The best song from every Lana Del Rey album
American singer Lana Del Rey began pursuing music in college, going under various monikers, including May Jailer and Lizzy Grant. Still finding her feet, the budding musician recorded a handful of EPs before rebranding herself as Lana Del Rey. Soon enough, an icon was born, and it wouldn’t be long before Del Rey became one of the most influential alternative pop artists of the 2010s.
Finding fame with the viral single ‘Video Games’, Del Rey released her major label debut, Born to Die, in 2012, which amassed a cult following of fans. Known for her distinctive persona and obsession with the darker side of America, Del Rey was often subject to parody, although this was only a testament to her sheer influence and creative idiosyncrasy.
Since Born to Die, Del Rey has released seven studio albums and multiple EPs, helping to establish her prolific talents. Over the years, she has traversed genres, collaborated with musicians ranging from Taylor Swift to Father John Misty, and even released a poetry collection. Her influence over modern music is inescapable, inspiring anyone from Billie Eilish to Kali Uchis.
With so many great songs in her discography, picking the best one from each album is hard. However, listed below is our best attempt, starting with her 2010 debut Lana Del Ray and ending with her 2023 release, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
The best song from every Lana Del Rey album:
‘Kill Kill’ – Lana Del Ray
Before Born to Die, Del Rey released her debut album, Lana Del Ray, in 2010, although it never received a physical release and was shortly pulled from iTunes. Still, the album contains some beautiful songs that laid the early foundations of Del Rey’s musical career, including ‘Yayo’, which she later rerecorded for Paradise. Many of the singer’s signature themes and associated motifs are established on her debut, with Del Rey unafraid to tackle heavy topics, such as older lecherous men preying on vulnerable young girls (‘Put Me in a Movie’).
The opening track, ‘Kill Kill’ is one of the record’s best moments, making us wish it was available to stream on Spotify. Instead, ‘Kill Kill’ is only available on sites like YouTube and Soundcloud, making it one of the singer’s lesser-known songs. However, it deserves to be more greatly appreciated, what with its bluesy guitars, keys and Del Rey’s dreamy vocal performance.
‘Video Games’ – Born to Die
Born to Die put Del Rey on the map, introducing her to the mainstream as a figure of tragic glamour, melancholia and Americana. With a distinctively crafted aesthetic and a rich visual world curated through her lyrics and repeated motifs, Del Rey found immense popularity online, becoming a Tumblr icon in the early 2010s. The album’s appeal lies in Del Rey’s baroque pop approach, creating effortlessly catchy songs while exploring dense topics such as loneliness and toxic relationships.
However, the song that started it all and allowed the album to find a large audience was ‘Video Games’. The song was released in 2011, with Del Rey’s homemade music video, which included webcam clips and vintage videos spliced together, going viral on YouTube. The mellow track is stunning, with Del Rey reminiscing on a specific time in her life with vulnerability. As harps sweep across the soundscape, Del Rey expresses her love for a man that she knows doesn’t love her the same way she loves him.
‘Ride’ – Paradise
Paradise emerged a few months after Born to Die, acting somewhat as a continuation of the record. Although it’s technically an EP, there’s no way we couldn’t include the eight-song collection on the list because it contains some of the most magnificent songs Del Rey has ever released. A few of these tracks formed the soundtrack to her 2013 short film Tropico, including the rapturous ‘Body Electric’ and the sexually-charged ‘Gods and Monsters’.
Many of the cuts on Paradise are bolder and more lyrically daring, like ‘Cola’, which features her iconic opening line, “My pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola”. But it is ‘Ride’ that makes Paradise such a spectacular EP. The emotional song feels like an encapsulation of everything Del Rey had endured up until that point. Starting slow, ‘Ride’ accelerates with fleeting strings as Del Rey declares with desperation, “I’m tired of feeling like I’m fucking crazy/ I’m tired of driving ’til I see stars in my eyes”. It remains one of the best songs she’s ever made.
‘Shades of Cool’ – Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence is one of Del Rey’s best works, making many fans wish for her to return to heavier rock-oriented influences. Co-produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, the album features hazy psychedelic guitars, with Del Rey calling it “west coast-driven”. In Ultraviolence, Del Rey explores complicated relationships against a background of bars, beaches and parties. There’s even a gorgeous rendition of Nina Simone’s ‘The Other Woman’, with Del Rey situating herself as the titular character.
Many impressive lyrics, guitar riffs and melodies can be enjoyed on Ultraviolence, but ‘Shades of Cool’ stands strong with Del Rey’s rich lyrical depictions of a complex lover. She completely immerses the listener in this man’s dark, melancholic world infused with drugs and women. Despite her love for him, she knows she can’t “fix” his behaviour and be his only one. One of Del Rey’s best bridges can be found here, with circling guitars wrapping up her voice as she mumbles lines about him slipping away.
