Is Lana Del Rey Working on a Country Album?
Singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey — who had her breakthrough as a pop hitmaker with her hit debut single "Video Games" in 2011 — may be planning to expand her horizons into country music. In fact, in a print interview with MOJO Magazine, the singer points out that there's always been an element of country and Americana influence at the core of her music.
"I went back and listened to "Ride" and "Video Games" and thought, 'You know, they're kind of country,'" Del Rey says (quote via Contact Music), adding, "I mean, they're definitely not pop. Maybe the way 'Video Games' got remastered, they're pop — but there's something Americana about it for sure."
Next up, the singer says she's planning to further embrace her rootsy leanings by putting out "a cover album of country songs." And that's not all — Del Rey says she's also got another batch of "other folk songs" ready to go.
"So let's see how these things come out — I'm not going to have pedal steel guitar on every single thing, but it is easy for me to write," she continues, adding that despite the fact that her work has always contained country inflections, she's still anticipating some "skepticism" to emerge in response to the stylistic shift she's planning to make.
However, she wouldn't be the first pop star to cross over into the country realm. Bon Jovi, Lionel Richie and Cyndi Lauper are just a few of the stars who have "gone country" at one time or another.
Meanwhile, Del Rey is still continuing to release the haunting, melody-driven pop music fans know and love. Her newest single, "Chemtrails Over the Country Club," is the title track from an album due out on March 19.
Artists Who Have Unexpectedly Gone Country: