'Ultraviolence,' Lana Del Rey's third* album, turns 10
Today marks a decade since Lana Del Rey released Ultraviolence, her "fantastically decadent" third studio album that marked the beginning of a critical reevaluation of her merits as a singer-songwriter.
Following the polarizing release of her major label debut, Born to Die, in 2022, Del Rey took her writing in a more "spiritual" direction. A chance meeting with Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach would lead to an eleventh-hour sonic shift from baroque pop to something much heavier, incorporating elements of dream pop, psychedelic rock and the blues.
Ultraviolence was met with considerably warmer reception than its predecessor, earning a 74 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 35 reviews. Writing for Clash, Mike Diver deemed it "a bruised beauty, just short of classic status." It debuted atop the Billboard 200 with sales of 182,000, and appeared on multiple lists of the best albums of the 2010s.
[Videos]"West Coast"
Click to view"Shades of Cool"
"Ultraviolence"
Chart info via Wiki
* Counting Lana Del Ray, her later-shelved 2010 indie debut.
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