Photo: Splash
The controversial interview in which Lana Del Rey said she 'wished she was dead' - and the subsequent backlash behind it - has been revisited by Guardian journalist Tim Jonze, hailing the ambiguity of her words as 'quite an achievement'.
Earlier this year, Del Rey was quoted by The Guardian as saying she 'wished she was dead', which she later criticised on Twitter, claiming the writer's intentions behind the article were 'sinister'. A Twitter storm then ensued between those lambasting Del Rey's irresponsibility and those taking aim at Jonze for 'betraying' her words. The Guardian were forced to release the audio of the interview - which you can listen to below.
At one point, Kurt Cobain's daughter Frances Bean took to Twitter to scold Del Rey for her namechecking Kurt in the 'deathwish' statement.
"@LanaDelRey the death of young musicians isn't something to romanticize," wrote Frances Bean. "I'll never know my father because he died young & it becomes a desirable feat because ppl like u think it's 'cool'".
Del Rey responded to Frances Bean's comments with the following tweets.
@alka_seltzer666 it's all good. He was asking me a lot a out your dad I said I liked him because he was talented not because he died young-
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) June 23, 2014
@alka_seltzer666 the other half of what I said wasn't really related to the people he mentioned/ I don't find that part of music glam either
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) June 23, 2014
Now, the writer Tim Jonze has written a piece reflecting on the events - and the 'storm of hate' that ensued'.
"As with the talk about wanting to die, it’s easy to look at Del Rey’s words and actions and declare them irresponsible," writes Jonze. "At the same time, don’t we want our pop stars to at least flirt with irresponsibility? To play around in the grey areas, and leave us guessing?
"Del Rey must surely hope so, because her 2014 was spent in much the same way as her last three years in pop: with critics, fans and detractors caught in a guessing game, not entirely clear where she is coming from. In an age of relentless transparency, that’s quite an achievement."
Listen to the interview segment below
Read both of Tim Jonze's pieces on Lana at theguardian.com.
Meanwhile, Lana Del Rey and Courtney Love's US tour dates are below. Buy tickets safely and securely using Seatwave.
05-09 Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
05-12 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
05-14 Phoenix, AZ - AkChin Pavilion
05-16 Chula Vista, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheater
05-18 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
05-20 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
05-22 Ridgefield, WA - Sleep Country Amphitheater
