Born To Die (Bonus Track Version)

Rate It! Avg: 4.0 (78 ratings)
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Born To Die (Bonus Track Version) album cover
Album Information
  • Artist: Lana Del Rey (See All Albums by Lana Del Rey)

  • Date Released: Jan 31, 2012

  • Genre: Rock/Pop, Style: Alternative

  • Label: Interscope

  • Copyright: (C) 2012 Lana Del Rey under exclusive license to Polydor (UK). Under exclusive license to Interscope Records in the USA

Total Tracks: 15   Total Length: 60:46

eMusic Review 0

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Dan Hyman

eMusic Contributor

01.31.12
We made this album as much as she did
2012 | Label: Interscope

Lana Del Rey. If ever there were a more divisive music-industry entity, then surely he or she was swept under the rug far too quickly for recollection. What was it then, following this 25-year-old’s viral breakout video for “Video Games” – a smoky encapsulation of noir pastiche; a melancholy mind-warp that, for a fleeting moment, allowed us to envision a vintageHollywoodworld where fame was taken at face-value – that ignited such a blog-fueled shitstorm? Was it those lips? Or that Del Rey was once Lizzie Grant, a pop-star wannabe with a punk dye? Regardless, we got too invested. And far too quickly.

This, then, is the climax of the saga: Born To Die, Del Rey’s major-label debut. Don’t be confused, however: This 12-song justification-of-sorts is a pop album, and perhaps a too-quickly-crafted one at that. But it’s also a demonstration of talent that, without preconceived evaluation, might have been left to flower.

Thanks to producer Emile Haynie (Kid Cudi), everything here has a trip-hop wooziness – orchestral elegance pinned down by hip-hop grit. But it’s when Del Rey speaks up (“Diet Mountain Dew”) over constructed static that a pristine vocal snarl emerges. Going for forthright pop (“Dark Paradise”) suits her well. And… read more »

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it has its moments

monkeysheets

I was a huge trip-hop fan back when it was huge, and this is the sort of album I should love. It starts off very strong and promising - I LOVE tracks 1, 2, and 4 - but then it gets too repetitive, both musically as well as lyrically. There are lots of mentions of dresses and alcoholic beverages and loving bad men, like it was a paint-by-numbers of songwriting. A lot of the choruses sound like they were just copied and pasted a few times, including the vocals, making some of the songs tedious to listen to all the way through. Also, the audio itself sounds really crushed and frequently distorted. I don't know if this is special for eMusic or if the album was actually mixed and mastered this way, but it takes away from the songs.

user avatar

An Overhyped, Overproduced Snoozefest

exurgencySpectacularrr

She's certainly riveting, but this dreck is overhyped and overproduced. If this vapid cotton candy leaves you feeling empty, two of her clear (and clearly superior) touchstones are Tori Amos and Neko Case. I particularly recommend Neko if you want a sultry indy crooner with real force and substance; sound-wise, Amos is closer. As far as this so-called Del Rey goes -- if you like auto-tune and an intrusive avalanche of cliche producto-beats, then stick with this. She's fine, I guess, for big-money bollocks like SNL and Comcast Radio, but whoa-ho, too fracking boring and repetitive to listen to more than once in a month. I wanted to like this, but it's a decidedly 2.5-star effort that leaves me wanting less.

user avatar

Born to Die

rnoel.rodriguez

Lots of potential. I keep being drawn back in by the phrasing, the production value. The content is storybook noir. I liked the SNL appearance followed by the sh*t storm about whether or not this new artist deserves the attention. My vote is I bought the album and I keep finding new things to draw me back in. I think we will hear a great deal more from LDR.

user avatar

I LOVE THE SOUND

WVMMRH

i don't think most of you posters get it..she's actually got a style that 's quite similar to many new wave artists.i kind of have the feeling that if one doesn't like 80's new wave(Or 80's at all) ,then one wouldn't like lana del rey. this is her sound.this is her/she's inot following the normal route or direction of current pop or rock music/many artists of the past like lene lovich and toyah willcox for example,have styles that are not for everyone for sure. definitely.lana del reys style isn't for everyone.i have an idea that she was maybe inspired much by artists of the past that acquired a cult following as opposed to becoming a household names/.among them,are lene lovich,toyah willcox,nina hagen,nina gordon. all exceptional artists but each choosing not to follow the mainstream example of what was popular at that time.

user avatar

Lana Del Rey

EMUSIC-02960DB7

Love the album. I enjoy it more the more I play it and listen to the lyrics. Great voice and nice edginess

user avatar

lana del rey

EMUSIC-0285A7B4

dope. If I like 5 songs off an album I like it. I would have done a little more with the beats and some came off sounding like Kanye b sides but like her voice. blue jeans, born to die, radio, tune in nice but some of the songs are a little too geared toward abercrombie for her age.

user avatar

Well... I liked it.

DeathBearBrown

I like this album, but if you are downloading expecting all the songs to be written by the same narrator as 'Blue Jeans' or 'Video games' you will be disappointed. Those songs stick out the most for me on this album as not fitting in with the rest. This album does not contain 'real person' songs, that you'd expect from someone marketed as an indie crooner. Most of them are about being beautiful and acquiring wealth, as if they were all written for a Bond villain's mistress to sing. That being said, I really like this album, but it took a couple plays through and an imagination to get me there. "This is what makes us girls" is a great track if you like the songs on the single.

user avatar

crazy

andru

why is everyone bringing the hammer down on this girl? this album might not be everyone's cup of tea but maybe you should be judging the album by it's content, not who's on the cover.

user avatar

Amateur hour.

robotclam

She has talent, now she needs to do the hard work. This one's like a performance in a middle school talent show.

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