In a simple tweet, "new song", LANA DEL REY has released her cover this week of LEONARD COHEN's 1974 ballad 'Chelsea Hotel No.2'. COHEN's original lyrics are brought back to life in a trembling vocation, the acoustic rendition is very intimate and LANA's luscious lips bring forth a young vulnerability.
She appears in a familiar scene - costumed in retro singer attire - plush coat and big hair - delicately wrapping her manicured long fingers around vintage long malboro. The song suits her vocals with a back catalogue of ballads on longing, heartbreak and feeling alone. The music video is not too far from DEL REY's own work - reminiscent of 'Video Games' or 'National Anthem'.
It is much more minimalist but has a retro home-filmed feel with sepia tone and super 8 cuts. Only for LEONARD COHEN, could a 70s love ballad be visualised in a shroud of hazy nostalgia.
The scenery doesn't change much -from archival overlay of the Chelsea Hotel to blurred closeups, transforming the song into a more personal story. Although she captures the original rawness, the cover does seem to lack some sincerity and edge in her own music.
"Those were the reasons and that was new york" - she is a bit too sunset strip for the destitution of NYC's artistic hub. Certainly the cutting line "we are ugly but we still have the music" doesn't apply to this polished pop star. This rendition is more about mournful tone than spiteful lyrics.
LANA's had an awful rap - from that SNL performance to bad girl misdemeanours - but you've got to give her credit, she's one of those performers with true personality and an free spirit. Maybe she has more in store.
Words by Antigone Anagnostellis
