Lana Del Rey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lana Del Rey
Del Rey in 2024
Born	Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (1985-06-21) June 21, 1985 (age 40) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Lana Del Ray Lana Rey Del Mar Lizzy Grant May Jailer Sparkle Jump Rope Queen
Alma mater	Fordham University (BA)
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2005–present
Works	Discography live performances songs unreleased songs videography
Spouse(s)	Jeremy Dufrene ​ (m. 2024)​
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Alt-pop baroque pop dream pop indie pop rock
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	5 Points Stranger Polydor Interscope
Signature

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer and songwriter. Her music is known for exploring themes of glamour and romance. She often includes references to pop culture and American history from the 1950s to 1970s.

Lana Del Rey has won many awards. These include an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards, and two Brit Awards. She has also been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards. Variety magazine called her "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century". In 2023, Rolling Stone listed her among the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time".

Del Rey grew up in upstate New York. She moved to New York City in 2005 to start her music career. She became famous in 2011 with her song "Video Games". This song became very popular online. It led to her signing a record deal with Polydor and Interscope.

Her second album, Born to Die (2012), was a big success. It had a unique, moody sound and included the hit song "Summertime Sadness". This album reached number one in many countries. By 2023, it had spent over 500 weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart. This made her the second woman to achieve this milestone.

Her album Norman ... Rockwell! (2019) was highly praised. It was nominated for Album of the Year. Rolling Stone also included it in their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Her ninth album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, was released in 2023. It featured the popular song "A&W".

Del Rey has also contributed to movie soundtracks. In 2013, she wrote and starred in the short film Tropico. She also released "Young and Beautiful" for the movie The Great Gatsby. This song received Grammy Award and Critics' Choice Award nominations. In 2014, she recorded "Once Upon a Dream" for Maleficent. She also sang the theme song for the movie Big Eyes, which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. In 2019, she collaborated on "Don't Call Me Angel" for Charlie's Angels. In 2020, Del Rey published a book of poetry and photos called Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass.

Early Life and Education

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant was born on June 21, 1985, in Manhattan, New York City. Her parents were Robert England Grant Jr. and Patricia Ann "Pat" Grant. She has a younger sister, Caroline, and a younger brother, Charlie. She was raised Catholic and has Scottish and English heritage.

When she was one year old, her family moved to Lake Placid, New York. There, her father worked for a furniture company. Her mother was a schoolteacher. Elizabeth attended St. Agnes School and sang in her church choir.

When she was 14 or 15, her parents sent her to Kent School. This was an Episcopal boarding school in Connecticut. This decision was made to help her overcome some personal challenges she faced during her teenage years. She later shared that she had difficulty making friends. She also felt worried about life and death from a young age.

Grant later left school to get help for her challenges. She has been healthy since 2003. She lived with her aunt and uncle on Long Island for a year. During this time, she worked as a waitress. Her uncle taught her to play guitar. She realized she could write many songs with just a few chords. Soon after, she started writing and performing in nightclubs. She used names like "Sparkle Jump Rope Queen" and "Lizzy Grant and the Phenomena".

She first attended SUNY Geneseo but took a break. In fall 2004, at age 19, Grant enrolled at Fordham University in The Bronx, New York City. She studied philosophy, focusing on metaphysics. She chose this subject because it "bridged the gap between God and science".

Career Beginnings (2005–2010)

Lana Turner, a film actress who inspired Del Rey's stage name

In spring 2005, while still in college, Del Rey registered a seven-track extended play. It was titled Rock Me Stable, with Young Like Me also listed. She also recorded another EP, From the End, under the name May Jailer. Between 2005 and 2006, she recorded an acoustic album, Sirens, as May Jailer. This album later appeared online in 2012.

In 2006, Del Rey met Van Wilson from 5 Points Records. This happened at a songwriting competition. In 2007, she sent a demo tape to 5 Points. They offered her a recording contract. She used the money to move to a trailer park in North Bergen, New Jersey. She began working with producer David Kahne.

