Summertime Sadness
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''
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 e ...
'' (2012). The
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
ballad was released on June 22, 2012, by
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 Mus ...
as the fourth single of the album. In the spring of 2013, "Summertime Sadness" reached number one in Poland, Ukraine and Armenia. Charting across Europe, the single reached the top ten in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
Trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es of "Summertime Sadness" helped Del Rey break into the US
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart. That chart is where Del Rey's song became a modest hit and marked her first foray into the chart. On the accompanied Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, the single gave Del Rey her first US number-one single in August 2013. In the summer of 2013, a remixed version of the track by Cedric Gervais was released to American
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
and helped the single become a sleeper hit, debuting at 72 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and becoming the highest-charting single of her career in the U.S. with a peak of 6. Switzerland and Austria gave "Summertime Sadness" a
Gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
; it reached platinum status in Germany and became a top 40 year-end hit. The record also reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It joined BBC Radio 1's and
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's playlists. Gervais' remixed version won a 2014
Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical The Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical is an honor presented to producers for quality remixed recordings at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in sever ...
. The song's accompanying music video depicts Del Rey and actress
Jaime King Jaime King (born April 23, 1979) is an American actress and model. In her modeling career and early film roles, she used the names Jamie King and James King, which was a childhood nickname given to King by her parents, because her agency alread ...
as a couple. As the storyline progresses, both characters commit suicide by jumping from perilous heights. Cinematography was handled primarily by King's husband, Kyle Newman. The video gained success on video-hosting website YouTube, and circulated through social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. In general, critics lauded the artistry of the single's music video, comparing it to
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
. The musical arrangement was composed by Del Rey's long-time collaborators Emile Haynie and Rick Nowels, with Nowels and Del Rey writing the lyrics. The song is also referenced in
the Chainsmokers The Chainsmokers are an American electronic DJ and production duo consisting of Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart. They started out by releasing remixes of songs by indie artists. The EDM- pop duo achieved a breakthrough with the ...
' hit single " #Selfie". In September 2021, the song was ranked number 456 on ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Lyrical composition and themes

"Summertime Sadness" was released as a digital download on June 22, 2012, in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Written by Lana Del Rey and her long-time collaborator, Rick Nowels, the record was produced by Nowels and Emile Haynie. "Summertime Sadness" is a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
and trip hop ballad. Various club
remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es of the song were created, including one by Ryan Hemsworth. ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' said Hemsworth's
trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
remix, "teases us with a little stoney dubwise bubble, and then dunks the entire thing into a glistening pool of purple promethazine goo. The only sharp sounds come from the barrage of skittering beats, plus some space lasers and the like." "Summertime Sadness"s Adam Freeland remix employed
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
beats and strong
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s that creates a "dazzling dance floor production." The song's video focuses around a lesbian couple reminiscing on positive moments, before both commit suicide. ''Pop Dust'' writer Nate Jones compared the introductory lyrics, "I got my red dress on tonight/ Dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight" to " Dancing in the Dark" by
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
, affirming that the song's inherent somberness was building to its gloomy denouement by first displaying positive memories the song's lovers experienced. The following two stanzas of: "Got my hair up real big beauty queen style / High heels off, I'm feeling alive" and "Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere / Nothing scares me anymore" building on the same lyrical imagery. Lyrically, the song reaches the sadder conclusion with the chorus, "Kiss me hard before you go / Summertime sadness / I just wanted you to know/ That, baby, you're the best." The darkest portion of the song's story swells at the beginning of the second verse: "I'm feelin' electric tonight / Cruising down the coast goin' 'bout 99 / Got my bad baby by my
heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...
ly side / I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight." As a whole, "Summertime Sadness" follows a typical
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
song structure: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, with the chorus circulating several times before the song's end.


Critical reception

In his track-by-track review for ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine, Andrew Hampp wrote about "Summertime Sadness" that "the pouty title alone drew giggles at Del Rey's Bowery gig, but the song itself proves to be one of the more durable tracks here even if its lyrics start to get redundant ('Kiss me hard before you go... That baby you're the best')". '' Los Angeles Times'' named it among the best tracks on the album along with "Video Games" and "Dark Paradise".


