When Lana Del Rey first hit the music scene in the early 2010s, people noticed right away that she sounded different from other pop stars. Her voice was kind of smoky, her songs felt like movie soundtracks, and she had this old-school vibe that still somehow felt modern. Over the last ten years or so, she's really made a name for herself as a unique artist. But where did she get her style from? Let's look at some of the musicians who inspired her.
A big part of Lana's sound comes from old American folk and blues music. She's a big fan of Bob Dylan, especially how he tells stories in his songs and makes you feel like you're in a specific place. You can hear this in her songs like "Video Games" and "Venice Bitch," which have this dreamy, American feel to them.
Another big influence is Joni Mitchell. Mitchell was known for trying out new things with her music back in the '60s and '70s, and Lana does the same kind of thing by mixing different styles. Lana's even covered some of Mitchell's songs and talks about how much she admires her lyrics.
When it comes to indie rock, The Velvet Underground had a huge impact on Lana. Their gritty, experimental sound and honest lyrics show up in a lot of her music. Songs like "Off to the Races" and "West Coast" have that same kind of dark, romantic feel that The Velvet Underground was known for.
David Bowie is another big influence, especially in how Lana changes her style from album to album. Just like Bowie was always reinventing himself, Lana's music can sound pretty different from one album to the next, but she always keeps that glamorous, nostalgic vibe.
Lana's also inspired by British singers like Leonard Cohen and Scott Walker. You can hear Cohen's dramatic, sad love songs and big orchestral sound in Lana's music. And the intense, stripped-down style of Scott Walker shows up in some of her simpler songs, like "Old Money."
Since Lana came up in the age of the internet, she's also influenced by hip-hop and electronic music. She's worked with rappers like A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti, mixing her big, dramatic style with their rougher sound. She's also worked with electronic producers like Rick Nowels and Emile Haynie to give her old-school style a more modern twist.
Even with all these different influences, Lana's always stayed true to her own unique style. She's all about that smoky Hollywood mystery, singing about faded American glory, and writing lyrics about feeling disillusioned and obsessed. These themes tie all her work together into its own special world.
Looking at all these different artists who've influenced Lana Del Rey, what's really impressive is how she's taken bits and pieces from all of them and created her own unique sound. She's built on what came before her, from the big orchestral sound of Leonard Cohen to the weird experiments of The Velvet Underground, from Bowie's bold ideas to the poetry of folk singers.
As Lana keeps making her mark as one of the most interesting artists of our time, it's cool to see how she connects to all these different musical traditions. Her music feels both familiar and totally new at the same time. It's hard to put in a box, but it still feels natural. This ability to be so many things at once is what makes Lana Del Rey such a standout artist.
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