Lana Del Rey; Or, A Standard of Inequality

Hey, you guys.  Have you guys heard?  Lana Del Rey released a new song.  She's up to like four or five now.  That's almost enough for a full album!  Here's some Lana pics cause y'know...

Did I mention she's hot?  And she can sing!  And she dresses like a 1950s pin-up model lost in a Russ Meyer flick.  We should all love her, you guys!

Except I can't, and here's why.

The problem with all of this, the trouble I have in understanding the appeal of Lana Del Rey, is she that goes against everything the world of "independent music" is supposed to be about.  The same people that hype Lana Del Rey are the same people that attack vapid pop stars like Katy Perry for doing the things that Lana Del Rey is doing.  Really, the only explanation I have for Lana's very existence as an "artist" being supported by indie music blogs is as a test to see what ethics and ideas fans of indie music are willing to throw away in the name of following what's cool.

Look, this isn't an attack on her music.  It's a retro-modern spin on Nancy Sinatra that incorporates elements of electronic music, indie rock, and musical scores.  It's not revolutionary (remember The Pipettes?), but it's not so derivative that it could qualify as being entirely soulless.  What she's released is fairly inoffensive and borders in the realm of something I'd be okay with listening to while shopping for clothes in an American Eagle.

What bothers me about her ascension is a more general problem I'm seeing in the world of independent music.  She's the antithesis to everything this world claims it stands for.  Ignoring her music, she's an artist that either used indie hype to leapfrog that world to a major label deal or she's a major label artist slumming it in the world of indie music to build a buzz for her first album.  Regardless of which of those two is actually true, they both mean speak to a greater sense of insincerity; she was using indie blogs to get famous.

I would never begrudge an artist fame.  Money means a musician can support himself/herself; it means more albums for their fans; and, it means an opportunity to give voice to other musicians through supporting slots and shout outs, continuing the cycle.  The problem here is, what separates Lana from Katy Perry?  Would indie rock blogs support Katy Perry if she decided she wanted to release a chillwave album?  No, because Katy Perry is an artist supported by a major label.  She'll receive press whether Pitchfork or Drowned in Sound or Obscure Indie Blog #34681 decides to cover her because her label will pay for press and interviews in places not open to independent musicians like a Geneva Jacuzzi.

Even more troubling than the "authenticity" of Lana is the image she's used to get her fame.  Read any comment section on a Lana Del Rey post and you'll probably see half the comments talking about how hot she is.  This isn't a new problem in the world of independent music.

Indie music is generally perceived as an inclusive environment for freaks, weirdos, and outsiders of all shapes, sizes, and colors.  This perception is wrong.  While indie music has always been bro-heavy, there was always room for female artists.  Groups like the Raincoats or L7 could peacefully co-exist next to their more testosterone-fueled peers.  But somewhere along the way the indie world stopped caring about what their bands were playing and cries of "TITS OR GTFO" began ringing out.  Maybe it was ironic at first but now it's hard to sort through posts on blogs for female artists without their appearance being called into question.  The message is clear now; if you aren't attractive, we're probably going to ignore you.

Which brings me back to Lana Del Rey.  Her appearance is as shallow and vapid as any pop star you'll find.  She fetishizes sex like Rhianna and Katy Perry, the only difference being the era she pulls from.  Where most of today's pop stars are looking to maintain ultra-modern concepts of sex, Lana exploits a much older era by pulling from the 1950s and 1960s.  She could be Edie Sedgwick or a trashier Jackie O if not for the fact that they're both dead.  She is Barbarella minus the tongue being planted firmly in cheek.

This is the frustrating part.  She's a musician that is famous partly for being a sex symbol in a world that traditionally seeks to attack the very idea as being sexist.  And no one sees the irony in that.  Or the sadness.  Or the hypocrisy.

Basically, Lana Del Rey is everything the indie world claims to hate but no one is willing to hate her because she's "now."  Or, I'm just a blogger clinging to irrelevant ideas and time has passed me by.  Either way, I can't seem to understand how we got to this point, and it scares me.