If Lana Del Rey’s music career were a movie, it would be a sleeper hit. Some music critics once wrote her off, but she rose like a phoenix. Earlier this year, Billboard awarded her with the Visionary Award. She has been steadfast with her projects, never resting on her laurels or external validation. Lana has managed to stay relevant for a long time.

She is a legend-in-making who stayed relevant despite controversy and media conjecture. This brilliant songstress largely remains a misunderstood icon, possibly making her relatable to her LGBT+ fans.

Lana del Rey, the story behind the star

She was born Elizabeth Grant and later chose the stage name Lana Del Rey. Hollywood star Lana Turner and the Brazilian car brand Ford Del Rey inspired the name. Because she never gives up on her mystery, there is something about her that is highly elusive.

Her songs are described as melancholic, vintage and dreamy. Her music is often termed Hollywood sad-core. There is a lot of speculation about her brand. She retained her privacy even at the peak of social media and paparazzi.

As a philosophy major and metaphysics fan, her songs have an immense depth. In her acceptance speech for the Variety‘s Decade Award, she explained how she lives her life through her poetry. Her music is a direct reflection of her innermost thoughts.

Unlike most contemporary singers, she has written all of her own lyrics and released one book of poetry. She embraces her dark side unabashedly, which comes across in her music albums Honeymoon, AW and Ultraviolence. She defies the concept of being a manufactured music icon and has become an anti-pop star. Lana doesn’t give in to the over-culture of our times. She has sold around 19.1 million albums and 13 million singles globally.

Her influence in the industry is frequently overlooked. Earlier this year, she won the Visionary Award at Billboard’s Women in Music Awards. Lana does her own thing, not listening to her critics or casual fans who want her to keep making similar albums.

She has come a long way from being once cancelled over her song lyrics online. This brave songstress is an excellent example of persevering in adversity. She lets her work speak for itself with six Grammy nominations. Lana’s music has inspired a generation of Tumblr users and is the latest obsession for TikTok users.

Lana Del Rey significantly impacted the internet music scene when she first appeared with her viral song Video Games. Her subsequent album, Born to Die, became an instant international success.

Her heady songs with philosophical lyrics and ethereal aesthetics contributed to her cult following. It was remarkably different from the mainstream pop focused on extravagance and over-indulgence. The New York Times recognised her as one of this decade’s most consistent album artists and world builders in 2019.

It is difficult to stereotype her, and therein lies the beauty of her creativity. She was accused of romanticising abuse, but just like any true artist, her work reflected her life experiences. Lana battles a lot of criticism for not following the norms.

In her Rolling Stones interview, she spoke about her deep passion for writing, which helped her figure out what she wanted to say. In one of her interviews with Complex Cover magazine, she spoke about finding your own path and how following it is not for the faint of hearts. She took the road less travelled, and it created all the difference.