Lana Del Rey – Born to Die
Released 30th January 2012, Interscope/Polydor
Rising to fame in 2011 with ‘Video Games’ and its Instagram-style hipster video, Lana Del Rey was one of the most hyped acts at the beginning of the year. Ranking at number six in NME’s Cool List 2011, the “Hollywood sadcore” singer’s album went to number one in ten countries. Born to Die – The Paradise Edition was a double disc edition of the album, featuring eight new tracks and was released on 12th November 2012.
Statistics:
- 29% of contributors included the album in their top ten
- Of those, 22% ranked the album in their top three
Review by Jo Fisher, Edge reader (ranked the album #2):
Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die is haunting, and the lyrics stay with me for a long time after I listen to it. For me, it’s one of the albums I was determined not to like due to its popularity – but it will always be up there in my top albums of 2012.
Review by Howell Davies, Edge Record Editor (ranked the album #2):
She’s one of those marmite artists; so many people hate her, but Del Rey’s whole persona is intriguing and her voice is bewitching. On first listen I thought Born to Die was over-hyped, over-dramatic and pretentious but it soon grew on me and it’s now one of my most listened to albums.
Review by Emma Real-Davies, Edge writer (ranked the album #4):
Del Rey’s sense of mystery is intriguing and her style is enchanting. The music on Born to Die brings a contemporary twist to music from the 50s and 60s which creates beautifully melancholic ballads.
Other accolades:
- Ranked #11 on The Fly’s “Top 50 Albums of 2012”
- Ranked #17 on The Guardian’s “Best Albums of 2012”
