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''Born to Die'' is the second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...
and major-label debut by American singer-songwriter
Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...
. It was released on January 27, 2012, through
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
and
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
. The album was
reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or Single (music), single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New aud ...
d on November 9, 2012, as an expanded version subtitled '' The Paradise Edition''. Before the album's release, Del Rey had attracted attention with her 2011 singles "
Video Games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
" and "
Born to Die ''Born to Die'' is the second studio album and major-label debut by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 27, 2012, through Interscope Records and Polydor Records. The album was reissued on November 9, 2012, as an ...
", which contrasted contemporary electronic/dance music with their cinematic sound accompanied by dramatic
string instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the s ...
s. A predominantly
baroque pop Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid 1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropri ...
and
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...
album, ''Born to Die'' features the same cinematic composition. The lyrics are about love, sex, and drugs, and features prominent references to 1950s and 1960s
Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
. The album was the world's fifth best-selling album of 2012, and had sold over 7 million copies by 2014. In 2021, it became the second album by a woman and the first debut album by a woman to spend more than 400 weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200, where it peaked at number two, and topped charts in Australia and various European countries including France, Germany, and the UK. ''Born to Die'' was supported by four further singles: " Blue Jeans", "
Summertime Sadness "Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, ''Born to Die'' (2012). The pop ballad was released on June 22, 2012, by Interscope Records as the fourth single of the album. In the spri ...
", "
National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
", and "
Dark Paradise "Dark Paradise" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey for her second studio album, '' Born to Die'' (2012). It was written by Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels, while production was handled by Emile Haynie. Nowels and Devrim ...
". "Summertime Sadness" peaked at number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Del Rey's highest charting single in the US at the time. The album polarized contemporary critics; praises were towards the album's distinctive sound, and criticism targeted its repetitiveness and melodramatic tendencies. Del Rey's image during promotion of ''Born to Die'' was controversial;
tabloid Tabloid may refer to: * Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism * Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size ** Chinese tabloid * Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size * Sopwith Tabloid The Sopwith Tabloid an ...
media accused her of an inauthentic persona that was the result of forced marketing to gain an audience in the
indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
scene. Although initially receiving ambivalent reception, the album has been retrospectively ranked in best-of lists by several publications including ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' and '' NME'', and helped Del Rey acquire
cult status A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
among music fans.


Background and development

In 2007, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Grant signed a recording contract with the
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
5 Point Records, and began planning her debut studio album. But after hiring new management services, taking an interest in adopting the
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Lana Del Ray, and a perceived lack of motivation during production, she found herself in conflict with the record label and her producer
David Kahne David Kahne is an American record producer, musician, composer, and former record company executive. Professional career Kahne started his musical career as a working musician and soon became Director of A&R for America's first punk and new ...
. The final product, '' Lana Del Ray'', was digitally released in January 2010, and her stage name was respelled Lana Del Rey shortly after its launch. Grant was successfully bought out of her recording contract at her manager's request; consequently, ''Lana Del Ray'' was pulled out of circulation before physical versions were produced. After settling on her current stage name, Del Rey signed a recording contract with Stranger Records in June 2011, and released the track "
Video Games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
". Initially, she had released the song because it was her "favorite" and had no intentions of releasing it as a single, although the video went viral on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
after its premiere. During an appearance on the French television series '' Taratata'' in November 2011, Del Rey announced that her second studio album would be titled ''Born to Die''. In an interview with ''British GQ'', Del Rey revealed she was sent to boarding school at age 14 to get sober from alcoholism and said much of ''Born to Die'' is written about her experiences with alcohol while living in New York:
I was a big drinker at the time. I would drink every day. I would drink alone. I thought the whole concept was so fucking cool. A great deal of what I wrote on ''Born to Die'' is about these wilderness years. A lot of the time when I write about the person that I love, I feel like I'm writing about New York. And when I write about the thing that I've lost I feel like I'm writing about alcohol because that was the first love of my life. Sure, there have been people, but it's really alcohol.
The photograph used on the cover for ''Born to Die'' was shot by Nicole Nodland, while Del Rey and David Bowden oversaw the overall direction for its packaging. On behalf of ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'', Dale Eisinger ranked the cover eighth on the magazine's list of "The 50 Best Pop Album Covers of the Past Five Years", commending its usage of the typeface Steelfish and speaking favorably of the "ominous" feeling it evoked, which he credited to "the shadows or whatever the shapes in the background are ndhow properly Lana can affect her detached and still-flawless persona to a simple gaze". The album's track listing was announced on January 9, 2012, while the record was released on January 31 in the United States; it became Del Rey's major-label debut after she secured a distribution arrangement with
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner ...
.


Composition

''Born to Die''s music style has been described as
alternative pop Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
, "sultry, overstated
orchestral pop Orchestral pop (sometimes called ork-pop for short) is pop music that has been arranged and performed by a symphonic orchestra. It may also be conflated with the terms symphonic pop or chamber pop. History During the 1960s, pop music on radio a ...
,"
baroque pop Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid 1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropri ...
,
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
,
sadcore Sadcore is a subgenre occasionally identified by music journalists to describe examples of alternative rock characterised by bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies and slower tempos, or alternatively, songs with deceivingly upbeat melodies that are simu ...
and
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...
. Of the style of her vocals on the album, Del Rey said: "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". The singer's first singles, "Video Games" and "Born to Die" were described variously as "quasi-cabaret balladry",Perpetua, Matthew (2011)
Lana Del Rey to Appear on 'Saturday Night Live'
, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', December 19, 2011, retrieved 2012-01-04
"woozy and sometimes soporific soundtrack soul", and "pop". Del Rey described "Video Games" as "Hollywood sadcore". Tim Lee of
musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
noted the songs are extremely similar, commenting that "her (alleged) agents clearly having stumbled upon a formula with which they can (allegedly) print money and (allegedly) further consign Lana's secretive, (allegedly) real debut LP to the annals of history. You didn't hear it from us, right?". Del Rey was described as a "gangsta
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatr ...
", although she cites
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage producti ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
and
Antony and the Johnsons Antony and the Johnsons is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni and her collaborators. Career British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro label ...
as her musical influences. When asked about her musical style, Del Rey said:
I would have loved to be part of the indie community. But I wasn't. I was looking for a community, I don't even know any people who are musicians. I never met that indie popular indie, whoever the fuck that is. Who IS indie? First of all, I can't really get my head around what indie music is. Because if you've heard of it, it's sort of pop music, right? Because it's, like, popular? Or is it just that it's not on the radio? It's not like I was in an indie community and then I blew up. It's like, I was living on the street and I'm not – like, for real, you know what I'm saying?
The lyrics of " Off to the Races" have been called "a freak show of inappropriate co-dependency", with a chorus that recalls
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...
's "down and out drunken loner persona" in her 1994 single "
Leaving Las Vegas ''Leaving Las Vegas'' is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis, and based on the semi-autobiographical 1990 novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, ha ...
". Pryia Elan of '' NME'' noted that the track "almost falls under the weight of this persona. There's none of 'Video Games''s measured, piano-led reflection. Instead the psychosexual rumblings of the lyrics and the dual voices she uses offset the comparatively simple musical shades on display." Del Rey's vocals on "Off to the Races", "
National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
", and "Diet Mountain Dew" were described as "chatty" and "almost rapping". Her vocals on "Million Dollar Man" were likened to those of "a highly medicated
Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...
". Compared to soundtracks for
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
films, ''Born to Die'' contains
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...
beats and a cinematic sound reminiscent of the 1950s. Thematically, ''Born to Die'' refers to sex and drugs, with Del Rey playing a
Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Hum ...
-esque persona. Bill Lamb, a reviewer at
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
, wrote that "National Anthem" seems "lost in a messy blend of money, sex, and corporate greed, but it is the rousing yet graceful arrangement that solidifies the song's point of view as a clever critique of a society that is just as messy as these words". "National Anthem", Lamb says, fits into the lyrical structure of ''Born to Die'' in that the theme is that of a "bitter, albeit narcotized, criticism of all of the wealth and emotional artifice Lana Del Rey is accused of embracing". '' NME'' observed that Del Rey sings like a "perfect mannequin" on "National Anthem", criticizing the track for baldly revisiting the beat-driven chorus of "
Born to Die ''Born to Die'' is the second studio album and major-label debut by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 27, 2012, through Interscope Records and Polydor Records. The album was reissued on November 9, 2012, as an ...
".


