Question about Honeymoon

[HighlandHeart 993]

Does anyone else think Lana Del Rey's album cover for Honeymoon is kind of incongruous to the actual music on the record? 

To me it's got this sad, jazzy, deep West Coast Jazz and dark undertone to it. Yet the album cover and music videos are all sunny and tropical. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the cover, and I understand the exotic Spanish/Bermudian/Californian hot romantic sonic influences and how the visuals reflect them. And the MV for Freak was just delicious. 

But I don't know, to me the production just almost has this ghostly beautiful undertone which reminds me of Gregorian monophonic chanting, even though that isn't what it is. 

It's just after I listen to the album full of these delicious dark strings and soft electric guitar strums and sad crooning and sexy dark breathy vocals, and then scroll back up the track list (on Spotify), I'm just always surprised to see such a sunny, light almost screwball-esque album cover. Even though it encapsulates her stunningly. 

Maybe it's just me. I'm a pretty visual listener if that makes sense. I guess after Ultraviolence's sombre cover she might have been accused of being a downer. It's not that Honeymoon is sad or sullen, it's just got this sexy darkness to it. 

Just want to know if anyone feels the same?

[johnpe 916]

For me the beautiful (and horrifying) contrast between the haunting sounds of the album and the sunny and positive videos make it even better. Kinda bipolar, kinda mentally not okay, I loves it

[Lassex 1,169]

Well, people feel music in different ways. I'm a ''visual listener'' too! For some reason I can only think of light colors and pretty visuals when I'm listening to Honeymoon. Of course some songs are darker too. I think the music on Honeymoon is very summery, because the sounds are so warm and relaxing. Actually, many melancholic songs make me think about summer: We Are Young by Fun, Robbers by The 1975 and Florida Kilos by Lana. I honestly think that the visuals of Honeymoon represent the music perfectly. But I can understand if you think differently!

[ristretto 882]

I think the whole contrast of the music/artwork as well as the contrast between the title/theme is a statement based on that one quote she dropped before the album release. She said something along the lines of that she wrote the album even though she wasn't fully comfortable writing it but she knew she had to do it to let go of everything that bothered her, mentally. 

 

The paradox feeling of Honeymoon is slightly absurd but it's so, so, so beautiful and I truly admire Lana and consider her to be one of our biggest musical geniuses!

[Bear 7,515]

Yes, I agree. It is summery to me, but it's more like the setting sun in one of the last days of summer. There is definitely a darkness to it. 

[Pacify Him 9,073]

You nailed it

Tbh, I love how her music is maturing over time. Can't wait to see her next album.

[HighlandHeart 993]

3 hours ago, VenusAsABoy said:

You nailed it

Tbh, I love how her music is maturing over time. Can't wait to see her next album.

Me too! That's exactly how I feel. 

[HighlandHeart 993]

3 hours ago, Thomas said:

I think the whole contrast of the music/artwork as well as the contrast between the title/theme is a statement based on that one quote she dropped before the album release. She said something along the lines of that she wrote the album even though she wasn't fully comfortable writing it but she knew she had to do it to let go of everything that bothered her, mentally. 

 

The paradox feeling of Honeymoon is slightly absurd but it's so, so, so beautiful and I truly admire Lana and consider her to be one of our biggest musical geniuses!

Ahh, I like that idea.

Likewise! She's such a treasure. Can't wait to see what she does next. 

[Sylvanas 5,768]

Well I think its about the cycle of abuse in relationships, really. You have this illusion that everything is okay, the very shallow assertion that you are in love and nothing could go wrong. People call it the 'honeymoon phase', because the abuser lures in victims by making them think that things really could be beautiful and okay.

Honeymoon as a song I think plays on this, where the chorus and verses evoke this real sense of disillusionment, yet the bridge and pre-chorus have this melodic surreal soundscape to them that almost lets the listener fall in love with something that isn't quite right. One second the song is cold and harsh, the next it is warm and safe. There's such a tension building throughout it. You want to fall in love but there's something that just is not right. The sour notes. The deep strings. You know it isn't what it seems to be.

People often become trapped in relationships with abusers when they fall to this illusion. They see all the times they were treated well, and use those to justify the abuse they receive. ("If he really was abusive, he wouldn't have done x, y , and z").

Honeymoon ends with dreaming away your life, living in a surreal world where everything is okay because you cannot confront the reality of the situation.