Deborah Chan
Lana Del Rey's fourth studio album, Honeymoon, was released on 18 September 2015. The album, which includes the singles High by the Beach and Music to Watch Boys To, explores themes of tortured romance, resentment, lust, escapism, and violence, eroticism, drugs, myth, and the American soul. The title track, Honeymoon, is a cinematic ballad with swooping strings and layered vocal harmonies. Del Rey has described the album as noirish, and it has been likened to a larger canon of Southern California Gothic albums.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Release date | 18 September 2015 |
| Record label | Interscope and Polydor Records |
| Genre | Baroque pop, Southern California Gothic |
| Length | 14 tracks |
| Writing and production | Lana Del Rey, Rick Nowels, Kieron Menzies |
| Format | CD, double LP, digital download |
| Lyrical themes | Romance, resentment, lust, escapism, violence, eroticism, drugs, myth, YOLO, womanhood, the American soul |
| Lead single | "High by the Beach" |
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What You'll Learn
The album's themes and inspiration
Lana Del Rey's fourth studio album, Honeymoon, explores a range of themes, including tortured romance, resentment, lust, escapism, and violence. The album has been described as noirish and Southern California Gothic, with Del Rey herself stating that the album would be different from her previous release, Ultraviolence, but similar to her first two albums, Born to Die and Paradise.
In an interview with Billboard in January 2015, Del Rey revealed that the album was inspired by surrealism and that she wanted to explore a more surrealist, dream-like place with this record. She also mentioned her love for writing in the summertime and how living in California influenced her writing process.
The album touches on a variety of emotional states, including sadness, rage, violence, madness, and bitterness. Del Rey's lyrics delve into topics such as eroticism, drugs, myth, the empty promise of YOLO, what it means to be a woman, and the American soul.
Honeymoon also showcases Del Rey's admiration for various cultural icons. The lyrics refer to "Rapper's Delight," David Bowie's "Space Oddity," the Eagles, Chet Baker, and Billie Holiday. Del Rey's visual inspiration for the album includes Priscilla Presley's hairdo and Julie Christie's eye makeup, with Barbara Stanwyck, the film noir actress, serving as a clear influence.
The album's sound is characterised by its synth-driven and orchestral approach, with Del Rey's distinctive vocal style taking centre stage. The songs feature a combination of soft, slow music, strings, and woodwinds, creating a dreamy and cinematic atmosphere.
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Critical reception
Honeymoon, the fourth studio album by Lana Del Rey, received positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, which aggregates reviews from mainstream critics, the album scored 78/100 based on 31 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". This made Honeymoon Del Rey's most acclaimed album at the time of its release. Several critics considered it her best work to date.
The Independent gave Honeymoon four out of five stars, with reviewer Andy Gill writing that the album "finds Del Rey reverting, after the more atomised, individual characters of last year's Ultraviolence, to a composite persona closer to the dissolute subject of her Born to Die debut". Gill also noted that Del Rey's "vocal delivery remains the same throughout" and that the "emotional impact of what might sometimes be traumatic developments seems somehow damped, as if experienced through a narcotised haze". The Guardian also gave the album four out of five stars, commenting on its "timelessness" and "intrigue". PopMatters likewise praised the album, saying: "Producing three major-label albums in four years has developed Lana Del Rey into an artistic".
The title track Honeymoon was released as a single on 7 September 2015, and received critical acclaim. NME described the track as "cinematic" and "emotionally thrilling", and The Verge characterised it as "six minutes of meandering bliss". Both reviews, as well as TIME, praised the use of strings in the song, and The Verge and TIME also noted the prominence of Del Rey's voice.
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Musical style and composition
Honeymoon is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Lana Del Rey. It was released on 18 September 2015, by Interscope and Polydor Records. The album was produced by Del Rey, alongside Rick Nowels and Kieron Menzies, marking a departure from the guitar-driven instrumentation of her previous album, Ultraviolence (2014). Instead, it returned to the baroque pop style of Born to Die (2012) and Paradise (2012).
