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Lana Del Rey's third album Ultraviolence is coming at some point this year (probably not in May - as Lana herself previously stated) but it's still an enigma wrapped in an enigma wrapped in another enigma.
Fans of LDR are so desperate for new music from the star that a recording of her heavily breathing accompanied by a xylophone would set the internet ablaze. There's been a variety of unreleased tracks that have leaked online in the past few months, some of them good, some not so good. They've all caused a stir, however. Here are the 5 that are worth your attention.
'Black Beauty'
Reportedly the only track that was recorded for Ultraviolence, the mellow 'Black Beauty' is already a firm fan favourite, racking up over 2 million hits on YouTube and counting. A slow-paced, haunting ballad, it follows Lana's typical lyrical equation of pandering to and pining for your man ("I paint my nails black, I dye my hair a darker shade of brown/Cause you like your women Spanish, dark, strong and proud"). It's certainly strong enough to feature on Ultraviolence.
'Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight'
Despite the moony title, 'Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight' is a breezy, uptempo guitar-led slice of disco pop, over which an assertive Lana croons: "I can be your one time baby/I can be your little dairy queen/I don’t wanna care tonight I don’t wanna fight/You don’t have to give me anything". It doesn't quite match the "dark" aesthetics Lana confirmed Ultraviolence channels, but it's still enjoyable.
'Put Your Lips Together'
In terms of quality, 'Put Your Lips Together' isn't the best - the demo sounds tinny, and Lana's vocals not very polished. Look beyond this, however, and there's a great song in there - we love the Oriental-inspired guitars and provocative, attitude-packed lyrics (You know how to whistle don’t ya?/You know who’s the most fun don’t ya?/It’s me baby Just put your lips together and blow").
'Behind Closed Doors'
This is another track that's possibly way too upbeat to end up on Ultraviolence - in fact, it's the most peppy LDR track we've ever heard - but it's still brilliant. A whirring, electro-tinged, explosive pop anthem, it sounds nothing like the melancholic Lana we all know, and it's nice to hear a neat bit of simple pop from her.
'In The Sun'
This is way too simple and unpolished to be anything close to finished, but we actually really like hearing Lana's vocals take centre stage, accompanied by nothing but a lone guitar. The lyrics are typical Lana - "How they're more fun than me, baby I'm smiling then your jersey queen/And you're the best thing I ever seen". Wack some lush strings on there and we can definitely imagine this featuring on Ultraviolence.
Below: Everything we know so far about Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence
