Born To Die (1934 Film)
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''Born to Die'' is the second
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
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. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...
. It was released on January 27, 2012, through
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, 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 ...
and
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a 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 ...
as her major label debut. A
reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Reco ...
of the album, subtitled '' The Paradise Edition'', was released on November 9, 2012. The new material from the reissue was also made available on a separate
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP) titled ''
Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
''. Before the album's release, Del Rey had attracted attention with her 2011 singles "
Video Games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
" and "
Born to Die ''Born to Die'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 27, 2012, through Interscope Records and Polydor Records as her major label debut. A reissue of the album, subtitled '' The Paradis ...
", which contrasted contemporary electronic/dance music with a cinematic sound accompanied by dramatic
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
. 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 appropria ...
and
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
album, ''Born to Die'' features the same cinematic composition. The lyrics are about love, sex, and drugs, and feature 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'' (1981 film), an American drama film * ''Americana'' (20 ...
. The album was the world's fifth best-selling album of 2012. In 2023, it became the second album by a woman to spend more than 500 weeks on the US ''Billboard'' 200, where it peaked at number 2, 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 Jeans are a type of trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with the addition of copper pocket rivets added by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and patented by D ...
", "
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 European ...
", 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 K ...
". "Summertime Sadness" peaked at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Del Rey's highest-charting single in the US at the time. The album polarized contemporary critics; praise was directed toward the album's distinctive sound, while criticism targeted its repetitiveness and melodramatic tendencies. Del Rey's image during promotion of ''Born to Die'' was controversial; tabloid media accused her of inauthentic marketing tactics to gain an audience in the
indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties afforded by in ...
scene. Despite an initially 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 Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' and ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', and helped Del Rey acquire
cult status A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, book ...
among music fans.


Background and development

In 2007, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Grant signed a recording contract with the record label 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 or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
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 ne ...
. 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 A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
". 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 an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
after its premiere. During an appearance on the French television series ''
Taratata ''Taratata'' is a French television music show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the show was initially shown on Antenne 2 (France 2). The show often involved surprise and unlik ...
'' 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 in
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
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 in
Carpenders Park Carpenders Park is a suburb of Watford in the Watford Rural parish of the Three Rivers (district), Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located in the south western corner of Hertfordshire and close to the boundary with Greate ...
,
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
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 first album with
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, 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 ...
after she secured a distribution arrangement with them.


Composition

''Born to Die''s music style has been described as
alternative pop Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
, "sultry, overstated
orchestral pop Orchestral pop is pop music that has been arranged and performed by a symphonic orchestra. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms symphonic pop and chamber pop. History During the 1960s, pop music on radio and in both American and ...
,"
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 appropria ...
,
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a 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 Slowcore, also known as sadcore, is a subgenre of indie rock characterised by its subdued tempos, minimalist instrumentation, and sombre vocal performances. Slowcore's influences are diverse, involving varying other genres, including folk rock ...
and
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
. 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. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', 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 an ...
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, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walki ...
", 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 has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
and
Antony and the Johnsons Anohni and the Johnsons (previously known as Antony and the Johnsons) is a music ensemble originally based in New York City that presents the work of English singer-songwriter Anohni and her collaborators. The band released its self-titled de ...
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 singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
's "down and out drunken loner persona" in her 1994 single "
Leaving Las Vegas ''Leaving Las Vegas'' is a 1995 romantic drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis and based on the 1990 semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, having lost his family ...
". Pryia Elan of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' 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 European ...
", 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 released five albums from 1996 to 2020, all of which reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart. As of 2021, she has sold over ...
". Compared to soundtracks for
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
films, ''Born to Die'' contains
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
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 protagonist and narrator is a French literature professor who moves to New England and writes under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. He details his obsession ...
-esque persona. Bill Lamb, a reviewer at
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) 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, hom ...
, 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 ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' 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 by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 27, 2012, through Interscope Records and Polydor Records as her major label debut. A reissue of the album, subtitled '' The Paradis ...
".


