Lana Del Rey Calls Out “Bullshit” Criticism That She Glamourises Domestic Violence

Lana Del Rey has released an open letter in which she calls out the double standards surrounding her music, pointing towards the lack of criticism around other popular female artists, including Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande.

Across social media, Lana Del Rey has posted a type-written letter headlined “question for the culture”, in which she argues she’s been unfairly targeted during her career.

“Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nick Minaj and Beyoncé have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc — can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money — or whatever I want — without being crucified or saying that I’m glamorising abuse??????”, she begins.

In the letter, Del Rey says that she’s “fed up” with the criticism around her glorification of domestic abuse across her work.

“In reality I’m just a glamorous person singing about the relations of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent emotionally abusive relationships all over the world,” she writes.

“… I think it’s pathetic that my minor lyrical exploration detailing my sometimes submissive or passive roles in my relationships has often made people say I’ve set women back hundreds of years.”

She continues by stating that her music expresses her own experiences, writing “news flash! That’s just how it is for many women” and clarifying that she’s “not not a feminist” but is frustrated by the criticism from other female writers and artists.

“Let this be clear, I’m not not a feminist — but there had to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me — the kind of woman who says no but men hear yes — the kind of women who are slated mercilessly for being their authentic, delicate selves, the kind of women who get their own stories and voices taken away from them by stronger women or by men who hate women.”

She also states she “paved the way” for other female artists to stop “putting on a happy face” in their music, and that any “hint of sadness” in her first two records (released in 2012 and 2014) saw critics deem her “literally hysterical as though it was literally the 1920s”.

Lana Del Rey concludes by saying she’ll explore some of these feelings across two books of poetry to be released by major publisher Simon and Schuster, and will have a new album out September 5.

Her last album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, was widely received as one of 2019’s best releases, and the artist’s best work yet. Junkee writer Joseph Earp called it “the record that shuts down criticism with the most finality”.

Read the full letter below.