‘The Blackest Day’ – Honeymoon
Honeymoon is arguably Del Rey’s most underrated album, containing some of her most beautiful yet rarely discussed songs. Over 14 tracks, Del Rey sings about doomed relationships, media pressures, and eating soft ice cream with an Italian lover, with lush strings accompanying her every move. However, the album also incorporates trap influences in songs such as ‘Freak’ and ‘High By The Beach’, creating an addictive dichotomy between old and new influences.
The album’s standout song is hard to pick, but ‘The Blackest Day’ takes the cake with its journey through devastating heartbreak. Del Rey sings about missing her boyfriend, who has left her, making her feeling empty and worthless. Now, she looks for love “in all the wrong places” and listens to Billie Holiday as she grapples with her loneliness and misery, all while strings and trap-inspired beats collide.
‘Tomorrow Never Came’ – Lust for Life
Del Rey’s 2017 effort Lust for Life featured a wealth of duets, something she had not explored on any previous records. With contributions from big stars from A$AP Rocky to Stevie Nicks, the album has something for everyone, from a hip-hop-infused summer anthem to a gentle folk-inspired ballad. There are many unforgettable moments in Lust for Life, although it’s perhaps not her most cohesive record.
Still, Lust for Life‘s broad sonic palette clearly reflects the breadth of emotions that come with being human, with Del Rey celebrating the good and the bad. One of the album’s strongest songs, ‘Tomorrow Never Came’, a collaboration with Sean Ono Lennon, is a heartbreaking tale of unrequited love, with simple yet tragic lines like, “You said you’d love me like no tomorrow/ I guess tomorrow never came”.
‘Mariner’s Apartment Complex’ – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
2019’s Norman Fucking Rockwell is often cited as one of Del Rey’s greatest albums – and for good reason. The record is one of her most cohesive, with instrumentation bearing soft rock, desert rock, psychedelia and folk influences. Moreover, the album contains some of the singer’s most robust lyricism, vividly depicting heartbreak, happiness and nostalgia.
Cuts like the ten-minute sun-drenched ‘Venice Bitch’ and the sweet ‘Bartender’ are just some of many album highlights, but it’s perhaps ‘Mariner’s Apartment Complex’ that reigns supreme. The song details a relationship where Del Rey has the strength to be her lover’s guide, using imagery of the sea, assuring, “You lose your way, just take my hand”. The sprawling guitars have a dreamy, Californian sensibility, which perfectly accompanies Del Rey’s exploration of hopefulness.
‘Yosemite’ – Chemtrails Over the Country Club
Without a doubt, Chemtrails Over the Country Club is Del Rey’s weakest record, with ballads such as ‘Let Me Love You Like A Woman’ and ‘Not All Who Wander Are Lost’ quickly tiring. The album, released in 2021, feels rather monotonous due to its lack of musical variation, with Del Rey and producer Jack Antonoff sliding into the comfortability of familiarity. Although there are many lovely melodies and vocal performances, the songs often appear to blend into one.
The album still has its brilliant moments, like the moody ‘Dark But Just A Game’ and the poignant duet ‘Breaking Up Slowly’, featuring Nikki Lane. However, the best song on Chemtrails is arguably ‘Yosemite’, a gentle folk-inspired cut mainly led by acoustic guitar. Del Rey’s voice shines as she sings lines such as “Honey, you make me feel invincible/ It’s just like I wanted”.
‘Thunder’ – Blue Banisters
After the disappointing Chemtrails Over the Country Club, Del Rey redeemed herself with Blue Banisters a few months later, which she teased on Twitter with the words, “I’m writing my own story. And no one can tell it but me”. The personal album addresses controversies Del Rey has faced in her career and celebrates her family and friends. For example, ‘Sweet Carolina’ is a love letter to her sister and ‘Living Legend’ is an ode to her friend and mentor, Jane Powers.
While Blue Banisters has many stellar moments, including ‘Dealer’, a duet with Miles Kane and the lullaby-esque ‘Cherry Blossom’, ‘Thunder’ is one of the record’s most essential numbers. Originally created as part of an unfulfilled collaboration album with The Last Shadow Puppets, the song contains beautiful strings and upbeat percussion, which retains a sense of optimism as Del Rey reckons with a failing relationship.
‘Candy Necklace’ – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Del Rey’s 2023 release, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, is an impressive entry into the singer’s repertoire. Coming in at 16 songs, Del Rey moves between soft ballads and trap beats, harking back to her earlier sound. While songs such as ‘A&W’ and ‘Paris, Texas’ stand out as some of the album’s most beautiful and bold cuts, it’s hard to ignore ‘Candy Necklace’, featuring Jon Batiste.
During the song, Del Rey reflects on an unhealthy relationship where her lover has been “acting pretty restless”. He gives her superficial attention – “candy necklaces” – which she can’t help but love, although she knows that he’s bringing her mood down. Batiste’s sublime piano leads the song, picking up the pace with urgency as Del Rey comes to terms with her lover’s harmful behaviour. It’s a haunting, emotionally devastating song but one of the album’s best.
