Queen of “Summertime Sadness” is preparing for a return. Lana Del Rey released the first track, “High By The Beach,” from her album Honeymoon in the beginning of last July, giving listeners a taste of what’s to come for the new era. Honeymoon was a return to form, bringing back more instruments and a sound similar to the Born To Die era. I can’t lie, “Honeymoon” wasn’t the track that got me excited to hear the album, but I can never count the “Brooklyn Baby” out. Del Rey’s official single “High By The Beach” has the essence of Born To Die combined with the dark feel of her second record Ultraviolence.
The synth-filled brooding track has Del Rey wanting to escape her troubles and get high by the nearest beach. I love when Lana creates tracks with a hip hop undertone like “Diet Mountain Dew” or “National Anthem,” and this beat really fits her hazy, carefree vocals. The laid-back production is mesmerizing as the percussion knocks enough to add a little excitement to the relaxed track. Del Rey’s coos and minimal production give off that unbothered vibe to the track, providing her all the attention as she croons about her lack of interest in admiration.
Some of the first things I noticed about the track are the messages that Del Rey is trying to address. The two common themes are a relationship that’s become another problem and a kiss-off to the media that’s been elegantly visualized, with Del Rey playing her own level of Call of Duty against the paparazzi. Seeing the video gives a couple lines more weight, like when Del Rey lets the world know she would prefer to get high on her drug of choice than listen to praises. “The truth is I never bought into your bullshit / When you would pay tribute to me cause I know that / All I wanted to was get high by the beach,” she sings. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Lana Del Rey calmly knock out a plane with a ridiculous machine gun hidden inside of a guitar case?