1) Ultraviolence Is Completely Unique
Del Rey’s debut, Born To Die, initially polarized music fans and critics alike, provoking extreme reactions due to its utterly distinctive sound. In an industry obsessed with duplicating success, it’s surprising that Del Rey has no serious imitators and fittingly, the singer stands alone with her style, separate from the typical scenes that currently dominate the charts.
Ultraviolence continues this trend with a collection of songs that are completely unique in popular music today. It would sound absurd if any other major artist sang tracks like Sad Girl or Brooklyn Baby, but Del Rey pulls them off in a way that couldn’t sound more natural. Literally no one else could have made an album like Ultraviolence in today’s market without sounding contrived or unconvincing.
While listening to the record, one could almost imagine that Del Rey was born in an earlier time and then transported to the modern day as a tortured soul singer, one who outlived the innocence of previous decades and became tainted by the decadence of today’s society. Whether you buy into her persona or not though, it’s impossible to deny that in a world of imitators and wannabes, Lana Del Rey is a truly original pop star and it’s a shame that there are not more of those around.
Tell us, do you think Ultraviolence the album of the year? Is it the best record that Del Rey has created? Sound off in the comments section below.