"High by the Beach" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter, and record producer

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 ...

for her fourth studio album, ''

Honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds after their wedding to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase in a couple ...

'' (2015). Written by Del Rey,

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,lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

from the album on August 10, 2015 Preceded by a premature online leak. A

synth 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 ...

-led trap-

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

and

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

, it is more uptempo and pop-indebted than Del Rey's previous releases but prominently recalls the hip hop 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 ...

influences of her 2012 album, ''

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 ...

''. The song is based around

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

production, a trap beat, and an orchestral

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

arrangement. "High by the Beach" received widespread acclaim, with critics praising the song's production, Del Rey's vocals and cited it as more radio-friendly than her previous songs. It debuted at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 a week after its release, spending three weeks on the chart altogether. The song also ranked at number 89 in Triple J's Hottest 100 songs of 2015 in Australia.

Background

"High by the Beach" was written by Lana Del Rey,

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

's Beats 1, she said: "It had an

Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezz ...

vibe. The harmony sounded almost monotone. It had this weird drone to it, but with this beat it had a trap aspect".

Composition

"High by the Beach" is a

-led

and trap-

. Relatively upbeat and structurally sedate, it serves as a combination of all Del Rey's musical styles, particularly recalling the hip hop and

influences of ''

'' (2012). It is more uptempo and pop-indebted than her previous releases and is based around laidback, airy

production and swooning orchestral arrangement. The song comprises a slow and clear trap beat; prominent, dreamy synth beeps; hip hop-influenced percussions; and

Roland TR-808 The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patterns. ...

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 ...

, with contrasting brooding, eerie

instrumentation, delivering a slow and airy feel. The drums were noted to put emphasis on its

hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock music, rock, popular music, pop, jazz, an ...

. The song opens with the sound of waves lapping on a beach shore and a melancholy set of vintage California church keys. The chorus pivots into a whiny bounce, over rolling minimal electronics, on which Lana Del Rey nonchalantly coos the repeated

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

, "All I wanna do is get high by the beach, get high by the beach, get high", later syncopated by the lyric, "The truth is I never bought into your bullshit/ When you would pay tribute to me". El Hunt of '' DIY'' writes, "The chorus is oddly paced, half a leg behind

he production 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 ...

like it's just quaffed a glass of white wine and a sedative". Del Rey sings with a wispy, hazy, breathy vocal, also using a combination of

crooning A crooner is a singer who performs with a smooth, intimate style that originated in the 1920s. The crooning style was made possible by better microphones that picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to acce ...

and rapping techniques, and prominent harmonies in the song. Her vocals were noted to be coy and saccharine in delivery and in an octave just above a whisper throughout. Leonie Cooper 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, "Densely produced, her vocals are doubled and then doubled again, so it sounds like there's a gang of four lispy Lanas serenading the listener". According to Patrick Hosken of

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

, Del Rey's vocals in the song are "patented distant" and sound "like she recorded them via a tin can tied to a shoe lace". While Randall Roberts of the ''

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 ...

'' said it sounded "like she vaped a gram of Girl Scout Cookies before her vocal take". Lyrically, "High by the Beach" is a self-assured kiss-off

torch song A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affect ...

containing several lyrical themes, including

self-deprecation Self-deprecation is the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, disparaging oneself, or being excessively modest. It can be used as a way to make complaints, express modesty, invoke optimal reactions or add humour. It may also be ...

nihilism Nihilism () encompasses various views that reject certain aspects of existence. There have been different nihilist positions, including the views that Existential nihilism, life is meaningless, that Moral nihilism, moral values are baseless, and ...

, independence, and indolence. A representation of the challenges of staying in love, it specifically details Del Rey being worn down by life and love, and in turn seeking sweet escape near the ocean to enjoy

recreational drug use Recreational drug use is the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness, either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime. When a psychoactive drug enters the user's body, it induces an Sub ...