Promotion

To promote ''Born to Die'', Del Rey embarked on the Born to Die Tour from November 4, 2011, to September 25, 2012. Mainly consisting of concerts in Europe, the tour also visited North America and Australia. "Video Games" was featured for the first time on
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
's ''
Ringer Ringer(s) may refer to: Sports and games * Ringer, in sports idiom, an impostor, especially one whose pretense is intended to gain an advantage in a competition * Road course ringer, a non-NASCAR driver hired to race at a road course * A game p ...
'' 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 Manhattan's Bowery neighborhood. The venue has enjoyed a fabled reputation among musicians as well as audiences. In 2013, industry insiders polled by ''Roll ...
, 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. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' 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 ''De Wereld Draait Door'' (; DWDD) was an early-evening talk show on Dutch television, broadcast every weekday at 7:00 p.m. on NPO 1. It was the Netherlands' longest-running, regularly scheduled TV entertainment show and had the second-highes ...
'', 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'Ambois ...
in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. 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. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'', and ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'', 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'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' 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 commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
anchor
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He was a correspondent for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchorman, anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in ...
, who called it "the worst in ''SNL'' history". ''SNL'' cast member
Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American comedian, actor, musician, writer and producer. He is a member of the comedy music group the Lonely Island, along with childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. ...
and the host of that week's episode,
Daniel Radcliffe Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. Radcliffe rose to fame at age twelve for portraying the title character in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. He starred in all eight films in the series, from '' Harry Potter a ...
, 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 A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
" 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, model, and painter. She began her career as a teenage model before appearing in suppor ...
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 by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 27, 2012, through Interscope Records and Polydor Records as her major label debut. A reissue of the album, subtitled '' The Paradis ...
", 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. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' gave the video a generally favorable review. Del Rey announced "
Blue Jeans Jeans are a type of trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with the addition of copper pocket rivets added by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and patented by D ...
" 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 European ...
" 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 K ...
" 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


Initial reception

At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, 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 the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
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 (musician), James Allan (vocals), Rab Allan (lead guitar) and Paul Donoghue (bass guitar), with Swedish drummer Jonna Löfgren joining the group in 2010 unt ...
'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 Yor ...
'' 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 (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' 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 busines ...
of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' 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 '' Blen ...
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. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' 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 Mus ...
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 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. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
''s
Kitty Empire Kitty Empire (born 1970) is 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 in ...
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. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
and
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
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 ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
''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. Her first major success came in 2009 when she was featured on rapper Flo Rida's number-one single, "Right Round". Kesha's music and ima ...
's
Valley Girl A valley girl is a socioeconomic, linguistic, and youth subcultural stereotype and stock character originating during the 1980s: any materialistic upper-middle-class young woman, associated with unique vocal and California dialect features, f ...
aloofness, the album lives down to the harshest preconceptions against pop music". Randall Roberts of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' 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". ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
''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 ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' 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, the divine, or the supernatural is either unknowable in principle or unknown in fact. (page 56 in 1967 edition) It can also mean an apathy towards such religious belief and refer to ...
pop ballads with
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
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 Nort ...
'' 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 controversyin 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, ''
Grantland ''Grantland'' was a sports and pop-culture blog owned and operated by ESPN. The blog was started in 2011 by veteran writer and sports journalist Bill Simmons, who remained as editor-in-chief until May 2015. ''Grantland'' was named after famed ...
'' 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 Reyis 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 Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
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 ...
'' 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+ magazine established in 1984. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company began including 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 ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', 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 "spotty 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 the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
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. In the UK, the album was certified five-times platinum and by March 2023 had sold 1.4 million copies. In France, the album debuted at number one on the
French Albums Chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in 1 ...
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) is an English singer-songwriter. Regarded as a British cultural icon, icon, she is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. List of awards and nominations received by Adele, ...
'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 January 2024, ''Born to Die'' has sold 2.3 million copies in the United States, and has been certified five-times platinum by the RIAA for album units equivalent to five million. According to the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
(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. As of April 2024, the album has allegedly sold eighteen million equivalent album units worldwide since release.


