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"Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, '' Born to Die'' (2012). The pop
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 ...
was released on June 22, 2012, by
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 ...
as the fourth single of the album. In the spring of 2013, "Summertime Sadness" reached number one in Poland, Ukraine and Armenia. Charting across Europe, the single reached the top 10 in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Trap and
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remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es of "Summertime Sadness" helped Del Rey break into the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. That chart is where Del Rey's song became a modest hit and marked her first foray into the chart. On the accompanied Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, the single gave Del Rey her first US number-one single in August 2013. In September 2021, the song was ranked number 456 on ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the summer of 2013, a remixed version of the track by Cedric Gervais was released to American
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
and helped the single become a sleeper hit, debuting at 72 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and becoming the highest-charting solo single of her career in the U.S. with a peak of 6. Switzerland and Austria gave "Summertime Sadness" a Gold certification; it reached platinum status in Germany and became a top 40-year-end hit. The record also reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It joined
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 ...
's and BBC Radio 2's playlists. Gervais' remixed version won a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. The song's accompanying music video depicts Del Rey and actress Jaime King as a couple. As the storyline progresses, both characters commit suicide by jumping from perilous heights. Cinematography was handled primarily by King's husband, Kyle Newman. The video gained success on video-hosting website YouTube, and circulated through social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. In general, critics lauded the artistry of the single's music video, comparing it to photo-sharing site
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 musical arrangement was composed by Del Rey's long-time collaborators Emile Haynie and Rick Nowels, with Nowels and Del Rey writing the lyrics.


Lyrical composition and themes

"Summertime Sadness" was released as a digital download on June 22, 2012, in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Written by Lana Del Rey and her long-time collaborator, Rick Nowels, the record was produced by Nowels and Emile Haynie. "Summertime Sadness" is a pop 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 ...
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 written in the key of C♯ minor with a tempo of 125 beats per minute. Del Rey's vocals range from the note of C♯3 and C♯5. Various club
remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es of the song were created, including one by Ryan Hemsworth. '' Spin'' said Hemsworth's trap remix, "teases us with a little stoney dubwise bubble, and then dunks the entire thing into a glistening pool of purple promethazine goo. The only sharp sounds come from the barrage of skittering beats, plus some space lasers and the like." "Summertime Sadness"s Adam Freeland remix employed
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
beats and strong synthesizers that creates a "dazzling dance floor production." The song's video focuses on a lesbian couple reminiscing on positive moments before both commit suicide. ''Pop Dust'' writer Nate Jones compared the introductory lyrics, "I got my red dress on tonight / Dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight" to " Dancing in the Dark" by
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
, affirming that the song's inherent somberness was building to its gloomy denouement by first displaying positive memories the song's lovers experienced. The following two stanzas of: "Got my hair up real big beauty queen style / High heels off, I'm feeling alive" and "Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere / Nothing scares me anymore" building on the same lyrical imagery. Lyrically, the song reaches a sadder conclusion with the chorus, "Kiss me hard before you go / Summertime sadness / I just wanted you to know / That, baby, you're the best." The darkest portion of the song's story swells at the beginning of the second verse: "I'm feelin' electric tonight / Cruising down the coast goin' 'bout 99 / Got my bad baby by my
heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
ly side / I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight." As a whole, "Summertime Sadness" follows a typical pop song structure: verse, chorus, verse, chorus,
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
, chorus, with the chorus circulating several times before the song's end.


Critical reception

"Summertime Sadness" was met with widespread critical acclaim upon release. In his track-by-track review for '' Billboard'' magazine, Andrew Hampp wrote about "Summertime Sadness" that "the pouty title alone drew giggles at Del Rey's Bowery gig, but the song itself proves to be one of the more durable tracks here even if its lyrics start to get redundant ('Kiss me hard before you go... That baby you're the best')". ''
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'' named it among the best tracks on the album along with "Video Games" and "Dark Paradise". The song is also referenced in the Chainsmokers' hit single " #Selfie".


Music video

The music video for "Summertime Sadness" was filmed in April 2012 in Santa Clarita, California. It was directed by Kyle Newman and Spencer Susser. Newman's wife, actress Jaime King, stars along with Del Rey in the video, which tells the sad story of two women, who both end their own lives. King said about the video that, "It's about not being able to live without the one you love, friend or lover it doesn't matter, that's whatever you want it to be." Actor Alex Pettyfer reportedly also helped out on set as a production assistant. The radio edit of the video was released on July 20, 2012, in Germany on ClipFish. The same day, the video with the album version of the song was released on Lana Del Rey's YouTube channel. That week, Del Rey gained 69,000 new followers on both Facebook and Twitter.


