I had been waiting to listen to Honeymoon and I finally did yesterday, and now I have some thoughts and opinions on her discography as a whole!!! Apologies in advance, I love writing paragraphs. I listened to the albums in full in this order over about 3 years: NFR, BTD, BB, DYKTTATUOB, LFL, Ultraviolence, COTCC, Honeymoon.
My ranking of the albums didn’t change until i listened to BB, and then again until I heard LFL. My current ranking is: LFL, Tunnel, BB, NFR, BTD, Honeymoon, Ultraviolence, COTCC.
- Lust for Life is THAT GIRL
Omg I didn’t know what I was missing before I listened to this, but it’s such a complete album for me. The range between songs like Summer Bummer and Tomorrow Never Came is insane. It's also very much a product of its time, especially with songs like Coachella (Woodstock in My Mind). I love how she leaned into a darker sound and I live for the G-Easy diss tracks. Personal favorites from this album are In My Feelings, Heroin, and Summer Bummer (HM to White Mustang and Coachella).
- Ultraviolence and Honeymoon are very linked
Which is to say that neither is my favorite. Granted, I only listened to Honeymoon yesterday and haven’t had long to marinate on the songs. In general, I don’t like the way that most of the hooks are repetitive and meandering on these albums (I’m aware that it’s intentional and due to her approach to the writing of these songs). I’m also just not a huge fan of how her vocal delivery mixes with some of the writing on the weaker tracks of these albums. I love the first half of UV (Cruel World and West Coast are in my top 10 Lana songs) but the second half very much suffers from this. It feels sort of directionless in a way that is very dissatisfying to me, I really do wish I liked the rest of it more.
- COTCC is just not for me
I genuinely don’t have anything negative to say about this album, I just don’t find it interesting. Let Me Love You Like a Woman and Wild at Heart are awesome, but I don’t find myself returning to the rest. I’m also not able to fully appreciate White Dress because I always lose my composure when she goes “downatthemeninmusic BUSINESS conference” in that whisper-screech way.
- Ocean Boulevard appreciation
I really think that Ocean Boulevard is one of Lana's strongest albums. The discussion of mortality and family on The Grants and the title track takes an even more emotional turn on Kintsugi and Fingertips, before Lana stares the listener (and the critics) in the eyes on Grandfather to share her side of a narrative that's plagued her for so long. This exploration of her career continues in the (very interesting) Candy Necklace music video, it's a shame she didn't release it earlier :(
Okay, it's time for some Judah Smith (INTERLUDE, not person) defense. I think that in context to what comes before it, the Judah Smith Interlude makes a lot of sense thematically. I have a picture in my mind of Lana watching the pastor speak on YouTube, in her bedroom after crying about the state of her life (A&W). It seems very intentional to put this very condemning, abrasive interlude after a song in which Lana speaks about the shaming that she endures in the public eye. This is exactly the kind of message that her attackers think she should listen to; and on this interlude she wants you to know that listening to it doesn't fix or change anything about the life she lives, or the experiences she's had. This isn't to say that I enjoy the interlude on its own, but I have found myself playing it after A&W several times.
I've spiraled too much already but there's genuinely so much still to say about Lana's work, I'm so glad to be still (somewhat) actively getting music from her. I think the last opinion I'll share is that while she is a lazy performer, that won't stop me from buying a ticket when (if?) she goes on tour again. I really just want to see my favorite artist live, and I unfortunately think it can be easy for people who've already seen her to tell others that they shouldn't ever bother. From what I hear about Lana's touring, it's more about the experience than anything else.