Promotion

"Video Games" was featured for the first time on
The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
's '' Ringer'' on September 28, 2011, during a pivotal scene, propelling Del Rey into the mainstream. Del Rey also promoted the album with performances in a number of live appearances, including for MTV Push, and at the
Bowery Ballroom The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live-music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in the neighborhood of Bowery in Manhattan. The Bowery Ballroom holds something of a cult status among musicians as well as audiences. ''Rolling Stone'' magaz ...
, where, according to Eliot Glazer of ''New York'', "the polarizing indie hipstress brought her 'gangsta Nancy Sinatra' swag". Matthew Perpetua of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' commented that, despite Del Rey's nervousness and anxiety while performing live, she "sang with considerable confidence, though her transitions from husky, come-hither sexuality to bratty, girlish petulance could be rather jarring". Del Rey also performed "Video Games" on Dutch television program '' De Wereld Draait Door'', on British music television show '' Later... with Jools Holland'', and on a show at
Chateau Marmont The Chateau Marmont is a hotel located at 8221 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The hotel was designed by architects Arnold A. Weitzman and William Douglas Lee and completed in 1929. It was modeled loosely after the Château d'Am ...
in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. She gave several interviews to newspapers and online magazines such as
The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...
, ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'', and ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'', while creating her own music videos for several tracks such as "Blue Jeans" and "Off to the Races". On January 14, 2012, Del Rey appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' to perform "Blue Jeans" and "Video Games". Her performance soon came under scrutiny, and was criticized by
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
anchor
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for '' NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...
, who called it "the worst in ''SNL'' history". Hosts
Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...
and
Daniel Radcliffe Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...
came to her defense, with the latter stating that the criticism towards her was less about the performance and more about "her past and her family". ''Ringer'' played another Del Rey song, "Blue Jeans", on February 14, 2012, during the last scene of episode 13.


Singles

"
Video Games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
" was released as Del Rey's debut single on October 10, 2011. The song received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised Del Rey's vocals and considered it one of the best songs of 2011. "Video Games" attained worldwide success, reaching number one in Germany and top-ten positions in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. An accompanying music video, directed and edited by Del Rey, contained video clips of skateboarders, cartoons, shots from old afties, and paparazzi footage of
Paz de la Huerta María de la Paz Elizabeth Sofía Adriana de la Huerta y Bruce (; born September 3, 1984), known professionally as Paz de la Huerta, is an American actress and model. She had roles in the films ''The Cider House Rules'' (1999) and ''A Walk to Re ...
falling down while intoxicated. The music video helped increase Del Rey's online popularity. The second single and title track, "
Born to Die ''Born to Die'' is the second studio album and major-label debut by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 27, 2012, through Interscope Records and Polydor Records. The album was reissued on November 9, 2012, as an ...
", was released as a digital download on December 30, 2011. The music video for it leaked on December 14, and was based on a concept Del Rey created, directed by
Yoann Lemoine Yoann Lemoine (; born 16 March 1983), known professionally as Woodkid, is a French music video director, graphic designer and singer-songwriter. His most notable works include his music video direction for Katy Perry's " Teenage Dream", Taylor S ...
. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' gave the video a generally favorable review. Del Rey announced " Blue Jeans" as the third single from the album. It was officially released on April 6, 2012. An accompanying music video directed by Lemoine premiered around the web on March 19, 2012. "
Summertime Sadness "Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, ''Born to Die'' (2012). The pop ballad was released on June 22, 2012, by Interscope Records as the fourth single of the album. In the spri ...
" was released as the fourth single on June 22. The official music video was released on July 20. "
National Anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
" was announced as the fifth single and released on July 6. Its music video was released on June 27. "
Dark Paradise "Dark Paradise" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey for her second studio album, '' Born to Die'' (2012). It was written by Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels, while production was handled by Emile Haynie. Nowels and Devrim ...
" was released as the final single on March 1, 2013, only in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Poland. "Radio" charted at number 67 in France. "Without You" debuted at number 121 in the UK. " Off to the Races" was released as a promotional single in The Netherlands on January 6, 2012. A music video, directed by Del Rey, was released on December 22, 2011. "Carmen" was released as a promotional single in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on January 26, 2012. On February 27, 2012, Del Rey revealed on Facebook that the video for "Carmen" was shot and would be finished being edited that day. It was released on April 21, 2012.


Critical reception


Contemporary reception

At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a
weighted mean The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 62 based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Jaime Gill of
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...
commented that the album "isn't perfect", criticizing the production of songs such as "Dark Paradise", but concluded that ''Born to Die'' is the most distinctive debut album since
Glasvegas Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan (vocals), Rab Allan (lead guitar) and Paul Donoghue (bass guitar), with Swedish drummer Jonna Löfgren joining the group in 2010 until her departure in 2020 ...
's eponymous disc released in 2008. ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
'' writer Sal Cinquemani commented that several tracks had their production changed for the album, making tracks such as "National Anthem" and "This Is What Makes Us Girls" less "radio-friendly". Cinquemani wrote, "ironically, the album's sole weakness is the strength of its immaculate production, which can be a bit overwhelming over the course of 12 tracks."
Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis ( el, Αλέξης Πετρίδης; born 13 September 1971) is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for the UK newspaper ''The Guardian'', as well as a regular contributor to the magazine '' GQ''. In addition to his mus ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' said that ''Born to Die'' is "beautifully turned pop music, which is more than enough", with most melodies "constructed magnificently", but that Del Rey "doesn't have the lyrical equipment to develop a persona throughout the album."
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the '' Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busine ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' gave a negative review, criticizing the repetitive production.
Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Ble ...
of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' declared that the lyrics, with their "pop-trash perversity", were the strength of the album, but that Del Rey had a voice that was "pinched and prim" and "wasn't ready to make an album yet". He concluded, "Given her chic image, it's a surprise how dull, dreary and pop-starved ''Born to Die'' is."
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
critic John Bush wrote: "There is a chasm that separates 'Video Games' from the other material and performances on the album, which aims for exactly the same target—sultry, sexy, wasted—but with none of the same lyrical grace, emotional power, or sympathetic productions... an intriguing start, but Del Rey is going to have to hit the books if she wants to stay as successful as her career promised early on". Channing Freeman of
Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur ...
disliked the album, saying, "The worst thing about ''Born to Die'' is that even its great songs contain problems". ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
''s
Kitty Empire Kitty Empire is the pen name of a British writer and music critic, currently writing for ''The Observer''. Early life Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain ...
said that, unlike pop singers
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...
and their "hedonic outpourings", "Lana Del Rey's partying is fuelled by a knowing sadness, and sung in that laconic, hypnotic voice, which ultimately saves this thoroughly dissolute, feminist nightmare of a record for the romantics among us". '' The A.V. Club''s Evan Rytlewski panned the album, writing, "Shallow and overwrought, with periodic echoes of
Kesha Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on Americ ...
's
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aloofness, the album lives down to the harshest preconceptions against pop music". Randall Roberts of ''
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'' also noted that Del Rey's vocals have "so much potential and yet reunrefined", and said that despite having standout tracks like "Summertime Sadness" and "Dark Paradise", listening to the album "has become tiring and woozy, like if you'd taken a half-dozen Ambiens when you'd put the record on—and now you're getting very, very sleepy". ''
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''s Lindsay Zoladz commented: "The album's point of view—if you could call it that—feels awkward and out of date... tnever allows tension or complexity into the mix, and its take on female sexuality ends up feeling thoroughly tame. For all of its coos about love and devotion, it's the album equivalent of a faked orgasm—a collection of torch songs with no fire". Alex Denney of '' NME'' gave a positive review, saying: "Although it's not quite the perfect pop record 'Video Games' might have led us to wish for, ''Born To Die'' still marks the arrival of a fresh—and refreshingly self-aware—sensibility in pop."