Synopsis

The music video opens with a woman saying, "Remember, I'll always love you, bye". After the phone call, Del Rey sings the opening lyrics and jumps off the cliff. The next scenes tell the story of two women (played by Del Rey and Jaime King) who have become suicidal. In the next scene, the forlorn King seeks out the nearest bridge in the city and then stands on its ledge in a tear-stricken state. The next scenes depict a statue of
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
, Del Rey looking into the distance and a phone smashing into pieces as it hits the floor, hinting at Del Rey's realization that her girlfriend has killed herself. Feeling at fault for her lover's death, Del Rey spreads her arms wide mimicking the statue of Jesus Christ and jumps off the cliff. The last scenes show both women in happier times, Del Rey turns to see King and smiles; both women are seen pouting and glancing seductively over their shoulders towards one another. As the women embrace, the smoke in the atmosphere gathers and they disappear. It's shown, after both suicides, that a haunting image of Del Rey (presumably her ghost) is seen walking down a long road towards the camera.


Reception

The video received generally favorable reviews from critics. Crystal Bell, a blogger for ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
'', called the video an " ode to Instagram," and compared it to Del Rey's previous videos. Carrie Battan of ''
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
'' wrote, that "it's certainly no seven-minute re-enactment of the life of the Kennedy family, but it still offers the trademark LDR touch. Instagram-like footage, very forlorn faces, possible suicide attempts, and a very special guest." Jenna Hally Rubenstein, of MTV's ''Buzzworthy'' blog, considers that the coral-smoked scenes are Del Rey in the afterlife, post-suicide, saying it may be unlikely as "the clip closes with an image of Lana and her ghost walking alone down an empty road." Further, she said, "Sad, sad times, y'all. But then again what else did you expect from a Lana video? Sunshine, glitter and ice cream cones? Probably not." Brennan Carley of ''Billboard'' noted that "keeping the buzz alive while sticking with sepia-tones and a healthy dose of melodramatics, Lana Del Rey probes a crumbling relationship in the music video ..the video traces the women's relationship with spliced together film bits – much like the effects used in her earlier efforts – and foggy scenes of the stars pouting and glancing seductively over their shoulders." '' Spin'' magazine writer Marc Hogan found that the video recalled Del Rey's breakout video for "
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 ...
". He added, that "more provocative, though, is the hint of romance-gone-sour between Del Rey and the character played by actress Jaime King. Because this is a Lana Del Rey video, it's not spoiling anything to say there's a '' Thelma and Louise''-like twist." Entertainment website '' Spinner'' called the visual "weird. It's beautifully shot, sepia-soaked and melodramatic. The singer's bestie, played by the very lovely actress Jamie King, is also pretty sad about summer ending." Tyler Monroe, writing for AUX, called the video "indistinguishable nothingness", adding "I don't think Lana Del Rey is even trying anymore."


Live performances

In 2012, Del Rey performed "Summertime Sadness" at the Irving Plaza, along with "Million Dollar Man", while drenched in purple lights. ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' writer Bradley Sterns described Del Rey's vocal style during the Irving Plaza performance as " lounge singer crooning". Along with "Million Dollar Man" and "Summertime Sadness", Del Rey also sang "
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 ...
", " Born to Die", "Lolita", and "Without You".
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 ...
covered the song for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Marc Almond also covered the song for BBC's Radio 2 Piano Room series on 11 July 2024.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Cedric Gervais remix

In January 2013, a remix by French DJ Cedric Gervais was commissioned for the record label Universal Germany. However, the remix was initially turned down by
Interscope 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 ...
, Lana Del Rey's record labels in America and the UK, respectively, but was released on Spinnin' Records. In the spring of 2013, the remix quickly surged to number one on Beatport, resulting in several radio programmers and DJs, such as Pete Tong, working the song into their radio station's rotation.
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 ...
added the remix to its playlist, helping it to gain popularity around the world. Several Sirius XM radio stations began playing it, and Interscope decided to push at Top 40 radio in the United States. After positive feedback, Interscope agreed to release the remix.


