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Lana Del Rey incited a heated conversation on social media this morning when she shared her thoughts on Doja Cat, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B dominating Billboard charts.
In an extensive post, she unleashed a “question for the culture” which was: “Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nicki 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…” She missed the mark in more ways than one with this take, especially since she addressed mainly successful black women and women of color.
This was her way of announcing her upcoming follow-up to her Norman Fucking Rockwell! album which is set to release on September 5. Her newest Instagram post will likely rile up the Barbz, the Beyhive, and additional fan bases that are known to viciously defend the pop icons Del Rey name called.
Del Rey’s statement also goes a step further to address glamorization and feminism. She also was sure to add that her music doesn’t glamorize abuse but instead it shares real-life experiences of many women.
“Let this be clear, I’m not not a feminist – but there has 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.”
It’s clear that she was looking for attention and she definitely got it. Fans immediately began responding. It appears that Del Rey is also seeking to single herself out for addressing specific topics in her music which separates herself from the content other women are currently creating.
An artist @jessywilson shared the following as a response to Del Rey's post, "lana. i love your music. BUT black women have been singing about sex, abuse, being submissive and aggressive in relationships, and being glamorous FOR DECADES. know the history. millie jackson, betty wright, betty davis, mary j. blige," she wrote.
None— diego (@diego) 1590053843
Historically, black women including Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Billie Holiday, and Bessie Smith were heralded for their contributions to the blues genre. Similarly, Kehlani’s latest album and Bey’s past work are continuing the legacy paved by each of these women.
Doja Cat’s “Say So (Remix)” featuring Nicki Minaj is No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The “Savage (Remix)” by Megan Thee Stallion with Beyoncé sits at No. 5.
Take a look at fans' responses below.
\u201ccan\u2019t believe lana thinks she handle smoke from the barbz and the beyhive at the same time\u201d— josh edwards (@josh edwards) 1590064646
\u201cWhat\u2019s really interesting about Lana Del Rey\u2019s post is that we see how quickly some women are willing to participate in patriarchy to serve themselves.\n\nShe has been an overtly sexual artist for years. But now that she\u2019s facing critique, it\u2019s \u201cBeyonc\u00e9 songs about f*cking!\u201d\u201d— CiCi Adams (@CiCi Adams) 1590066464
\u201cLana del Rey being attacked by 7 fandoms while me listening to her discography on repeat\u201d— Bert (@Bert) 1590067370
\u201cLana blatantly ignoring the criticism Beyonc\u00e9, Nicki, and other black women have received (and continue to) for being confident in their sexuality doesn\u2019t sit right with me. Commercial success hasn\u2019t made them exempt from misogynistic attacks masked as constructive criticism.\u201d— C (@C) 1590053605
Later on Thursday, May 21, Lana Del Rey posted additional thoughts on the controversial Instagram post she shared. She added her take on the backlash she was receiving.
On her own Instagram comments she directly addressed the notion that she was racist:
"By the way the singers I mentioned are my favorite singers so if you want to try and make a bone to pick out of that like you always do be my guest, it doesn’t change the fact that I haven’t had the same opportunity to express what I wanted to express without being completely decimated and if you want to say that that has something to do with race that’s your opinion but that’s not what I was saying."
She also added why she shared mainly black women and women of color in her previous statement, "Bro. This is sad to make it about a WOC issue when I’m talking about my favorite singers. I could’ve literally said anyone but I picked my favorite fucking people."
Del Rey went on to write:
"And this is the problem with society today, not everything is about whatever you want it to be. It’s exactly the point of my post—there are certain women that culture doesn’t want to have a voice it may not have to do with race I don’t know what it has to do with. I don’t care anymore but don’t ever ever ever ever bro- call me racist because that is bullshit."
This article was originally published on Thursday, May 21. It was updated on Friday, May 22.