Del Rey graduated from Fordham in 2008. She then released a three-track EP, Kill Kill, as Lizzy Grant. Kahne produced this EP. Del Rey also did community work with people experiencing homelessness and those facing health challenges.

She chose the stage name Lana Del Rey for her first album. She said it reminded her of the "glamour of the seaside". The name was also inspired by actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey car. Her self-titled debut album, Lana Del Ray, was released in January 2010. It was briefly available on iTunes.

Del Rey later met her managers, Ben Mawson and Ed Millett. They helped her leave her contract with 5 Points Records. She felt "nothing was happening" there. She then moved to London. In September 2010, she performed with Mando Diao in Berlin. That same year, she acted in a short film called Poolside.

Breakthrough with Born to Die and Paradise (2011–2013)

In 2011, Del Rey uploaded music videos for "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" to YouTube. These videos used old footage mixed with shots of her singing. The "Video Games" video became very popular online. This led to her signing with Stranger Records. The song won a Q award and an Ivor Novello award.

In the same month, she signed a deal with Interscope Records and Polydor. This was for her second album, Born to Die. She performed two songs from the album on Saturday Night Live in January 2012. Some critics found her performance shaky.

Del Rey attending the 2012 Cannes Film Festival

Born to Die was released on January 31, 2012. It was a big commercial success. It reached number one in 11 countries. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 album chart. The album sold 3.4 million copies in 2012. It was the fifth-best-selling album of that year. By February 2024, Born to Die had spent 520 weeks on the Billboard 200. This made Del Rey the second woman to reach this milestone. Billboard said the album helped change pop music in the mid-2010s.

In September 2012, Del Rey introduced the F-Type car for Jaguar. She later recorded "Burning Desire" for a promotional film for the car. She also released a music video for her cover of "Blue Velvet". This was for an H&M advertising campaign.

On September 25, Del Rey released "Ride". This song promoted her upcoming EP, Paradise. The music video for "Ride" premiered in October 2012.

Paradise was released on November 12, 2012. It was also part of Born to Die: The Paradise Edition. Paradise became Del Rey's second top 10 album in the United States. It was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Del Rey won the Best Alternative performer award in November 2012. In February 2013, she won the International Female Solo Artist award at the Brit Awards.

In May 2013, Del Rey released "Young and Beautiful". This song was for the movie The Great Gatsby. It reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later, a remix of her song "Summertime Sadness" became a big hit. It reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The remix won a Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical in 2013. "Young and Beautiful" was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

In June 2013, Del Rey filmed Tropico. This was a musical short film with songs from Paradise. It was shown in December 2013. The soundtrack was released digitally.

Ultraviolence, Honeymoon, and Film Work (2014–2016)

Del Rey performing at Coachella Festival in 2014

On January 26, 2014, Del Rey released a cover of "Once Upon a Dream". This was for the 2014 fantasy film Maleficent. After Paradise, Del Rey started working on her next album, Ultraviolence. Dan Auerbach produced it.

Ultraviolence was released on June 13, 2014. It debuted at number one in 12 countries, including the United States and United Kingdom. The album sold 880,000 copies worldwide in its first week. It included singles like "West Coast" and "Ultraviolence". Later that year, Del Rey contributed "Big Eyes" and "I Can Fly" to Tim Burton's film Big Eyes.

Honeymoon, her fourth album, was released on September 18, 2015. It received good reviews. Before its release, Del Rey shared the song "Honeymoon" and the single "High by the Beach". Del Rey also went on The Endless Summer Tour in May 2015. She also sang on the Weeknd's song "Prisoner".

In November 2015, Del Rey helped produce a short film. It was called Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston. She also covered Daniel Johnston's song "Some Things Last a Long Time". Del Rey received the Trailblazer Award at the Billboard Women in Music ceremony. She also won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Alternative.

