Lana Del Rey created a musical universe of her own over the last 15+ years that she has been releasing songs. Her Americana sad girl aesthetic has fueled many dark romantic style songs that speak on being the other woman, falling for bad boys, and living a party girl lifestyle. Lana displays a feminist power in her writing by being authentically herself, even when shining a light on her dark sides. I find her music empowering, with her newest release A&W being the most influential song on me.

“i haven’t seen my mother in a long, long time” – This line always catches me off guard and sort of stabs me in the heart a bit when I hear it. My mom passed away last year and before that, we had a really rocky relationship. Opening the song with this line sets a tone of aching sadness for me that follows into the rest of the verses.

“it’s not about having someone to love me anymore, this is the experience of an american whore.” – Lana is reclaiming the term ‘whore’ by embracing it as her title. She has stated in her song “Norman Fucking Rockwell” that she settles for men who she can have good sex with and deals with the rest. This idea is repeated here, painting her as half alive in her love affairs.

“i mean look at me, look at the length of my hair, my face and the shape of my body. if i told you that i was raped do you really that anybody would think i didn’t ask for it?” – These lines are so heavy and wash over me with feelings of dread, sadness, and animosity towards rape culture in the United States. It’s something that every little girl & grown woman experiences on some level. I’ve felt the pressure of the being seen as a sexual object since I was a young child and that ick still follows me every day. I leave my house cautious and aware that the world is a dangerous place for a women.

Visit here to learn more about the prevalence of sexual assault in the United States: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence