#Crucial21DbW: Video Games directed by Lana Del Rey

After a rebellious adolescence and some time studying Metaphysics in the City that Never Sleeps, singer Lana Del Rey, real name Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, was born. This enigmatic persona came to life in 2011, showcasing an exotic sonority that made her stand out in the world of pop music. We were introduced to her through “Video Games,” a nostalgic ballad that is accompanied by a peculiar music video in its simplicity that brought this New Yorker to worldwide stages through an independent upload to YouTube.

In an industry marked by abundance, the genuineness with which Del Rey goes in front of the webcam and intersperses her own image, naked and raw, with excerpts from cinema classics or cultural references (in a mix of cartoon imagery, skateboard tricks, or even Paz de La Huerta), has become a phenomenon for a new generation of listeners; these images are reminiscent of the aesthetic of the American Dream itself. Typical pop music, full of choreography and an overdose of rich props, now has a competitor: a more simple look, an alternative popularized by its difference, filling the needs of those who seek a more natural vibe.

Without a specific plot or some greater action taking place, our journey through the work of this artist is focused on emotion. From the celestial opening to the sound of bells, to the very character of the young woman who performs under her own amateur direction, Del Rey faces us in deep melancholy with a disturbingly painful gaze. All of this happens in a video with an overall retro look marked by such pale tones as if it were haze. It is in this dreamy, desaturated and grainy sequence that the legacy of the essence of “Video Games” resides. Despite the technological name, the song’s music video reveals a very human art form. It deconstructs any barriers of production to directly approach its message to the heart of the most diverse of lovers, building a space that in less than five minutes, proves that heaven can truly be a place on earth.