Music video

The music video for "Summertime Sadness" was filmed in April 2012 in
Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...
. It was directed by Kyle Newman and
Spencer Susser Spencer Susser (born 1977) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Susser is the only American member of the Australian filmmaking collective Blue-Tongue Films. His short film '' I Love Sarah Jane'', featuring Mia Wasikowska, ...
. Newman's wife, actress
Jaime King Jaime King (born April 23, 1979) is an American actress and model. In her modeling career and early film roles, she used the names Jamie King and James King, which was a childhood nickname given to King by her parents, because her agency alread ...
, stars along with Del Rey in the video, which tells the sad story of two women, who both end their own lives. King said about the video that, "It's about not being able to live without the one you love, friend or lover it doesn't matter, that's whatever you want it to be." Actor Alex Pettyfer reportedly also helped out on set as a production assistant. The radio edit of the video was released on July 20, 2012, in Germany on ClipFish. The same day, the video with the album version of the song was released on Lana Del Rey's YouTube channel. That week, Del Rey gained 69,000 new followers on both Facebook and Twitter. ''Synopsis'' The music video opens with a woman saying, "Remember, I'll always love you, bye". After the phone call, Del Rey sings the opening lyrics and jumps off the cliff. The next scenes tell the story about two women (played by Del Rey and Jaime King) who have become suicidal. In the next scene, the forlorn King seeks out the nearest bridge in the city, then stands on its ledge in a tear-stricken state. The next scenes depict a statue of Jesus Christ, Del Rey looking onto the distance and a phone smashing into pieces as it hits the floor, hinting at Del Rey's realization that her girlfriend has killed herself. Feeling at fault for her lover's death, Del Rey spreads her arms wide mimicking the statue of Jesus Christ and jumps off the cliff. The last scenes show both women in happier times, Del Rey turns to see King and smiles; both women are seen pouting and glancing seductively over their shoulders towards one another. As the women embrace, the smoke in the atmosphere gathers and they disappear. It's shown, after both suicides, that a haunting image of Del Rey (presumably her ghost) is seen walking down a long road towards the camera.


Reception

The video received generally favorable reviews from critics. Crystal Bell, a blogger for ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', called the video an " ode to Instagram," and compared it to Del Rey's previous videos. Carrie Battan of '' Pitchfork Media'' wrote, that "it's certainly no seven-minute re-enactment of the life of the Kennedy family, but it still offers the trademark LDR touch. Instagram-like footage, very forlorn faces, possible suicide attempts, and a very special guest." Jenna Hally Rubenstein, of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''Buzzworthy'' blog, considers that the coral-smoked scenes are Del Rey in the afterlife, post-suicide, saying it may be unlikely as, "the clip closes with an image of Lana and her ghost walking alone down an empty road." Further, she said, "Sad, sad times, y'all. But then again what else did you expect from a Lana video? Sunshine, glitter and ice cream cones? Probably not." Brennan Carley of ''Billboard'' noted that "keeping the buzz alive while sticking with sepia-tones and a healthy dose of melodramatics, Lana Del Rey probes a crumbling relationship in the music video ..the video traces the women's relationship with spliced together film bits – much like the effects used in her earlier efforts – and foggy scenes of the stars pouting and glancing seductively over their shoulders." ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' magazine writer Marc Hogan found that the video recalled Del Rey's breakout video for " Video Games". He added, that "more provocative, though, is the hint of romance-gone-sour between Del Rey and the character played by actress Jaime King. Because this is a Lana Del Rey video, it's not spoiling anything to say there's a '' Thelma and Louise''-like twist." Entertainment website '' Spinner'' called the visual "weird. It's beautifully shot, sepia-soaked and melodramatic. The singer's bestie, played by the very lovely actress Jamie King, is also pretty sad about summer ending." Tyler Monroe, writing for AUX, called the video "indistinguishable nothingness", adding "I don't think Lana Del Rey is even trying anymore."


Live performances

In 2012, Del Rey performed "Summertime Sadness" at the Irving Plaza, along with "Million Dollar Man", while drenched in purple lights. '' New York Times'' writer Bradley Sterns described Lana Del Rey's vocal style during the Irving Plaza performance as " lounge singer crooning". Along with "Million Dollar Man" and "Summertime Sadness", Del Rey also sang " Video Games", "
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 e ...
", "Lolita", and "Without You". Miley Cyrus covered the song for BBC Radio1's Live Lounge.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Cedric Gervais remix

In January 2013, a remix by Cedric Gervais was commissioned for the record label Universal Germany. However, the remix was initially turned down by
Interscope 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 Musi ...
and Polydor Records, Lana Del Rey's record labels in America and the UK, respectively, but was released on Spinnin' Records. In the spring of 2013, the remix quickly surged to number one on Beatport, resulting in several radio programmers and DJs, such as Pete Tong, working the song into their radio station's rotation. BBC Radio 1 added the remix to its playlist, helping it to gain popularity around the world. Several
Sirius XM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
radio stations began playing it, and Interscope decided to push at Top 40 radio in the United States. After positive feedback, Interscope agreed to release the remix.


