Lana Del Rey, a digital native, has captivated Gen Z with her music, focusing on yearning, melancholia, and American identity. Despite economic uncertainty, Del Rey's music captures Gen Z's emotions and aesthetics, blending past and present influences while addressing themes like depression and intimacy.
Lana Del Rey's 'Norman F**king Rockwell' is a soft rock album with piano-based and psych ballads, praised as one of the best albums of 2019 and the decade. The album features 14 songs, including four favorites, challenging Norman Rockwell's idealistic society.
The song "Blue" by Lana Del Rey, nominated for Grammy's 'Song of the Year', is enchanting and references the famous American painter Norman Rockwell. The song uses the color blue, often used by Rockwell in his compositions, to draw audiences to the painting's vital parts.
Lana Del Rey's song 'Venice B*tch' references the 1950s 'American Dream' paintings, inspiring her to create a nostalgic vision of her ideal happy life with her lover. She dreams in jeans and leathers, embodying the American lifestyle. She even mentions Hallmark, a popular American greeting card company, in her song.
Norman Rockwell's song "Life on Mars" is a standout for Lana Del Rey, showcasing the Gen Z urge to save and captivate. The song references David Bowie's song, which depicts a young girl bewitched by Hollywood, escaping dire reality. This powerful juxtaposition showcases Rockwell's influence on the Gen Z generation.
Lana Del Rey's song, "24/7 Sylvia Plath," is an icon and legend. The song portrays Lana's struggle with addiction and dependency, akin to Sylvia Plath, an American poet and novelist. Lana's deteriorating mental health is reflected in her writing in blood on walls, a tribute to Norman Rockwell's "The Problem We All Live With" artwork. Despite Plath's suicide, Del Rey finds hope in her own struggles.