On February 9, 2016, Del Rey released a music video for "Freak" from Honeymoon. Later that year, she worked with the Weeknd again for his album Starboy (2016). She provided backing vocals on "Party Monster" and lead vocals on "Stargirl Interlude". "Party Monster" reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lust for Life and Norman ... Rockwell! (2017–2019)

Del Rey performing at the Flow Festival in Helsinki, Finland, in 2017

Del Rey's fifth album, Lust for Life, was released on July 21, 2017. It included singles like "Love" and "Lust for Life" with the Weeknd. It also featured collaborations with Stevie Nicks and Sean Ono Lennon. This was the first time she had other artists on her own album. The album received good reviews. It became her third number-one album in the United Kingdom and second in the United States.

In September 2017, Del Rey announced the LA to the Moon Tour. This tour promoted the album. Lust for Life was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 60th Grammy Awards.

In January 2018, Del Rey mentioned a discussion with the band Radiohead. This was about similarities between their song "Creep" and her song "Get Free". She later announced that the discussion was "over".

Throughout 2018, Del Rey was a guest singer on several songs. These included tracks by Jonathan Wilson, Børns, and Cat Power. In November 2019, Del Rey became the face of Gucci's Guilty fragrances. She appeared in ads with Jared Leto and Courtney Love.

Del Rey performing at the Grammy Museum in October 2019

On August 6, 2019, Del Rey presented filmmaker Guillermo del Toro with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also released a cover of "Season of the Witch" for his film, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. On the same day, she released "Looking for America". She wrote and recorded this song quickly after some sad events in the US.

Her sixth album, Norman ... Rockwell!, was released on August 30, 2019. The album received widespread praise from critics. NME gave it five out of five stars. Rolling Stone called it a "pop classic". The album was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Album of the Year and Song of the Year for its title track. This album was the first time Del Rey worked with Jack Antonoff.

In September 2019, Del Rey was featured on "Don't Call Me Angel". This song was a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus. It was the main single for the movie Charlie's Angels. The song was successful internationally. In November, Del Rey appeared in The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show.

Chemtrails over the Country Club, Blue Banisters, and Poetry (2020–2021)

In early 2018, Del Rey mentioned she was approached to write a Broadway musical. She had started working on it. She also planned to contribute to the soundtrack of a new Alice's Adventures in Wonderland adaptation.

After announcing a spoken word album in 2019, Del Rey released Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass and its audiobook in 2020. The book was released on September 29. The audiobook, produced by Jack Antonoff, was released on July 28. The poem "LA Who Am I to Love You" was released as a single. In May 2020, Del Rey announced a second book, Behind the Iron Gates – Insights from the Institution. The manuscript for this book was unfortunately stolen from her car in 2022.

In November 2020, Del Rey announced a digital record of "American standards and classics". She also contributed to a documentary about Liverpool F.C., The End of the Storm. She performed the club's anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone". Del Rey is a fan of the club.

On March 19, 2021, Del Rey released her seventh album, Chemtrails over the Country Club. It received good reviews. The album was mostly produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff. It included singles like "Let Me Love You like a Woman" and the title track. Music videos were released for both songs and "White Dress".

Her eighth album, Blue Banisters, was released on October 22, 2021. It was preceded by three songs released on May 20, 2021: the title track, "Text Book", and "Wildflower Wildfire". The single "Arcadia" was released on September 8, 2021. Music videos were released for "Arcadia" and "Blue Banisters".

Recent Work (2022–Present)

On January 21, 2022, Del Rey's song "Watercolor Eyes" premiered on an episode of Euphoria. In 2022, she confirmed she was working on new music and poetry. However, in October 2022, her car was broken into. A laptop, hard drives, and camcorders were stolen. These contained unfinished songs, her upcoming poetry book manuscript, and family videos. Del Rey was able to erase the laptop's contents remotely.

