Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell Is Coming
Fangirl like you’ve never fangirl-ed before.
Lana Del Rey has had us spinning in circles while waiting for the official release date of Norman Fucking Rockwell. Her sixth studio album was rumored to drop last March, then in May, neither of which, obvious to say, actually happened. Today, LDR finally gave us a date. August 30. Mark it in your calendars, sync it with your iPhone reminders, share it on socials, shout it from the rooftop. None are too extreme for an occasion like this.
The announcement included two more, equally-exciting reveals: the album artwork and tracklisting, both of which Lana hinted at over the past year.
Fans might have expected Lana to go with a shot from frequent collaborator and photographer Neil Krug, except Lana’s manager, Ben Mawson, didn’t like it. The singer then took to twitter to allude to an album cover by photographer Steven Klein. Today, Lana finally dropped the artwork, and it was by neither of the two.
This could mean one of three things. One, the Queen of Indie Pop is very indecisive and possibly a little over-eager. Two, she loves a shameless, merciless tease. Three, the singer has her marketing tactics down pat. Whichever it is, Lana has her fans wrapped around her finger.
In perhaps another marketing ploy—or maybe a genuine, inspired collaboration—Lana elected to have her sister, photographer and creative Chuck Grant, photograph the actual artwork. The photo features Lana and Duke Nicholson, grandson of iconic actor Jack Nicholson, on a sailboat, American flag in tow. Like the singer, the artwork is theatrical to its core: poses, setting, typography, oil-painted clouds and all. “Norman Fucking Rockwell” and the pop star’s initials take on a pop-art feel, ironic considering the record’s namesake, an iconic, realism painter of the 1900s. A typewriter font was used for the tracklisting, a more natural fit for Lana’s nostalgic likeability.
The title track is the first on the record. The following two tracks have already been released as singles. “Mariners Apartment Complex” premiered on radio DJ Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show, while “Venice Bitch” premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Radio show.
The fifth track, a cover of Sublime’s 1996 song “Doin’ Time,” was released back in May. Closing out the album is “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me – but I have it.” Lana teased the song under two different names last year: “Sylvia” and “Sylvia Plath,” references to the late poet who inspired the song.
Earlier this year, the singer posted a snippet of “Cinnamon Girl” then “Happiness is a Butterfly” on Instagram, meaning there are still eight new songs—seven plus two halves— with the potential to become a fan favorite.
The 14-track “Norman Fucking Rockwell” is produced by Jack Antonoff, Bleacher’s frontman and former fun. guitarist and drummer. Antonoff co-wrote and co-produced Taylor Swift’s “The Archer,” as well as Lorde’s Melodrama. Zach Dawes, Laura Sisk, and Rick Nowles are credited on the record, as well.
From what Lana has said so far, listeners can expect more of a beachy sound for her sixth album—like the electric guitars that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are known for, Lana told Annie Mac. This acknowledgment may signal a return to the sound of her 2012 Paradise era. Regardless of her sonic evolution, if there’s one thing that Lana Del Rey is known for, it’s delivering. Norman Fucking Rockwell is set to be no different.
Peep Lana’s announcement below.
