Taylor Swift as Repunzel…mmkay. Because of the hair it works.
Lana Del Ray as Snow White. Does it work? Not so much. For starters, I never envisioned Snow White as someone who’d rock Del Ray’s eponymous cat eye. Secondly, the bracelet and the shirt are too modern and not enough trapped-in-a-village-hamlet with seven dwarves. And lastly, the lips are so wrong. Snow White defos rocked bright red lips. Ruby Woo by MAC or somethin’.
Just in time for America’s Independence Day, Lana Del Ray releases her latest song National Anthem. Now, I am a HUGE fan of homegirl. I love how she puts a vintage touch on everything. I love her songwriting. Her voice is magic and I love how women are finally uniting over a female singer. I sign on to Facebook and all the girls are sharing her music and swooning over her style. Women hardly unite in such a way - especially over another female. And that is empowering. But what is even cooler is how Lana Del Ray (and A$AP Rocky who is also featured in this video) rewrite history so craftily, so eerily in the music video that goes with National Anthem. I hardly ever watch music videos but I watched this one twice. The make up, the outfit, the dancing, the beginning Marilyn-esque birthday song dedication, and the final monologue — all of it is gorgeous, gawjus, gooorjus! I especially really want to know what Jackie O. would have to say about this characterization of JFK’s life. One thing is for sure - this music video is going to create some controversy. And I feel like a lot of musicians are afraid of doing that. Art is meant to stir. And controversy is a byproduct of stirring your audience. Del Ray portrays BOTH Jackie O. and Marilyn Monroe by starting of singing the sultry ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’ number that Monroe so famously sang back in 1962 but then switching into the more demure & doting Jackie O. telling the story of a stormy, walled off relationship from the inside, the perspective of the First Lady herself. Give the video a try yourself and try not to get sidetracked by the historical inaccuracy of it…or the racial aspects (the President is portrayed as an African-America, eeenteresting in itself). Instead, focus on the main message of the video; a truthful representation of the love two people sharing & a trusting in the impossibility of love.
And I remember when I met him it was so clear he was the only one for me
We both knew it right away
And as the years went on, things became more difficult
We were faced with more challenges
I begged him to stay
Try to remember what we had in the beginning
He was charismatic, magnetic, electric
And everybody knew it
When he walked in every woman’s head turned
Everyone stood up to talk to him
He was this hybrid, this mix of a man who couldn’t contain himself
I always got the sense that he became torn between being a good person,
And missing out on all the opportunities that life could offer a man as magnificent as him
And in that way I understood him, And I loved him, I loved him