On October 21, 2022, Del Rey was featured on "Snow on the Beach" by Taylor Swift. This song was on Swift's album Midnights. It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. This became Del Rey's highest-charting song on that list.

On December 7, 2022, Del Rey released "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd". This was the main single from her ninth album of the same name. In January 2023, Del Rey was interviewed by Billie Eilish for Interview magazine. She shared that the album would explore her inner thoughts. On February 14, 2023, "A&W" was released as the second single. The third single, "The Grants", was released on March 14, 2023. Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd was released on March 24, 2023.

On May 19, 2023, Del Rey released her popular unreleased song "Say Yes to Heaven" as a single. She had written and recorded it in 2013. On May 26, 2023, Taylor Swift released a remix of "Snow on the Beach". This version featured "more" Lana Del Rey. On July 20, 2023, Del Rey was seen at a Waffle House in Florence, Alabama. She was pouring coffee and chatting with customers. She later explained that the servers offered her a shirt, and she helped serve a customer. In 2023, Del Rey went on a tour to support her album.

On October 20, 2023, Del Rey was featured in Holly Macve's single "Suburban House". On November 10, 2023, Del Rey received 5 nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards. These included Album of the Year for Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. She was also chosen as the face for the Skims 2024 Valentines Day Collection.

On January 31, 2024, Del Rey announced her upcoming tenth album. It was originally titled Lasso. She later revealed the title to be The Right Person Will Stay. It is set to be her first country album. "Tough", a collaboration with rapper Quavo, was released on July 3, 2024.

On November 25, 2024, Del Rey announced her UK and Ireland Tour 2025. It will begin on June 23, 2025, and end on July 3, 2025. She will perform at stadiums like Cardiff's Principality Stadium and London's Wembley Stadium. Addison Rae will open for her.

In 2025, Del Rey and the Weeknd collaborated on "The Abyss" from his album Hurry Up Tomorrow. On April 25, 2025, Del Rey performed at Stagecoach Festival. She previewed new songs from her upcoming country album. The album included singles "Henry, Come On" and "Bluebird".

Artistry

Musical Style

Lana Del Rey is known as an "alt-pop" or alternative pop artist. Her music has elements of pop, rock, dream pop, baroque pop, and indie pop. She also uses sounds from trip hop, hip hop, and trap. When she first started, her music was called "Hollywood sadcore".

Her music is often described as cinematic. It frequently refers to different parts of pop culture. Both critics and Del Rey herself have noted a strong theme of 1950s and 1960s Americana. Del Rey said she feels like she was in the 1950s, even though she was not born then.

Before becoming famous as Lana Del Rey, she performed under other names. These included Lizzy Grant, Lana Rey Del Mar, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and May Jailer. As Lizzy Grant, she called her music "Hawaiian glam metal". Her May Jailer project featured acoustic music.

Influences

Artists from Frank Sinatra (left) to Amy Winehouse (right) have influenced Del Rey and her music.

Del Rey says many artists have influenced her. These include pop, jazz, and blues singers from the mid-20th century. Some of them are Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Nancy Sinatra. She also likes torch singers like Julie London and Julee Cruise. She told BBC radio that she likes "the masters of every genre". She named Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley.

Rock and pop musicians from the late 20th century have also inspired her. These include Bruce Springsteen, Britney Spears, Lou Reed, and the Eagles. Folk musicians like Leonard Cohen and Joan Baez are also influences. Del Rey has also looked up to Cat Power, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, rapper Eminem, and singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. The soundtrack to the movie American Beauty partly inspired her album Born to Die.

Del Rey is inspired by poetry. She names Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg as important to her songwriting. Del Rey has mentioned film directors David Lynch and Federico Fellini as influences. She also likes painters Mark Ryden and Pablo Picasso. She admires actress Lauren Bacall.

Voice and Timbre

Del Rey has a wide contralto vocal range. It covers more than three octaves. Her voice is described as captivating and very emotive. She can easily sing high notes in a girlish timbre or jazzy notes in her lower voice. After Ultraviolence was released, critics praised her vocal ability more. They noted her wide range and confident singing.

