BY KATHY WILLIAMS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey released her latest album titled “Blue Banisters” on Oct. 22, her second album of the year and her eighth studio album. Positive reviews from sources such as “Rolling Stone” and “The Guardian” reinforced the beauty of Rey’s latest piece.
The album consists of 15 tracks totaling one hour and two minutes. Prior to the release, four songs were released as singles: “Text Book,” “Wildflower Wildfire,” “Blue Banisters” and “Arcadia.” Songs that rose in popularity, though, include “If You Lie Down With Me,” “Dealer” and “Thunder.”
In March, Del Rey announced a day after the release of her seventh studio album “Chemtrails Over the Country Club ” that she was releasing “Blue Banisters” in June 2021. Fans grew interested, and Del Rey took to social media to provide teasers for the new project. On July 3, she posted the album cover which featured her two dogs Tex and Mex, and it gave fans a preview of the aesthetic of Del Rey’s album to come.
Blue has always been a part of Rey’s work.
Her 2011 album “Born to Die” with hit tracks “Video Games” and “Summertime Sadness” featured a predominantly blue album cover that pairs seamlessly with the melodic tone of voice. The use of blue has allowed Del Rey to paint a picture for her listeners by the physical description of blue jeans, skies, and oceans. But, she has also masterfully connected her use of blue to reflect the emotional tones behind the lyrics she sings, whether she uses blue to describe feelings of tranquility and calmness in her life or to express a looming sadness she felt in situations.
To categorize what genre Del Rey best hits is a daunting task with the way she incorporates pop, rock, and hip-hop with tones of old Hollywood and strong belts of emotional, passionate notes that leave listeners in awe. She is also known for her 1950s and 60 Americana themes which are present yet again in her latest piece. Album “Blue Banisters” meets these expectations in its instrumentals such as horns and electric guitar.
The album is an encapsulation of life for Del Rey. She is honest, raw, and revealing her inner feelings now. The track “Violets for Roses” includes lyrics such as “The girls runnin’ ‘round in summer dresses with their masks off and it makes me so happy” where she uses the mask-wearing rules of the COVID-19 pandemic to be a physical description in the lyrics and to be a comparison to the emotional unmasking she experienced recently.
Other tracks featured references to current events from the past couple of years. Del Rey is known for her connection to California, more specifically Los Angeles, so it made sense that she touched on the wildfires that have devastated the state in her lyrics of the track “Arcadia.” The opening lyrics of “Black Bathing Suit” blatantly address the past climate of the years with the lines “Grenadine quarantine, I like you a lot; It’s LA, ‘Hey’ on Zoom, Target parking lot.”
Del Rey fashioned “Blue Banisters” to be a way to let the world know how she is doing right now. Her songs cover versatile subjects such as quarantine, heartbreak, and issues within her family. She finalizes the album with tracks “Cherry Blossom” and “Sweet Carolina” singing about the relationship with her sister, especially with the pregnancy of the sister’s first child.
