only opens the album but sets the tone for an incredible artistic venture. Honeymoon is the fourth album by alternative pop artist Lana Del Rey and it might just be her best.
Rey first broke into the scene in the early 2010s. Her debut album Lana Del Ray (spelled ‘Ray’ as opposed to ‘Rey’) was almost unheard of due to her label not being able to fund it, ultimately leading to it being pulled from stores.
Changing the ‘a’ to an ‘e’ a few years later, she came back with platinum selling Born to Die, which fans still claim to be her “best work.” Born helped solidify Rey’s reputation as a hopeless romantic, drug abusing queen of apathy.
Rey’s music style is influenced heavily by the 1950s and usually contains cinematic elements to it. Early on, her music contained traces of hip hop and trap beats which definitely set her apart as an artist.
Honeymoon is a haunting, mesmerizing and beautiful collection of baroque pop ballads. The opening track, which shares the same title as the album, sets the stage for Rey with its love-filled hooks and movie soundtrack melodies.
Rey continues her lovestruck journey with the slightly more upbeat Music To Watch Boys To, as she joins her girls in the ever so exciting pastime that is checking out guys. “Putting on my music while I’m watching the boys. Singing soft grunge just to soak up the noise.”
Music along with a few other songs off the album have been compared to Rey’s earlier efforts which sparked a lot praise among fans. Freak, probably the most popular song from the album reminisces on the hip hop sound used in Born to Die and is described by Rey as “very sexy.”
Aside from the previously mentioned, Honeymoon is predominantly slower and more moody. Every song is closer to five minutes with the exception of her second Nina Simone cover Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood; the first being The Other Woman featured on Rey’s 2014 release Ultraviolence.
The weakest point of the album would probably be the lead single High By The Beach which is expected since it wouldn’t be best to showcase stronger songs prior to the album release. High isn’t bad, but it does feel out of place among the ballads. With its trap-heavy and repetitive chorus it would have been perfect for her earlier albums.
Don’t fret, there are some shining gems that make you forget the lesser songs. Art Deco and God Knows I Tried are among Rey’s best. Tried is one of the few songs on the album that isn’t about a relationship. Rey sings about trying to be a person and could be a song that everyone would relate to.
The absolute best song on the album and ultimately the saddest would be Terrence Loves You. Terrence is a song about longing and lost love in which Rey sings “I lost myself when I lost you.” The song which is yes, kind of a downer, is beautifully sung and very strongly delivered by Rey’s contralto voice.
Honeymoon is definitely a new era in the world of Lana Dey Rey. With the help of her fans the album could potentially be as successful as her previous works. Is it better than her other albums? In some ways, and yes, a lot of the album is similar in sound but that’s just called consistency. Why not see for yourself?
Honeymoon is out now.
4/5