Unpacking Lana Del Rey’s Newest Album, Blue Banisters
Graphic by Sophia Beney
Lana Del Rey released her eighth studio album Blue Banisters in late October, and we have a lot of thoughts. Blue Banisters came only eight months after Lana’s seventh album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, which received mixed reviews from fans due to its folk sound. The general feelings around Blue Banisters, however, are much more positive. The stans are loving it, and we are too.
The album opens with “Text Book,” which is essentially an ode to Lana’s daddy issues. It sets the thematic tone as a breakup album, with depressingly relatable lyrics over beautiful piano tracks. The titular song “Blue Banisters” is just that– an emotional ballad that will make you want to live a simple life on a ranch in Oklahoma with your girlfriends.
After three softer tracks, “Interlude – The Trio” seemingly comes out of nowhere. It’s easily one of the most fire trap beats we’ve heard in a while and feels reminiscent of Lana’s Born to Die era. We wish she would have featured more of these beats in other songs on the album, but it’s great nonetheless.
Lana shows off her lyrical genius in her next few songs. In “Violets for Roses” she sings about moving on from an ex and learning to love herself in a post-covid era. Our absolute favorite lyrics from this song are “Ever since I fell out of love with you I fell back in love with the streets.” Needless to say, we’ve been scream crying these lyrics nonstop.
The arguably best song on the album comes next, “Dealer,” where she talks about a selfish guy that doesn’t treat her right (not like that’s ever happened to any of us, right)? It has smooth hints of jazz that make it stand out amongst the other tracks, and Lana’s angelic voice in the chorus has us transcending.
Blue Banisters has a very soft vibe, with almost every song heavily featuring piano. It’s not something you can necessarily dance to, but the lyrics are so relevant and relatable that you’ll probably just want to sit and soak them in.
She closes out the album with “Sweet Carolina,” which at first sounds very similar to the previous tracks until she busts out one of the best lines we’ve ever heard: “You name your babe Lilac Heaven after your iPhone 11. ‘Crypto forever,’ screams your stupid boyfriend. Fuck you, Kevin.” We’re not entirely sure why she slipped this in here, but we can all agree on one thing–Kevin absolutely sucks.
This album is definitely one of the best to cry to, and it’ll have you feeling depressed and empowered all at the same time. It’s an album about toxic exes, moving on, loving yourself, and loving others. So, next time that special someone ruins your life, you’ll know exactly what to play.