Lana Del Rey picks “the most important book I ever read”
It’s hard to argue with Lana Del Rey’s status as one of the most influential musical figures of the 21st century. After she emerged with her debut single ‘Video Games’ in 2011, Del Rey became a viral sensation. Quickly, she came to define an era with her music, finding immense popularity online, particularly on Tumblr.
With records such as Born to Die, Paradise and Ultraviolence, Del Rey crafted a distinctive aesthetic based on classic Americana, referencing imagery such as motels, gas stations, and motorcycles. Through her distinctive vision of America, Del Rey explored love and loss, touching on excess, opulence and the dual nature of the American dream. With a dedicated vision, Del Rey found her place in the cultural zeitgeist, a figure of tragic glamour adored by fans all across the world.
Over the years, Del Rey has expanded her sound, moving away from her once-defining aesthetic. She has naturally matured, with records such as 2019’s Norman Fucking Rockwell! demonstrating her sublime writing talents and marking a turning point in her career. With nine studio albums and several EPs and singles to her name, Del Rey has racked up many prestigious accolades and nominations, including two Brit Award wins and six Grammy nominations.
However, it took many years for Del Rey to reach the levels of success she has now achieved. She began singing in New York bars when she was 18, where she met an A&R representative for 5 Points Records, and in 2007, she was offered a recording contract. The following year, she released her first EP, Kill Kill, under the name Lizzy Grant, before changing her stage name and releasing her debut album, Lana Del Ray, in 2010.
Unfortunately, the record label was unable to fund the album, and it was soon removed from iTunes. Yet, Del Rey didn’t give up on her dreams of becoming a singer and kept working towards her goals, which she soon achieved. For Del Rey, there was one book that shaped her mindset and encouraged her to persist, a self-help guide she called “the most important book I’ve ever read”.
Talking to Rolling Stone, the singer revealed the importance of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, which she believes has “kind of [a] misleading title,” asserting that it is “an absolute must-read”. She explained that Hill “collected all his information from Nikola Tesla and Carnegie and Rockefeller and all these different people and inventors”.
Within the book, Hill describes the steps to becoming successful, which he believes is rooted in a strong mindset. There are several key steps that he maps out, including using positive affirmations, assuming that you will achieve your goals no matter what, and using your intuition as a guiding force.
Del Rey was struck by a specific piece of advice in the book, which encouraged her to aim high. She explained, “There’s a phrase in there that said you have to burn your bridge to every single path except to that one passion that your heart is oriented towards and at the time it was definitely music.”
