Lana Del Rey’s long anticipated album Chemtrails Over the Country Club released Friday, March 20, 2021. For those who are new to Del Rey- while she is often confused for being indie, she is actually labeled the queen of alternative pop by tabulate platforms, such as Billboard. Other genres she’s associated with are baroque pop and dream pop.
Additionally, her lyrical storytelling is poetic. Alongside music, she wrote her first poetry book Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, which was published July 28, 2020 (audiobook) and Sept. 29, 2020 (book).
Moreover, fans say she tends to write “…about older men, drugs, and past love regrets.” which critics didn’t appreciate in her first few albums.
Nonetheless, she uniquely expresses herself with each song unraveling her vulnerability with the use of lyrical poetry coloring beauty through subjective artistry. Chemtrails showcases more of this, but includes more of her past than before.
Written on Apple Music, “Del Rey’s MO has always been to tweak and refine—rather than reinvent—her sound, bringing her ever closer to where she wants to be.” She strings together pieces of her music to develop and reform her music.
Each album she’s released individually stands out, but most (Born To Die (2012), Paradise (2012), Ultraviolence (2014), Honeymoon (2015), Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)) are musically, uniquely consistent. In Chemtrails, there’s hints of pop, which was most present in her album ‘Lust For Life’ (2017).
Chemtrails is described as a “follow-up” to Norman Fucking Rockwell!, while portraying a gentleness and travels under the “chemtrails over the country club”, which supposedly “country club” represents America.
In an interview with MOJO Magazine regarding the album, Del Rey revealed her love for country, noting that she believes there may be hints of the genre in two of her past songs (“Ride” and “Video Games”). Come to think of it, I did hear a folkness present in some of her songs (although, not the songs she named) as well as with Chemtrails.
Starting off the album, “White Dress” reminisces when she was a 19-year-old waitress in her “white dress”, “not famous”, and it made her “feel like a god”. The way she sings higher than usual, emphasizes the emotional impact from the nostalgia.
The music video of her rollerblading on an open road, with hardly any cars, further emphasizes the freeness of the time when she was a waitress.
The “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” music video is of vintage-esque footage. Del Rey and others are carefree. Though, the shots comparing and presenting Del Rey and the other women as werewolves did not make sense to me.
I suppose by interpretation, it emphasizes their bold carefree selves. With this being the title song, I find that it showcases the overall carefree nature of the album as a whole. No restrictions, only freedom.
“Tulsa Jesus Freak” has an essence of pop regarding the autotune in some of the verses. While I never thought I’d see the day that she’d use autotune, something about it suits her.
I’d say it’s because of her dreamy, sophisticated vocals. She definitely pulls autotune off better than some light-voice artists.
Though, through her journey of becoming a singer, she told Daily Star in 2011, “I actually used to sing much higher, but I felt people weren’t taking me very seriously, so I lowered my voice, believing that it would help me stand out. Now I sing quite low… well, for a female anyway.”
Which portrays more of how she projects herself out of the common musical crowd. To me, she has the voice of a siren — dangerous creatures with beautiful voices who lure sailors to their death with song.
Del Rey is not involved with feminism, deeming it uninteresting. Nonetheless, she has touched on the fragilities, vulnerabilities, and beauties of being a woman in love. In “Let Me Love You Like a Woman,” she wants to move out of Los Angeles with her assumed lover, and love them like a woman in a small town.
Perhaps living in a small town is implying to live peacefully, free from the constraints of a big city and public society, where she can love like a woman.
The softness of her love is further presented as she is “Wild at Heart”. An annotation on Genius states, “In “Wild At Heart”, Lana explores the freedom and nature of being wild and with her lover.”
This one is one of my favorites. “Dark But Just a Game” is about Del Rey not wanting her fame, and she doesn’t want to change who she is.
Something that happens to many artists because of fame. In an interview with MOJO Magazine, Del Rey said, “I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to try my best not to change because I love who I am.’
Considering she makes a lot of various (1920’s, 50’s, etc.) movies and music references in her own songs, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” is possibly a J.R.R. Tolkien reference. By the lyric “Wanderlust”, the song is implying that it’s about travel, since the word refers to the desire to travel.
Originally going to debut on her album “Lust For Life”, Del Rey considered “Yosemite” as “too happy” in an interview on Beats 1 Radio, July 12, 2017. Therefore, she held the song back until this album as it’s fitting for its carefree nature.
The song, Genius writes, “describes the way relationships change over time, inferring that a great relationship “can stand the test of time.” Lana described the song to be “the yin of the yang” of her track “The Next Best American Record”.”
Furthermore, they address Del Rey explaining that the chorus is about doing things in a relationship for fun, because you want to. Not “doing things because you think they would be big.”
“Breaking Up Slowly” (feat. Nikki Lane), Del Rey sang the song live a couple of times last October alongside co-writer Nikki Lane. The line “I don’t wanna end up like Tammy Wynette” sets up the song as referring to said country singer.
Looking at the Genius annotation, you can see the bio information on why Del Rey said she doesn’t want to end up like her. In one of the verses, referring to “George”, Genius further says she’s singing from Wynette’s perspective.
Wynette being known as “First Lady of Country Music” while also having a few rough times in her life, it was convenient for Del Rey to write this song about how she doesn’t “wanna live with a life of regret” and doesn’t want to “end up like Tammy Wynette”. Altogether, it seems Del Rey wants to live life the way she wants, because life can be cut short anytime.
“Dance Till We Die” mentions several singers who Del Rey seemingly knows [some] personally throughout her time. Therefore, it seems to be a song of homage, talking here and there about the past of or with them. Genius annotation states, “Following the nostalgic theme of the album, Lana reminisces on those who were once idols, and are now friends.”
“For Free” (feat. Zella Day & Weyes Blood) is a cover, originally by Joni Mitchell. As Genius states, comparing this end track and the end track on “Lust For Life” (called “Get Free”) there may be symbolism between the two. This album generally conveys freedom all throughout.
Chemtrails Over the Country Club overall carries the essence of jazz, folk, pop, and alternative pop. Topped off with her dreamlike vocals, the album is laced with surreal sophistication.
The personal nature of the lyrics unveil more of her persona, nostalgic past, and a reminiscent present — a nostalgia to-be.
Despite some of Del Rey’s controversies of last year, she’s an idol of mine that I feel I relate to, regarding her state of individuality, originality, and boldness as a person and poet. There’s beauty in such simplicity she portrays sometimes, even though she also showcases vintage luxuries in her videos (luxuries that I don’t have).
With that said, I hope my insight has enlightened you and I’d love to talk about this in-depth! If you’d like to see more of my random content or would like to contact me, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr. You may also email me at jrnw99@gmail.com if you prefer.
About Post Author