. Also an evisceration of an unworthy ex-lover, it features Del Rey lashing out in anger, telling her former partner, "Don't need your money, money to get me what I want / Lights, camera, acción / I'll do it on my own"—a reference to her early track "Put Me in a Movie" (2010). According to Jessica Goodman of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'', the song is "a tongue-in-cheek meditation discarding the extra folks in your life, and quite literally, getting high by the beach". Goodman noted that with the lyric, "You could be a bad motherfucker, but that don't make you a man. Now you're just another one of my problems because you got out of hand/ We won't survive, we're sinking into the sand," Del Rey "throws an old lover under the bus". Erin Jensen of ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' viewed it as a "bitter breakup ballad", while Hosken suggested that the song "could just represent a rough patch in an overall dramatic but very intense relationship". Hunt said that the lyrics were deceptive, writing, "Sacking off no good men, money-slinging bullshitters, and empty tributes in favour of beachy hedonism on 'High By The Beach,' this song is really a song about reveling in the escape of being yourself". Del Rey's atypically assertive lyrics in the song drew comparisons to

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

's "

Bitch Better Have My Money "Bitch Better Have My Money" (otherwise known in clean and radio versions as "B**** Better Have My Money" or simply "Better Have My Money") is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was written by Rihanna, Bibi Bourelly, producer Deputy, co-prod ...

" (2015).

Release

"High by the Beach" is the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

from ''

''. On August 4, 2015, Del Rey announced the single's release date (August 10) and revealed its accompanying

cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

. The artwork was shot by Del Rey's younger sister, Chuck Grant. Her make-up was done by Pamela Cochrane, her hair by Anna Cafone, and her wardrobe by Johnny Blueeyes. The cover art is pastel in color and features Del Rey in a silk dress standing atop a dock next to a miniature model sailboat. Natalie Weiner of ''

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 ...

'' opined that the cover suggested that the song's title "may be fairly self-explanatory". Brennan Carley of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' said that Del Rey was "gorgeously rendered" in the artwork. Emily Manning of ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'' deemed the cover art "nautically nostalgic" and wrote, "It's something of a departure from the singer's previously dark aesthetic, which has served as ample inspiration for online movements of sad girls and

Tumblr Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...

goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

". On August 8, "High by the Beach" leaked online two days ahead of its release date; it was later reported Del Rey's label had managed to largely take down the leaks online. Del Rey shared the track's official audio on August 10, with an official premiere on Apple Music's Beats 1 at 09:30 PST (17:30 BST) and on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

at 11:30 PST (19:30 BST). The same day, "High by the Beach" was made available as a

digital download Digital download may refer to: *Downloading, the processing of copying data to a computer from an external source *Digital distribution, a method of downloading software or audio-visual media as opposed to buying it at a traditional point of sale * ...

pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came because people found it hard to get popular items in stores because of their popularity. Companies then had the idea to allow customers to r ...

with a new release date of August 12; however, the new release date was pulled and "High by the Beach" was digitally released on August 10 as originally planned.

Critical reception

"High by the Beach" received critical acclaim. Jason Lipshutz of ''Billboard'' deemed it "perhaps the most radio-friendly song of el Rey'sentire career", and praised the "gloriously whiny bounce" of its chorus and "sparkling Lana wisdom" in its lyrics. Similarly, ''

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 ...

''s Sal Cinquemani said, "Though it's an understated single by today's pop standards, .. it's handily Del Rey's catchiest single since '

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 ...

', or at least '

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 ...

'". Cinquemani also complimented Del Rey's "crisp" vocal and the track's "hypnotic" synth line, and quipped, "lazy, revenge- and smoke-filled summer days never sounded so sweet". Jessica Goodman of ''Entertainment Weekly'' deemed it Del Rey's catchiest single yet, praising its "surprising" hip hop elements. Writing in ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', Nolan Feeney said that "High by the Beach" was Del Rey's "poppiest song in a while" and highlighted its "skittering beat and dizzying hook". Feeney's view was echoed by Constant Gardner of

Pigeons & Planes Complex Networks is an American media and entertainment company for youth culture, based in New York City. It was founded as a bi-monthly magazine, ''Complex'', by fashion designer Marc Eckō. Complex Networks reports on popular and emerging tr ...

who felt "High by the Beach" was "a pop song surely destined for radio play". ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

''s Peter Helman found "High by the Beach" to be "positively ''fun''" and "probably the straight-up catchiest thing she's done in a while", complimenting its "sultry keys" and the "refreshing independence" of its lyrics. Rory Cashin of ''

State State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

'' also felt the song was "far more commercially minded" and added, "if it wasn't for that title and the heavy drug references, we'd imagine this would fit quite snuggly on the charts and radio rotation". Patrick Hosken of MTV News commented, "Lana's knack for capturing summer in songs is on point here". Similarly,

HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...

's Marcus Ezra stated that the track proved that Del Rey "knows how to do summer right", and praised its drum instrumentation which he felt lent the song "a harder edge". Writing in ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

'', Jillian Mapes called the song "sonic perfection" and a late contender for the "Song of the Summer", and opined that it indicated that Del Rey "hasn't abandoned her whole 'gangster

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 ...