Background

Hesitant to accept requests for remixes from other artists, Gervais immediately consented to assisting Del Rey with remixing "Summertime Sadness". He said, "Lana Del Rey came in. I didn't even ask how much money ..I wasn't thinking if it was going to be a hit or not, I just love and respect the artist that she is." Satisfied with the finished product, Del Rey's team commissioned Gervais to produce a mix version of " Young and Beautiful". The decision to release the new version of "Summertime Sadness" on the DJ's primary label, Spinnin' Records, was made by Cedric's manager Luke Allen (Red Light Management) to expand the song's audience to Gervais'
EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstra ...
fanbase. Allen grew and built the record from grass roots, but it wasn't until he invited
Interscope 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 Musi ...
A&R John Ehmann to a performance at the
Electric Daisy Carnival Electric Daisy Carnival, commonly known as EDC, is an electronic dance music festival organized by promoter and distributor Insomniac. The annual flagship event, EDC Las Vegas, is held in May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and is currently t ...
in Las Vegas that the major label came on board, after Ehmann heard 60,000 people singing along to the song. Months later, the
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
Eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
track was a sleeper hit, peaking at number 6 on ''Billboard''s Hot 100 chart. "In every country I'm going to, I hear my remix on the radio," the DJ commented on the song's success. "I started a long time ago in the business with the passion of being a DJ and all of the sudden I make a track like this I get even more excited and motivated." Becoming the most successful work of his career at the time, "Summertime Sadness" unlocked a plethora of opportunities for Gervais, including a contract for the release of a full-length album that features many high-profile dance singers, Rick Nowels (co-writer of "Summertime Sadness"s lyrics) assisting him.


Music video

Gervais' interpretation of "Summertime Sadness" received a video treatment. The majority of the video includes the same footage of the original version produced by Kyle Newman. Sam Lansky of ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
'' described the remake as being "...stitched together with familiar glitchy footage of Lana in her conventional Tumblrwave style." Expanding, he said: "the euphoric house production contrasts with the melancholy aesthetic in that way that feels quintessentially Lana and, well, if nothing else, the track is straight fire." Further, Lansky remarked on the audio, stating: "The gloomy cut has received a proper single treatment" from Cedric Gervais who metamorphosed "Lana"s lachrymose original into a dancefloor stomper".


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Track listing

;German CD single # "Summertime Sadness" (Radio Mix) – 4:12 # "Summertime Sadness" – 4:25 ;German remixes EP # "Summertime Sadness" (Radio Mix) – 4:12 # "Summertime Sadness" – 4:25 # "Summertime Sadness" (Radio Mix, Extended Version) – 5:06 # "Summertime Sadness" (Hannes Fischer Nightflight Remix) – 6:41 ;German 12" remixes EP # "Summertime Sadness" (Todd Terry Remix) – 6:35 # "Summertime Sadness" (Todd Terry Dub) – 5:37 # "Summertime Sadness" (Hannes Fischer Nightflight Remix) – 6:41 # "Summertime Sadness" (Marbert Rocel Remix) – 5:41 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Asadinho Remixes # "Summertime Sadness" (Asadinho Main Vocal Mix) – 8:34 # "Summertime Sadness" (Asadinho Dub) – 7:45 # "Summertime Sadness" (Asadinho Instrumental) – 7:00 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Cedric Gervais Remix # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Extended Remix) – 6:56 # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Remix) - 3:36 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Cedric Gervais Extended Remix # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Remix) – 3:36 # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Extended Remix) - 6:56 ;"Summertime Sadness" – MK in the Air Remix # "Summertime Sadness" (MK in the Air Remix) – 4:02 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Nick Warren Remixes # "Summertime Sadness" (Nick Warren's Vocal Remix) – 10:34 # "Summertime Sadness" (Nick Warren's Skandik Dub) – 10:40 # "Summertime Sadness" (Nick Warren's Instrumental Remix) – 10:32


Credits and personnel

Credits for "Summertime Sadness" taken from ''Born to Die'' album liner. * Lead vocals – Lana Del Rey *
Producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
s – Emile Haynie * Co-producers  – Rick Nowels * Lyrics – Lana Del Rey, Rick Nowels * Label –
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 Mus ...
* Strings arranged and conduction – Larry Gold *
Flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
 –
Dan Heath Dan Heath is an American bestselling author, speaker and fellow at Duke University'CASE center He, along with his brother Chip Heath, has co-authored four books, '' Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die'' (2007), '' Switch: How to C ...
* Additional strings, guitar, and keyboards – Patrick Warren * Additional strings – Rick Nowels * Additional pads – Devrim Karaoglu * Mixer – Dan Grech Marguerat * Assistant mixer – Duncan Fuller


Release history


Notes


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 2010s ballads 2011 songs 2012 singles Cedric Gervais songs Eurodance songs Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Interscope Records singles Lana Del Rey songs Number-one singles in Poland Pop ballads Song recordings produced by Emile Haynie Songs about heartache Songs about loneliness Songs about suicide Songs written by Lana Del Rey Songs written by Rick Nowels Spinnin' Records singles Torch songs Trip hop songs