When recording, Del Rey often layers her vocals. This can make it hard to sing exactly the same way live. Stage fright has also been mentioned as a reason for her struggles with live performances. However, journalists noted in 2014 that her live performances became more confident. Billboard called her performance of "West Coast" at Coachella a "star-making performance". Music critics have called her voice "smoky" and "gravelly". They say it reminds them of Marilyn Monroe. In 2015, her voice was compared to Julee Cruise and Eartha Kitt.

Del Rey started using lower vocals with Born to Die. She said she lowered her voice because "people weren't taking me very seriously". She believed it would help her stand out.

Videos and Stage

Del Rey performing at the Flow Festival in 2017

Del Rey's music videos often have a cinematic, retro feel. Early in her career, she made "homemade music videos". She recorded herself singing and mixed it with old home videos. This helped her gain early attention. After these videos became popular, Del Rey made high-budget music videos. These included "Born to Die" and "National Anthem" (both 2012). Her early videos showed her as a "bad girl" or "gangster Nancy Sinatra".

Later videos for songs like "Summer Wine" and "Summertime Sadness" had smaller budgets. They kept more of her early style. The Ultraviolence era had a mix of high-budget and self-made videos. The Honeymoon era featured professional, film noir-inspired visuals. For Norman ... Rockwell!, her sister, Chuck Grant, directed three videos in Del Rey's "homemade video" style.

Critics have noted Del Rey's simple but real live performances. A review in The New York Times in 2017 said she was "eerily casual". She sang and smiled "with the ease of someone performing at singer-songwriter night at the local coffee shop".

Impact

Lana Del Rey has influenced many artists. These include The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Clairo, Beabadoobee, Madison Beer, Taylor Swift, Kali Uchis, and Olivia Rodrigo. Billboard said Born to Die helped change pop music in the mid-2010s. It shifted from loud EDM to a moodier, hip-hop-influenced style. They believe Del Rey is very important to pop music of that decade. She influenced artists like Lorde, Halsey, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez.

In 2019, Billboard included "Born to Die" among the 100 songs that defined the 2010s. They said it created "a sonic shift that completely changed the pop landscape". Norman ... Rockwell! was named one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone.

Del Rey has received praise from older artists. Some of them were her own inspirations. These include Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Elton John, and Courtney Love. Directors David Lynch and John Waters have also praised her.

The Washington Post listed Del Rey as the only musician on their "Decade of Influence" list. Pitchfork called her one of the greatest living songwriters in the US. The Guardian said Del Rey's unique style became a "hallmark of the defiant female pop stars to come". Her YouTube and Vevo pages have over seven and a half billion views combined. In 2022, New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music started a course about Del Rey's music. Rolling Stone ranked Del Rey at number 175 on its 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Rolling Stone UK named her The Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st century in 2023.

Awards and Recognition

Del Rey has received many awards. She has won 3 MTV Europe Music Awards, 2 Brit Awards, a Satellite Award, and 9 GAFFA Awards. She has also been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Personal Life

Lana Del Rey married Jeremy Dufrene on September 26, 2024, in Louisiana. Dufrene is a tour boat captain. Del Rey took a tour with him in 2019.

Del Rey has said that she believes in God. She told The Quietus in 2011 that her understanding of God came from her own experiences. She said she was in trouble many times in New York. She believes that if you were her, you would believe in God too.

Discography

Studio albums

Written Works

• Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass (2020)

Filmography

Tours

• Born to Die Tour (2011–2012)
• Paradise Tour (2013–2014)
• The Endless Summer Tour (2015)
• LA to the Moon Tour (2018)
• The Norman ... Rockwell! Tour (2019)
• 2023–2025 tour

See also

In Spanish: Lana Del Rey para niños

• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• List of Grammy Award winners and nominees