Ten years of Ultraviolence

By Grace Wartman 

Music Journalist 

Mark your calendars: Lana Del Rey’s third studio album, Ultraviolence, hits double digits in age this year on June 13. Since I’m a big fan, my social media algorithm is filling with fan theories and hopeful forecasts of what a tenth-anniversary edition album may have in store – including Lana’s unreleased deep cuts of “Is This Happiness” and “Flipside.”A deluxe edition album would, without a doubt, be something fellow loyal listeners and I would eat up. Until then, let’s look at what we already have of Ultraviolence. 

Ultraviolence has a cover showing the Manhattan singer getting into the driver’s seat of a Mercedes-Benz 380SL, representing her taking control of her life after her toxic relationship and temporary release through using substances. 

The album eases on the gas pedal with “Cruel World,” which picks up speed by the end of the tune with Lana yelling the same lyrics she was initially singing at the beginning of the song. Songs “Shades of Cool” through “Guns And Roses” include instrumentals and vocals that create the effect of being under the influence by incorporating sustain pedals on the guitar.  Lana’s voice layers with harmonies in a way that makes the song challenging for listeners to focus on one specific harmony, creating an almost euphoric sound. This distorted effect also creates a sense of nostalgia: an audible fuzziness similar to thinking back on a distant memory. 

Lana escapes to her New York roots with the upbeat-sounding song “Brooklyn Baby,” where she captures the strangeness of missing something she never had (an innocent youth in this situation). She accomplishes this by comparing this pure youth to the ’70s and what this time stood for. Following “Brooklyn Baby,” Lana takes listeners on a road trip from the Big Apple across the country with the song  “West Coast.” 

The hit track “West Coast” sounds like California. Also, Ultraviolence was born on June 13, makes the album have a two-faced reputation, notorious for Geminis; shining through in this song feels like two with heavy percussion lines in the verses and pre-chorus while shifting domination over to heavenly vocal harmonies in the chorus. Lana settles into a consistent melancholic sound for the remainder of the album, leading to “Florida Kilos.” 

This album anchor differs from everything else heard on Ultraviolence, with the guitars left to ring before this song suddenly becomes sharp and precise. This song almost serves as clarity for the wobbly emotional ride Lana took listeners on through most of the album – it’s [the style] unexpected, but beautifully ties the album together, keeps listeners on their toes and allows Lana’s mysterious reputation to stay intact.  

Ultraviolence is the quintessential album reflecting the distant persona Lana Del Rey assumes under her stage name and is an experience that is just as magical as the first go with every listen. She reigns at the top of the soft girl hierarchy with effortless cool, and I doubt this position will shift in the foreseeable future. Her brand is distinct, truly one of a kind and one of the main factors that have made her the music industry icon that she is.  Love her or hate her, her impact is undeniable and will be discussed for decades.