Lana Del Rey: Her Life In 94 Songs

The controversial artist Lana Del Rey seemed to appear fully-formed with her melancholy viral hit 'Video Games' - but the story started long before. She had written and performed for many years under many names with no fanfare. Each time she changed her name, she was drawn inexorably closer to the finished product - a synthesis of real life and fantasy - that we see now. In this anatomy, F.A. Mannan considers everything that has gone into the equation: the music, poetry and films but also the places and experiences that allow the songs to communicate despite the media circus around them. The guide considers the strange way the music industry and press operate today, and the feedback loop between these mechanical business processes and the creative act. The tense
gender politics and the blurry notions of authenticity that jut awkwardly into Del Rey's faintly otherworldly image are all given due consideration. This is the definitive treatment of Lana Del Rey's work to date.

F.A. Mannan has a BA in Computer Science from Cambridge and an MMus in Songwriting from Bath Spa. His thesis was on academic notions of authenticity in Born To Die by Lana Del Rey. From London, he has worked both as a software engineer and a sound engineer.

An indispensable guide to Lana Del Rey's songwriting that considers the 20th century mythologies of popular culture. Mannan articulates the impact of influence and provides social and historical context for his subject. Recommended. - Richard J Parfitt, Principal Lecturer and Course Leader for Popular Music, Songwriting and Production at University of South Wales