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. ''
Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...
''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 the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
'' 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 an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
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 magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' 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 Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...
'': "I know it's fun to slate
ana Ana or ANA may refer to: People * Ana (given name), a list of people with the name * Ana people or Atakpame people, an ethnic group of West Africa * ana (gamer), Anathan Pham, an Australian professional ''Dota 2'' player known as ana Places * A ...
but 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 Yor ...
'' 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, well-known 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&nbs ...
'' 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, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...
, 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'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' 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 ''Hyperallergic'' is an online arts magazine, based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded by the art critic Hrag Vartanian and his husband Veken Gueyikian in October 2009, the site describes itself as a "forum for serious, playful, and radical thinki ...
'' called ''Born to Die'' "ahead of its time." Al Horner from
Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
agreed, marking ''Born to Die'' as " blueprint for a new sonic world" and describing its sound as the feminine equivalent of
grunge music Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and Olympia, and other nearby cities. Grunge fuses elements of pun ...
. 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
he public was He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
looking for." Del Rey herself stated in an interview with ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' 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
ad girl Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...
trend into pop culture." Richard S. He, writing 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 advertis ...
'', 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
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
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 Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting, and has been referred to ...
,
Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...
,
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
and
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
, 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 ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' (#3). ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' 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- 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. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...
– vocals * Emilie Bauer-Mein –
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
* James Bauer-Mein – backing vocals * Lenha Labelle – French vocals *
David Sneddon David Sneddon (born 15 September 1978) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and music producer of contemporary pop music. He began his career performing on stage and television, singing lead roles in stage musicals in Glasgow. In 2002, ...
– backing vocals *
Hannah Robinson Hannah Robinson (born in Derbyshire) is a British songwriter. Her best-known compositions include Rachel Stevens's UK No. 2 hit " Some Girls", Ladyhawke's " My Delirium" and Annie's "Chewing Gum". Robinson began her career as a vocalist and ...
– backing vocals * Matihandz – additional vocals


Instruments

* Patrik Berger –
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
,
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
,
synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
, sampler,
drum programming Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations or hardware synthesizers, sampler and sequencers, to generate sounds of musical instruments. These mu ...
*
Jeff Bhasker Jeffrey Nath Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and was nominated for the award in 2013. Bhasker cam ...
– guitar ; keyboards ; additional keyboards ; additional strings *
Chris Braide Christopher Braide is an English songwriter, record producer and singer, based in Malibu, Los Angeles. First signed as a solo artist by David A. Stewart in the UK and Craig Kallman at Atlantic Records in the US, Braide relocated to Los Ange ...
– guitar,
acoustic piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an action mechanism where hammers strike strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a chromatic scale in equal tempe ...
,
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
, drum programming * Pelle Hansen –
cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
*
Emile Haynie Emile Haynie (born July 13, 1980), often credited simply as Emile, is an American record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, his range of production includes alternative rock, hip hop, indie and pop music. Haynie has worked with seve ...
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
; keyboards ; additional keyboards ; guitar * Dan Heath –
flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
, additional strings * Erik Holm –
viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
*
Liam Howe Liam Coverdale Howe (born 29 September 1974) is an English record producer, musician and songwriter. Since co-founding electronic music band Sneaker Pimps in 1996, he has been a producer for Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, FKA Twigs, E ...
– additional keyboards,
programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...
* Devrim Karaoglu – additional synthesizer, orchestral drums ; additional pads *
Brent Kolatalo Brent Kolatalo is an American mixer, record producer, engineer and songwriter based in New York City. Kolatalo has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake, Bruno Mars, X Ambassadors, Future, Chris W ...
– additional drums * Ken Lewis – additional vocal noises ; additional drums *
Rick Nowels Richard Wright Nowels Jr. (born March 16, 1954) is an American songwriter and record producer. He has co-written and co-produced over 90 hit singles with multiple artists,pads Pads (also called leg guards) are a type of protective equipment used in a number of sports and serve to protect the legs from the impact of a hard ball, puck, or other object of play travelling at high speed which could otherwise cause injuries t ...
*
Al Shux Alexander Shuckburgh, better known by his stage name Al Shux, is a British record producer and songwriter from London, England. He is perhaps best known for his production work on Jay-Z's 2009 single, " Empire State of Mind", which peaked atop ...
– guitar, bass guitar, keyboards,
programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...
*
Sacha Skarbek Sacha Skarbek is a British songwriter and producer. He is best known for co-writing James Blunt's hit singles "You're Beautiful" and " Goodbye My Lover" as well as Miley Cyrus' hit song "Wrecking Ball". Skarbek has worked with artists such as ...
omnichord The Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument introduced in 1981 by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It allows users to play distinctive harp-like arpeggios produced through an electronic strum plate, simulating the experience of ...
* Fredrik Syberg – violin *
Patrick Warren Patrick Warren (born March 26, 1957) is an American musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Magnolia'', ''Fifty Shades of Grey'', ''Boogie Nights'' and ''Red State'', as well as the television series '' ...
– chamberlain strings ; additional strings ; guitar, keyboards ; strings, secondary strings