Retrospective acclaim

''Born to Die'' has received retrospective reviews through the years, with many critics and journalists giving it a second chance and publishing think-pieces about the industry's perspective on Del Rey. Meaghan Garvey, writing for ''Pitchfork'', said that "it’s a drag to rehash the ''Born to Die'' discourse now ..a conversation so tediously narrow," praising the album as "thrillingly rich." In 2021, ''Pitchfork'' included it in their "Rescored" list, with Anna Gaca claiming that "''Born to Die'' turned out to be a sign of things to come, like genre-
agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficien ...
pop ballads with hip-hop beats, and the arch, depressive languor that’s more mainstream than ever." Craig Jenkins from ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' agreed, stating that "in retrospect, it was a dumb conversation." He added that ''Born to Die'' "came from nowhere with a fully formed ..aesthetic that was perhaps too much too soon," arguing that "it felt time-displaced and familiar all at once, like discovering a ..cassette tape from that part of the 90s where trip hop invaded pop." Dan Solomon, writing for ''CultureMap'', asked to fellow music critics to "keep
he controversy He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
in the past," arguing that it is "simplistic to dismiss ''Born to Die''." He described the album as "easy to listen to," and "great-sounding," while praising "Off to the Races" as "a self-assured performance from a singer in control of her voice, a mix of acting and singing." He also called "Dark Paradise" and "Summertime Sadness" standouts. In a similar opinion, ''
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s Alex Pappademas questioned if "there asany way to separate the Internet hatred of Lana Del Rey from her sort of surprisingly good album." Chris Lacy from ''Albumism'' stated that "it's crystal-clear
el Rey El Rey, Spanish for The King, may refer to: Locations * El Rey Inn, Santa Fe, New Mexico *El Rey National Park in Argentina * El Rey Theatre, a live music venue in Los Angeles, California *El Rey archaeological site, a Mayan site in Cancun, Mexico ...
is the mastermind behind ''Born to Die''," describing the album as a "realistic portrait of addiction, sexual obsession, abnormality and fear." He also praised the album's music videos, calling them "epic short films that were thought-provoking" and that they "would've made
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
proud." However, he noted that the album "loses steam midway," calling closing track "This Is What Makes Us Girls" a "saving grace." Jesse Cataldo from ''
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...
'' named ''Born to Die'' Del Rey's second best album, describing it as a "startlingly composed premiere effort." Miranda Mikkola from ''
Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
'' called ''Born to Die'' "one of the greatest major-label debut albums of the century," stating that "it's still a gorgeous album that we love to revisit every now and then," while marking "Off to the Races", "National Anthem" and "Dark Paradise" as standouts. On a similar note, Angelina Fay from ''No Majesty'' agreed that the album is "still great to rediscover" and praised it as "timeless in every sense of the word." Rhian Daly, writing for '' NME'', argued that Del Rey "was too special to live in the shadows of other artists ..she just had to find her path to that point." Rob Harvilla from '' The Ringer'' had a rather mixed retrospective review, writing that ''Born to Die'' was "potty but occasionally excellent" and rating it as "her worst album." However, he called "Video Games" "an alarmingly great song", described "Radio" as "gorgeous" and praised Del Rey as "the perfect artist of our times." ''Billboard'' included the title track in their Songs That Defined the Decade list and called it "one of the most standout musical moments on the album."