' thing, and it might not want to make you cringe anymore". Mapes also commended the track's "several anthemic lines" and felt that despite it "reaching peak Sad Girl nihilism", it worked as "a chilled-out trap-pop single you can blast as a comedown from 'Bitch Better Have My Money'". Tommy Pisani of ''

Out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...

'' called the song a "new 420 anthem" and said its "strong harmonies" turned it into "the perfect end-of-summer jam". ''NME'' writer Leonie Cooper lauded the song as the "Slow-Burning Sound Of Late Summer". Robin Murray of '' Clash'' opined that it was a "gorgeous, hazy summer hymn". Yasmeen Gharnit of ''

Nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

'' opined that Del Rey had "perhaps delivered her greatest hazy anthem". Ian David Monroe of '' V'' wrote that the song marked "an evolved artist" and "sultry Lana at her best", and complimented its "surprising" trap beat. ''

Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

'' writer Sandra Song deemed the ballad "an absolute stunner", commending Del Rey's "otherworldly" voice and highlighting the song's "most melancholy set of vintage California church keys you could imagine". Jack Russell of ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' called it "an interesting sound" and "everything and nothing like what we've come to expect from el Rey. El Hunt of ''DIY'' praised the song's "unapologetic" production and Del Rey's coy, saccharine delivery which he felt lent itself to "one of the best deliveries of 'bullshit' this year". While Laura Bradley of ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

'' wrote, "Now, as the title suggests, all she wants to do is get high by the beach, and it's hard to resist coming along for the ride". ''

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 ...

'' ranked "High By the Beach" at number 18 on its year-end list of the 50 best songs of 2015. ''

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 ...

'' ranked the song at number 75 on its year-end list of the 100 best songs of 2015.

Commercial performance

Due to an error in calculation by Nielsen, "High by the Beach" was originally reported to have debuted on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...

chart at number 7 with 248,000 copies sold. The error was corrected on the issue dated August 29, 2015, and the song was revealed to have debuted and peaked at number 51 on the Hot 100, and number 10 on the Digital Songs chart with 67,000 copies. The song dropped 14 places to number 65 in its second week, and fell to number 97 by its third week. "High by the Beach" was also a minor success in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, peaking at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart.

Music video

On August 9, 2015, Del Rey posted a promotional image from the accompanying

Jake Nava Jake Nava is a British director, mostly known for his work in music videos for Beyoncé, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Britney Spears and The Rolling Stones. He also directs TV commercials, notably for Guinness and Levi Strauss & Co. Early life and ed ...

-directed

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for "High by the Beach" on Instagram. On August 10, Del Rey shared a short clip of the music video on Instagram. On August 12, Del Rey shared a 15-second video preview on Instagram and announced that the full music video will be released on August 13.

Synopsis

The video is primarily shot in a

hand-held camera Hand-held camera or hand-held shooting is a filmmaking and video production technique in which a camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a Tripod (photography), tripod or other base. Hand-held cameras are used ...

technique with very little editing or cuts. The video begins with Del Rey wearing a low-cut white sundress over a black bra and a sea glass blue robe entering a beach house as a paparazzi helicopter hovers above her. After entering the house, the camera follows Del Rey from behind as she walks upstairs, posing in front of a mirror and collapsing on her bed, rolling around on it. The camera continues to follow her downstairs where she begins flipping through the pages of a tabloid. As the camera moves in front of her, the helicopter reappears closer to the house, hovering in front of the windows. A photographer takes photos of Del Rey and he and the rest of the paparazzi surround her with the helicopter's wind. Del Rey then runs outside onto the beach and pulls out a guitar case from beneath a pile of rocks. When she returns to the balcony, she opens the case and removes a large rocket launcher from it. She turns towards the helicopter and destroys it with the weapon, killing the paparazzi. In the aftermath of the explosion, flaming pieces of tabloid articles flutter through the air as Del Rey lowers the rocket launcher and re-enters the beach house.

Accolades

Track listing

*;Digital download #"High by the Beach" – 4:17

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2010s ballads 2015 singles 2015 songs Interscope Records singles Lana Del Rey songs Music videos directed by Jake Nava Polydor Records singles Pop ballads Songs about beaches Songs about drugs Songs written by Lana Del Rey Songs written by Rick Nowels Torch songs Universal Music Group singles