Lana Del Rey debuts song to online buzz
US singer Lana Del Rey. AFP FILE PHOTO
NEW YORK—The pop noir singer Lana Del Rey enjoyed a flurry of interest as she debuted a song from her upcoming album that returns to themes of rough, troubled love.
“Honeymoon,” the title track from the New York-born singer’s upcoming album, soared Wednesday to the top of the Billboard Trending 140 list within hours of its release.
By late in the day, “Honeymoon” was overtaken by the latest single of teen pop star Austin Mahone on the chart, which ranks songs by the frequency of shares on Twitter.
Del Rey had long been hinting at the release of “Honeymoon” after critical acclaim for her last album, 2014’s “Ultraviolence,” which brought darkly fatalistic themes and a melancholic air to tunes rooted in classic American pop.
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She pursues similar subject matter on “Honeymoon,” with verses that include: “We both know the history of violence that surrounds you / But I’m not scared, there’s nothing to lose now that I’ve found you.”
In an interview earlier this year with Billboard, Del Rey said that “Honeymoon” would also feature a cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by jazz and blues legend Nina Simone.
While enjoying a strong fan base, Del Rey has often found herself a target of feminist critics alarmed by what they see as an undertone of passivity.
Del Rey did not reveal a release date for the full album “Honeymoon.”
Her label said only that the album, Del Rey’s fourth, would come out soon. She was recently quoted as telling an audience that the album was set for September.
