Paradise EP

**In the time since _Born To Die_ was released in January 2012, Lana Del Rey has become an international icon and a household name, famed for her music’s retro vibe and her glamorous aesthetic. _Born To Die_ became one of the top-selling albums in the world last year, having sold over three-million copies, and was included in ‘Best of 2012’ lists by many publications, including The Guardian, NME and Drowned in Sound.**

Likewise, Del Rey’s other achievements in the past year include becoming the face of Jaguar and H&M, having a Mulberry bag named after her, and enjoying the privilege of sitting in the front row during Gucci’s A/W 2013 show at Milan Fashion Week. So, when it came to the singer re-releasing _Born To Die_ with the additional _Paradise_ EP attached to it, there was unsurprisingly a great deal of speculation about whether it would match the quality of its predecessor.

‘Ride’, the EP’s lead single, is a particular highlight. It is a mid-tempo track that finds the singer contemplating her loneliness and rebellious behaviour, before she finally confesses “I’m tired of feeling like I’m fucking crazy”. The song has been accompanied by an epic, ten-minute music video which sees the singer riding through the desert on a motorbike and pointing guns at her own head. Other highlights of _Paradise_ include ‘Bel Air’ and ‘Gods & Monsters’; the former an usual track which is immediately captivating, featuring the opening lyrics “gargoyles standing in front of your gate / Trying to tell me to wait / But I can’t wait to see you”. ‘Bel Air’ is reminiscent of the Americana present in the singer’s earlier work, including ‘Off To The Races’ and ‘Diet Mountain Dew’. ‘Gods & Monsters’, in contrast, is much less sparsely decorated, where we find the singer proclaiming the parallels between her life and that of **Jim Morrison**, the deceased American singer-songwriter who suffered from alcohol and drug addiction.

_Paradise_ is not perfect, however. In general, the lyrical content of the EP doesn’t stray too far from that of _Born To Die_, focusing primarily on romance, fame and Americana. Whilst Del Rey undoubtedly has a talent for writing enchanting lyrics, they can sometimes be perceived as contrived and overtly fame-obsessed. Examples of this in _Paradise_ range from superficial lyrics (“Elvis is my daddy / Marilyn’s my mother” in ‘Body Electric’) to the just plain strange (“My pussy tastes like Pepsi cola” in ‘Cola’). Likewise, songs like ‘Yayo’ are simply rather dull and seem to be nothing more than mere filler.

Despite this, _Paradise is_ generally a strong offering, best enjoyed when listened to as an extension of _Born To Die_, as opposed to a standalone release. Whilst it may not match the strength or cohesiveness of its predecessor, which included singles such as ‘Blue Jeans’ and ‘National Anthem’, it is still surely likely to pave the way for **Lana Del Rey**’s continued success in the future.

**Similar To:** Nancy Sinatra, Frank Ocean

**MP3:** ‘Bel Air’