The musical style and composition of Honeymoon have been described as "noirish" and "Southern California Gothic", with a focus on synthesizing ideas and creating a unified work. The album explores a range of themes, including tortured romance, resentment, lust, escapism, and violence, eroticism, drugs, myth, and the American soul.
The title track, "Honeymoon", is a cinematic ballad with a length of 5 minutes and 50 seconds in the key of F minor and no fixed tempo. The song utilises swooping strings, layered vocal harmonies, and scatting, a popular jazz vocal technique. The track also incorporates muted military drums and block piano chords.
Del Rey's vocal delivery on the album remains consistent, with a composite persona similar to her debut, Born to Die. The emotional impact of the lyrics is often dampened, creating a sense of detachment or a "narcotised haze". The music has been described as "low-affect", with a focus on strings and woodwinds, creating a soft, slow, and frosty atmosphere.
The album has been praised for its originality and innovative artistic vision. It received positive reviews from critics, who noted its timelessness and intrigue. Honeymoon peaked at number one on the ARIA Charts in Australia and reached the top 5 in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
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Track listing
Honeymoon is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Lana Del Rey, released on 18 September 2015. The album contains 14 songs, all written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, and produced by Del Rey, Nowels, and Kieron Menzies. The track listing for Honeymoon is as follows:
- "Honeymoon"
- "Music to Watch Boys To"
- "Terrence Loves You"
- "God Knows I Tried"
- "High by the Beach"
- "Freak"
- "Art Deco"
- "Burnt Norton (Interlude)"
- "Religion"
- "Salvatore"
- "The Blackest Day"
- "24"
- "Swan Song"
- "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
"High by the Beach" and "Music to Watch Boys To" were released as singles from the album. "Terrence Loves You", "Music to Watch Boys To", "Freak", and "High by the Beach" were also released as part of a sampler of Honeymoon.
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Commercial performance
Honeymoon, the fourth studio album by Lana Del Rey, was released on 18 September 2015. The album was a commercial success, topping the charts in Australia, Greece, and Ireland. It also reached the top 5 in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the US, the album sold over 500,000 units and was certified gold. In Australia, Honeymoon was Lana Del Rey's third consecutive number-one album, following Born to Die and Ultraviolence. The album also sold 50,000 copies in France and was certified Silver in the United Kingdom in December 2015 and later certified Gold in March 2017.
The album's lead single, "High by the Beach," was released on 10 August 2015 and debuted at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Music to Watch Boys To," was released on 11 September 2015. Lana Del Rey also released two promotional singles from the album: "Terrence Loves You" on 21 August 2015 and the title track "Honeymoon" on 7 September 2015. The title track was also performed a cappella during the Endless Summer Tour in West Palm Beach on 16 June 2015.
Despite its commercial success, some fans have speculated that Honeymoon is Lana Del Rey's least-streamed album and that she rarely performs songs from it. Some fans have attributed this to the album's cinematic sound, which may not translate well to a live setting. Others have speculated that Lana Del Rey may no longer relate to the songs or that she focuses on songs that are better received by the public.
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Frequently asked questions
Honeymoon is Lana Del Rey's fourth studio album, released on 18 September 2015. The album touches on themes of tortured romance, resentment, lust, escapism, violence, eroticism, drugs, myth, transactional relationships, and the American soul.
Honeymoon is a pop album that has been described as "Southern California Gothic". It has also been described as noirish, with a timeless, surrealist feel.
Honeymoon is a slow, bittersweet, cinematic ballad with no fixed tempo. It features sweeping strings, layered vocal harmonies, and scatting. The lyrics of the song were described by Del Rey as encapsulating "all of the things that come naturally" to her.
Some singles from Honeymoon include "High by the Beach", "Music to Watch Boys To", "Terrence Loves You", and "God Knows I Tried".
Honeymoon received positive reviews from critics. It was described as Del Rey's "purest album-length expression" and "most artistic" work. It was also commercially successful, topping the charts in Australia, Greece, and Ireland, and reaching the Top 5 in over 20 countries.
