Del Rey broke through at the end of 2011 with her single Video Games. The song placed the singer in the center of attention, which also earned her a lot of negative media attention.
“I didn’t expect my music to reach such a large audience and wanted to focus on a niche where I could do my best. Then suddenly I was the center of attention, where everyone could see and hear me,” says Del Rey. “At first I had the mantra: it’s about how you feel, not about what others think.“
But the criticism quickly became too much to ignore, says the singer. Thus, a live performance was added to the program Saturday Night Live drilled into the ground. It was also written that she would not be authentic and tried to make a career with her father’s money. Her lyrics are said to have a submissive, anti-feminist premise, which also drew criticism.
‘Felt like every wrong step could ruin everything’
The negative attention directly affected Del Rey when she went out. “At one point I got elbowed by a passerby while walking in New York, as I always did. I couldn’t believe it. Someone recognized me and pushed me on purpose,” the singer recalls.
“While I was eating in a bistro in San Francisco, a woman threw a book about feminism at my head. I really thought I was going to be over.”
Del Rey focused on touring and avoided interviews. “It felt like every wrong step could ruin everything. That’s why I was very careful and didn’t speak much.”
The singer now has seven albums to her name, of which reviewers welcomed the last few with open arms. Her eighth album will be released next month, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.