Accolades


Awards


Year-end lists


Decade-end lists


Commercial performance

In the United Kingdom, ''Born to Die'' sold 50,000 copies on its first day of release. It debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
and sold 116,745 copies. By accumulating digital sales of 50,007, the album became the fifth album ever to sell upwards of 50,000 downloads in a single week. Additionally, it was the fastest selling album of 2012, becoming the first album to reach 100,000 copies sold in that year. ''Born to Die'' remained atop the chart in its second week, selling an additional 60,000 copies. As of November 2013, the album had sold over 836,000 copies in the UK. In France, the album debuted at number one on the
French Albums Chart French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
with sales of 48,791, whose 16,968 digital copies. The album remained at the top position the following week with 23,888 copies sold. As of June 2014, it has sold over 500,000 copies in France. In New Zealand, the album debuted and peaked at number two on the charts, spending forty weeks in the chart. After the conjunction of '' Born to Die: The Paradise Edition'', the album charted at number six. "Born to Die" is the fifty-seventh best charting album of all time in New Zealand. In the United States, the album attained first-week sales of 77,000 copies, subsequently debuting at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, behind
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
's '' 21'', and shipped over 500,000 units in the country by January 2013, getting Gold certification. On the week ending August 31, 2013, though the album was in its eighty-first week on the chart, it re-entered the top twenty at number 20, selling 13,000 copies. As of June 2014, ''Born to Die'' has sold 1,100,000 copies in the United States, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. In Italy, the album debuted at number five. The following week, it fell to number nine. In the first two weeks, the album sold 6,271 copies. As of June 2012, the album has sold 24,372 copies in Italy. After the re-release in November 2012, the album rose from 27 to 14. The album has since been certified Gold. Following an iTunes discount, the album re-entered the iTunes Top 10 and jumped from 57 to 31 on the Italian Charts on the week-ending April 28, 2013. On the week-ending June 2, 2013, the album spent its seventieth week on the chart and fell ten spots to number 46. According to the
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(IFPI), ''Born to Die'' was the fifth global best-selling album of 2012 with sales of 3.4 million copies. By June 2014, the album had sold seven million copies worldwide.


Legacy

With the release of ''Born to Die'', Del Rey became the main focus of attention of the press for her image as well as her music. Since her debut with "Video Games", Del Rey had been causing many to begin to accuse her of trying to erase her past with a different type of songs and style. Considering the album's composition and her appearance, many tabloids began to question her authenticity and claim that her success was due only to her beauty. Also, speculation arose that Del Rey was just a character created by Lizzy Grant and pop music industry, with her label trying to get a place and audience within indie music. ''
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''s Kevin Lincoln commented that Lana was manufactured by her label and used "Video Games" as a form of advertising. In defense of the singer, Jaime Gill from ''
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...
'' wrote: "If you want an explanation for the unlikely rise of Lana Del Rey, it isn't that hard to find. Ignore accusations of cynical marketing and inauthenticity, or speculation about surgery and daddy's money – that's not important. And don't get distracted by
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
statistics or the hyperbole, this isn't about new media. It's about something older and more mysterious than that; the extraordinary, resilient power of pop music". Sasha Frere Jones of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' came out in defense of the artist as well, writing: "The weirder strain of criticism concerns authenticity ..Detractors cite a variety of presumed conspiracies, some involving the influence of her father, Rob Grant ..The rumor of manipulative managers guiding her; the reality of professional songwriters working for her ..and how Grant's top lip got so big so fast ..Surely no equivalent male star would be subject of the same level of examination." Sharing a similar view, Ann Lee wrote in '' Metro'': "I know it's fun to slate anabut she's got a great voice – that's a fact". Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
'' also proved to be in favor of Del Rey, declaring: "I was initially puzzled by the accusations of inauthenticity that were hurled with such vehemence and frequency at Lana Del Rey in the wake of her meteoric rise to ''
it girl An "it girl" is an attractive young woman, who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th century. ...
'' status last year ..And I guess we're supposed to lament the fact that, unlike
Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...
, she doesn't appear to have a predilection for dope or booze to back up her supposed bad-girl bona fides. But since when exactly has 'authenticity' ever been a criterion in pop music?". ''Born to Die''s sound, themes and aesthetic left a major impact in popular music. In 2019, ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' named Del Rey one of the "five people who helped shape the culture of the past decade." Max Migowsky from ''Indie'' described her as "the figurehead of an entire generation," while Zachary Small from ''Hyperallergic'' called ''Born to Die'' "ahead of its time." Al Horner from Red Bull agreed, marking ''Born to Die'' as "[a] blueprint for a new sonic world" and describing its sound as the feminine equivalent of grunge music. He argued that Del Rey's success "convinced record labels to take a chance on ..emotionally vulnerable pop" and stated that "there's never been more space for melancholy in popular music." Sorrell Forbes from ''uDiscover Music'' named ''Born to Die'' "the most powerful moment in her career," while arguing that Del Rey brought "the sound [the public was] looking for." Del Rey herself stated in an interview with ''
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'' in 2019 that "there's been a major sonic shift culturally. I think I had a lot to do with that." Omar N. Goulding from ''Culturizando'' called ''Born to Die'' "the most influential album of the decade," arguing that "people were getting tired of happy music and wanted to listen to something different" and that Del Rey "set the [sad girl] trend into pop culture." Richard S. He, writing for ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'', said that ''Born to Die'' is "one of the main catalysts for pop's mid-2010s shift from brash EDM to a moodier, hip-hop-inflected palette." ''Billboard'' later included the album's Born to Die (song), title track as one of the 100 songs that defined the 2010s, adding that it influenced "a sonic shift that completely changed the pop landscape." Critics and journalists alike agree that ''Born to Die'' influenced the works of Lorde, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, among others. Swift herself named Del Rey the "most influential artist in pop." ''Born to Die'' was listed among publications' best-of lists of the 2010s decade, including ''NME'' (#10) and ''The Independent'' (#3). ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' included the album at number 70 on its 2019 list of The 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century.


Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Born to Die''. ; Notes * signifies a co-Record producer, producer * signifies a vocal producer * signifies an additional producer * signifies a remixer


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Born to Die''.


Performance credits

*
Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...
– vocals * Emilie Bauer-Mein – Backing vocalist, backing vocals * James Bauer-Mein – backing vocals * Lenha Labelle – French vocals * David Sneddon – backing vocals * Hannah Robinson – backing vocals * Matihandz – additional vocals


Instruments

* Patrik Berger – guitar, bass guitar, Percussion instrument, percussion, synthesizer, Sampler (musical instrument), sampler, Drum machine, drum programming * Jeff Bhasker – guitar ; Keyboard instrument, keyboards ; additional keyboards ; additional strings * Chris Braide – guitar, Piano, acoustic piano, String instrument, strings, drum programming * Pelle Hansen – cello * Emile Haynie – Drum kit, drums ; keyboards ; additional keyboards ; guitar * Dan Heath – flute , additional strings * Erik Holm – viola * Liam Howe – additional keyboards, Programming (music), programming * Devrim Karaoglu – additional synthesizer, orchestral drums ; additional pads * Brent Kolatalo – additional drums * Ken Lewis – additional vocal noises ; additional drums * Rick Nowels – guitar ; additional strings ; keyboards * Dean Reid – Synthesizer#Typical roles#Synth pad, pads * Al Shux – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, Programming (music), programming * Sacha Skarbek – omnichord * Fredrik Syberg – violin * Patrick Warren – chamberlain strings ; additional strings ; guitar, keyboards ; strings, secondary strings


Production

* Carl Bagge – String section, string arrangements * Patrik Berger – Record producer, production * Jeff Bhasker – co-production , additional production * Chris Braide – production * Lorenzo Cosi – Audio engineer, engineering * Mike Daly – vocal production * John Davis – Mastering engineer, mastering * Duncan Fuller – mixing assistant * Chris Galland – mixing assistant * Larry Gold – string arrangements, Conducting, conductor * Dan Grech-Marguerat – Mixing engineer, mixing * Nicole Nodland – photography * Mat Maitland – Graphic design, design * Emile Haynie – production * Dan Heath – string arrangements, conductor * Liam Howe – co-production * Brent Kolatalo – additional recording * Erik Madrid – mixing assistant * Manny Marroquin – mixing * Kieron Menzies – engineering * The Nexus – vocal production * Rick Nowels – co-production ; vocal production * Justin Parker – vocal production ; additional production * Robopop – production, mixing * Al Shux – production, vocal production * Steve Tirpak – string assistant


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Albums produced by Emile Haynie Albums produced by Jeff Bhasker Albums produced by Rick Nowels Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios Lana Del Rey albums Interscope Records albums Polydor Records albums Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums Baroque pop albums Indie pop albums by American artists Trip hop albums by American artists Sadcore albums