Production

* Carl Bagge –
string arrangements The string section of an orchestra is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the standard orchestra. In ...
* Patrik Berger –
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...
* Jeff Bhasker – co-production , additional production * Chris Braide – production * Lorenzo Cosi –
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
*
Mike Daly Michael A. Daly is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Daly attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Daly first came to prominence as the Whiskeytown resident multi-instrumentalist and co-writer. He wrote ...
– vocal production * John Davis – mastering * Duncan Fuller – mixing assistant * Chris Galland – mixing assistant * Larry Gold – string arrangements,
conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...
*
Dan Grech-Marguerat Daniel James Grech-Marguerat (born 11 July 1981 in Bedford), is an English-Maltese recording engineer, record producer and mixer. Grech has worked with Lana Del Rey, Keane, and Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known profe ...
mixing * Nicole Nodland –
photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
*
Mat Maitland Mat Maitland is an English art director and visual artist who lives in London. He is renowned for his photo collage works and for co-creating numerous music campaigns. Career Maitland started his career at WEA (Warner Bros. Records) as a designer ...
design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
* Emile Haynie – production * Dan Heath – string arrangements, conductor * Liam Howe – co-production * Brent Kolatalo – additional recording * Erik Madrid – mixing assistant *
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is a Guatemalan-American record mixing engineer. He has been credited on albums for high-profile pop, R&B, hip hop and rock acts. He has worked with artists including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry ...
– mixing * Kieron Menzies – engineering * The Nexus – vocal production * Rick Nowels – co-production ; vocal production *
Justin Parker Justin Parker is an English songwriter and record producer best known for his work with female singer-songwriters such as Lana Del Rey, Rihanna, Bat for Lashes, and Banks. Career Parker began writing music when he was 17, but his career breakt ...
– vocal production ; additional production *
Robopop Daniel Omelio, often known by his stage name "Robopop", is a producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. He is best known for his work on successful singles by Maroon 5, Gym Class Heroes and Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born J ...
– production, mixing * Al Shux – production, vocal production *
Steve Tirpak Steve Tirpak (born 1981) is an American musician from Edgewater Park, New Jersey, United States. He plays piano, trumpet, trombone and has produced, toured and arranged for a number of contemporary musicians including Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Lana De ...
– string assistant


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Notes


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 Baroque pop albums Indie pop albums by American artists Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums Interscope Records albums Lana Del Rey albums Lolita Polydor Records albums Sadcore albums Trip hop albums by American artists