George Boyle
Lana Del Rey's fourth studio album, Honeymoon, was released on 18 September 2015. The album marked a return to the baroque pop style of her earlier albums Born to Die and Paradise. The title track Honeymoon was released as a single on 7 September 2015, and the album was made available for pre-order on the iTunes Store on 21 August 2015.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Lana Del Rey |
| Album name | Honeymoon |
| Release date | 18 September 2015 |
| Genre | Baroque pop, blue-eyed soul, jazz |
| Number of songs | 14 |
| Producers | Lana Del Rey, Rick Nowels, Kieron Menzies |
| Record labels | Interscope, Polydor |
| Previous album | Ultraviolence |
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What You'll Learn
Honeymoon's release date
"Honeymoon" is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and record producer Lana Del Rey. The album was released on September 18, 2015, by Interscope and Polydor Records.
Del Rey finished recording her third studio album, "Ultraviolence", in March 2014, and by June of the same year, she had begun working on a follow-up idea, stating that the process was "growing into something I really like". In a December 2014 interview with Galore Magazine, Del Rey revealed that she had started working on a new album. In January 2015, she announced via Billboard that she was working on her fourth studio album, which would be titled "Honeymoon" and would be released that year.
On May 7, 2015, the lyrics to the track "Honeymoon" were found in the tour book for the Endless Summer Tour, and on July 14, 2015, Del Rey released a lyric video for the song on her personal YouTube account. On August 14, 2015, Del Rey confirmed that the album "Honeymoon" would be released on September 18, 2015. The album's title track was released as a promotional single on September 7, 2015.
"Honeymoon" marked a departure from the guitar-driven instrumentation of Del Rey's previous album, "Ultraviolence" (2014), and a return to the baroque pop of "Born to Die" (2012) and "Paradise" (2012). The album received positive reviews from music critics, with several critics considering it Del Rey's best work at the time of its release. It topped the charts in Australia, Greece, and Ireland and reached the Top 5 in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Lyrically, "Honeymoon" touches on themes of tortured romance, resentment, lust, escapism, and violence. It has been described as having a "noirish feel" and a "muddy trap energy". The title track, in particular, has been praised for its cinematic and emotionally thrilling qualities, with NME calling it "perhaps her most heart-stopping ballad yet".
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The album's themes
Thematically, Honeymoon is an album about love and romance. However, as one reviewer notes, "love" in Honeymoon sounds mournful, with the romance on the album being closer to addiction. The album is filled with references to Del Rey's past relationships, with one song, "The Blackest Day", being described as the album's emotional apex, moving "at the pace of a funeral march". The album has also been described as a bleak work, with one song, "God Knows I Tried", referencing the loss of anonymity that comes with fame and fortune.
Honeymoon has been characterised as Del Rey's most sophisticated album, with a glossier production that contains swirls of cinematic strings, twangy guitars, and "miserable" melodies. The album has also been described as dark, Southern California Gothic, and noirish. The album's lyrics are filled with the dangers of sugar-coating and glamorising the past, with one reviewer noting that Del Rey's lyrics often contain a backbone of steel within them.
The album has also been described as a return to the "roots" of her first album, "Born to Die", with the singer's ethereal voice and the dark, provocative soundtrack urging the audience to contemplate and experience her sadness and disquiet. The album's production has been noted as containing sighs, whispers, subtly layered vocals, decaying synths, echoing guitar lines, strings, hazes, and restrained drum patterns. The album also incorporates elements of jazz, with producer Rick Nowels stating that Del Rey wanted to make a jazz album, resulting in songs like "Honeymoon" and "Terrence Loves You".
Honeymoon has also been described as a surreal album, with Del Rey taking inspiration from Mark Ryden, Fellini, and Picasso for more surrealist, colourful songs. The album's cover features a parked convertible Hollywood tourmobile, with one interpretation of the cover being that the album is about voyeurism and one person singing about the different scenarios they see around them.
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Critical reception
Honeymoon, the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Lana Del Rey, was released on 18 September 2015. The album received positive reviews from music critics, with several critics considering it Del Rey's best work at the time of its release.
The title track, "Honeymoon", was released as a single on 7 September 2015. It was met with critical acclaim, with NME calling it "cinematic" and "emotionally thrilling", and The Verge describing it as "six minutes of meandering bliss". The song also received praise for its sweeping strings and stuttering snares, as well as for Del Rey's vocals.
The album as a whole was also well-received by critics. PopMatters described Del Rey as "an artistic innovator who fearlessly draws from style and substance across the past century, whose vision is completely original and not remotely predictable". The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, commenting on its "timelessness" and "intrigue". Rolling Stone also praised the album, stating that "whatever her intentions, they've led to her most genuinely thrilling music ever". The Telegraph gave the album four out of five stars, calling it "an ambient album for broken hearts".
Honeymoon was a commercial success, topping the charts in Australia, Greece, and Ireland, and reaching the top 5 in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
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Tracklist and features
Lana Del Rey's Honeymoon is the singer-songwriter's fourth studio album and third major-label studio album. It was released on September 18, 2015, by Interscope and Polydor Records. The album includes 14 songs and marks a return to the baroque pop style of her earlier albums, Born to Die and Paradise.
The title track, "Honeymoon", is a cinematic ballad written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels. It serves as the opening track and was released as a promotional single on September 7, 2015. The song runs at 5 minutes and 50 seconds in the key of F minor with no fixed tempo, featuring swooping strings, layered vocal harmonies, and scatting—a popular jazz vocal technique.
The album's tracklist was unveiled on Del Rey's Instagram account on August 20, 2015, and the record was made available for pre-order on the iTunes Store the following day. Another promotional single, "Terrence Loves You", was released on August 21, 2015.
- "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" (Nina Simone cover)
The album received positive reviews from music critics, with many considering it Del Rey's best work at the time. Honeymoon topped the charts in Australia, Greece, and Ireland and reached the Top 5 in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
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Recording and production
The recording and production of Honeymoon, Lana Del Rey's fourth studio album, began in June 2014, shortly after the release of her previous album, Ultraviolence. Del Rey worked with longtime collaborators Rick Nowels and Kieron Menzies, who had previously worked with her on songs like "Young and Beautiful". In a January 2015 interview with Billboard, Del Rey revealed that she had written and recorded nine songs that could be featured on the album. She also shared that she would be covering Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".
In April 2015, Mark Ronson confirmed he was in the process of recording songs with Del Rey in LA, but in August of that year, it was revealed that their collaborations would not be featured on the album. Del Rey also worked with Emile Haynie, with whom she released the song "Wait for Life" in 2014, leading to speculation that he would be a collaborator on Honeymoon.
The album was released on September 18, 2015, by Interscope and Polydor Records. It marked a departure from the guitar-driven sound of Ultraviolence, returning to the baroque pop style of Born to Die and Paradise. The album's title track, "Honeymoon", was released on YouTube on July 14, 2015, along with a video featuring close-ups of Del Rey and footage of a tiger. The song was labelled as a baroque pop and blue-eyed soul track and was praised by critics for its cinematic and emotionally thrilling nature.
The album as a whole received positive reviews, with several critics considering it Del Rey's best work at the time. It topped the charts in Australia, Greece, and Ireland, and reached the Top 5 in over 20 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, and the UK. Honeymoon was certified Gold in the US and the UK, and Silver in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Lana Del Rey's Honeymoon was released on September 18, 2015.
Honeymoon is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter, and record producer Lana Del Rey. It was released by Interscope and Polydor Records.
Honeymoon is the title track of the album. It was released as a promotional single on September 7, 2015.
