Nowhere In Particular

Lana Del Rey “Love”

The key to Lana Del Rey’s music is that she understands that certain types of sadness and yearning are very satisfying feelings, sometimes more so than most positive emotions. This is especially true when you’re terrified of actual intimacy – being with someone is scary, but pining for them lets you experience the rush of love without the parts that make you uncomfortable and insecure. “Love” is sung from a remove, with Lana observing young people doing young people things, and experiencing innocent, earnest passion for the first time. There’s a bit of envy and loneliness in her voice, but you can tell she’s invested in these other people and their happiness. Even if she’s afraid on some level that she can’t have this or can’t anymore, she doesn’t begrudge them for these simple joys. She seems to like the tragic romanticism of being the outsider on the periphery, the wounded person who can claim some distance from these people with their ordinary lives. She gets to feel like the special one, even if it’s an empty feeling.

Buy it from iTunes.