Background

Hesitant to accept requests for remixes from other artists, Gervais immediately consented to assist Del Rey with remixing "Summertime Sadness". He said, "Lana Del Rey came in. I didn't even ask how much money ..I wasn't thinking if it was going to be a hit or not, I just love and respect the artist that she is." Satisfied with the finished product, Del Rey's team commissioned Gervais to produce a mix version of " Young and Beautiful". The decision to release the new version of "Summertime Sadness" on the DJ's primary label, Spinnin' Records, was made by Cedric's manager Luke Allen (Red Light Management) to expand the song's audience to Gervais' EDM fanbase. Allen grew and built the record from grassroots, but it wasn't until he invited
Interscope 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 ...
A&R John Ehmann to a performance at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas that the major label came on board after Ehmann heard 60,000 people singing along to the song. Months later, the
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and Eurodance track was a sleeper hit, peaking at number 6 on ''Billboard''s Hot 100 chart. "In every country I'm going to, I hear my remix on the radio," the DJ commented on the song's success. "I started a long time ago in the business with the passion of being a DJ and all of the sudden I make a track like this I get even more excited and motivated." Becoming the most successful work of his career at the time, "Summertime Sadness" unlocked a plethora of opportunities for Gervais, including a contract for the release of a full-length album that features many high-profile dance singers, Rick Nowels (co-writer of "Summertime Sadness"s lyrics) assisting him.


Music video

Gervais' interpretation of "Summertime Sadness" received a video treatment. The majority of the video includes the same footage of the original version produced by Kyle Newman. Sam Lansky of '' Idolator'' described the remake as being "...stitched together with familiar glitchy footage of Lana in her conventional
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wave style." Expanding, he said: "the euphoric house production contrasts with the melancholy aesthetic in that way that feels quintessentially Lana and, well, if nothing else, the track is straight fire." Further, Lansky remarked on the audio, stating: "The gloomy cut has received a proper single treatment" from Cedric Gervais who metamorphosed "Lana"s lachrymose original into a dancefloor stomper".


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Track listing

;German CD single # "Summertime Sadness" (Radio Mix) – 4:12 # "Summertime Sadness" – 4:25 ;German remixes EP # "Summertime Sadness" (Radio Mix) – 4:12 # "Summertime Sadness" – 4:25 # "Summertime Sadness" (Radio Mix, Extended Version) – 5:06 # "Summertime Sadness" (Hannes Fischer Nightflight Remix) – 6:41 ;German 12" remixes EP # "Summertime Sadness" (Todd Terry Remix) – 6:35 # "Summertime Sadness" (Todd Terry Dub) – 5:37 # "Summertime Sadness" (Hannes Fischer Nightflight Remix) – 6:41 # "Summertime Sadness" (Marbert Rocel Remix) – 5:41 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Asadinho Remixes # "Summertime Sadness" (Asadinho Main Vocal Mix) – 8:34 # "Summertime Sadness" (Asadinho Dub) – 7:45 # "Summertime Sadness" (Asadinho Instrumental) – 7:00 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Cedric Gervais Remix # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Extended Remix) – 6:52 # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Remix) – 3:34 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Cedric Gervais Extended Remix # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Remix) – 3:34 # "Summertime Sadness" (Cedric Gervais Extended Remix) – 6:52 ;"Summertime Sadness" – MK in the Air Remix # "Summertime Sadness" (MK in the Air Remix) – 4:02 ;"Summertime Sadness" – Nick Warren Remixes # "Summertime Sadness" (Nick Warren's Vocal Remix) – 10:34 # "Summertime Sadness" (Nick Warren's Skandik Dub) – 10:40 # "Summertime Sadness" (Nick Warren's Instrumental Remix) – 10:32


Credits and personnel

Credits for "Summertime Sadness" taken from ''Born to Die'' album liner. * Lead vocals – Lana Del Rey * Producers – Emile Haynie * Co-producers  – Rick Nowels *
Lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
 – Lana Del Rey, Rick Nowels * Label –
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 ...
* Strings arranged and conduction – Larry Gold * Flute – Dan Heath * Additional strings, guitar, and keyboards – Patrick Warren * Additional strings – Rick Nowels * Additional pads – Devrim Karaoglu * Mixer – Dan Grech Marguerat * Assistant mixer – Duncan Fuller


Release history


See also

*
List of highest-certified singles in Australia This is a list of highest-certified singles in Australia according to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Since 1983, ARIA certifies a single Platinum for shipment of 70,000 copies across Australia. Single figures can include "qu ...


References

{{Authority control 2010s ballads 2011 songs 2012 singles Cedric Gervais songs Eurodance songs Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Interscope Records singles Lana Del Rey songs Number-one singles in Poland Pop ballads Remix singles Songs about heartache Songs about loneliness Songs about suicide Song recordings produced by Emile Haynie Songs written by Rick Nowels Songs written by Lana Del Rey Spinnin' Records singles Torch songs Trip hop songs Works about seasons