Music Critics Attacking Lana Del Rey After She Fires Bac At Th Wrong Person

[RAMROD 96,357]

Lana Del Rey has enjoyed a healthy relationship with most music critics since last week’s release of her latest album, “Norman F— Rockwell,” which many hailed unconditionally as her most sophisticated work yet.

Except NPR writer (and former L.A. Times critic) Ann Powers, whose in-depth review sparked outrage from the beloved pop star and her fans on social media.

Del Rey did not mince words on Twitter Wednesday night when she replied to Powers’ post sharing her provocative article

In a statement to The Times Thursday, Powers defended her thoughts on the album and said she felt no ill will toward Del Rey, wishing her continued success.

“It is a critic’s responsibility to be thoughtful and honest to herself in responding to artists’ work, and an artist’s prerogative to disagree with that response,” Powers said. “I respect Lana Del Rey and hope that her music continues to receive the passionate appreciation it has received for years.”

Revered as a pioneering critic, Powers has weathered plenty of controversy sparked by her scintillating criticism , particularly during her stint at The Times. The tweet sharing her Del Rey analysis was flooded with support from fellow critics, along with dismissive notes from Del Rey’s admirers. Critic Jessica Hopper noted Powers’ long history of championing female artists and leading the charge to take their work seriously.

Powers responded to the brewing backlash in a follow-up post Thursday morning, writing: “I really appreciate all the support today. I still think NFR is a deeply compelling, crucial album and hope everyone spends time listening to it (and goes back to Ultraviolence and Lust For Life too).”

 

 

Full article at Source:

 

And the series of tweets in question below:

Spoiler

 

 

 

Some of the the responses to Lana after

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, Lana 

[River 90,824]

I don't understand why she had to tweet that, she opened a gate for negativity

[Cameltoe Chariot 11,809]

Who ****ing cares, she's allowed to respond to people who are paying their bills by critiquing her work. She got this far in her career despite the ridiculous and unfair criticism she's received over the years. Just because they're kissing her  ass now doesn't mean she owes them anything.

 

Also spare us with that clickbait subject line sis 

[RAMROD 96,357]

4 minutes ago, CameltoeKween said:

 

Also spare us with that clickbait subject line sis 

It isn't click bait when it is happened. Bet you didn't even read the tweets in the post.  

[brownie 5]

From the SAME REVIEW: 

"On NFR! Del Rey is at her most instantly compelling, a pro asserting her future spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as her closest peer and rival Stefani Germanotta did with her turn in A Star is Born. Words like "classic" and "greatest" adhere to her now." 

Lana needs to sit down and apologize to this critic who took the time to write of her best, most thoughtful reviews ever...she dared to critique one song as "uncooked" and Lana bitches about it on twitter?? I'm a HUGE Lana fan but cmon...take several seats Lana...

[Judas Society 3,584]

so now I'm curious if Ann Powers reviewed any of Gaga's albums. Can the little detectives do something?

[CautiousLurker 16,578]

While I think there's a place for criticism of art, I think I'm ultimately on Lana's side because... I mean, imagine putting a lot of effort into something you really care about, and are trying to make it as good as you possibly can, and then have a person who is considered an authority figure but to whom you don't relate to whatsoever claim that if you view it from a certain angle, it's bad...

You kinda end up feeling talked down to, cuz... at least what's happening in my mind in an instance like that is someone lecturing me about how I wasn't smart enough to take this into account, and are ultimately dismissive of my experience of creating said work... To me they're almost saying that I expressed myself incorrectly in my work, and that I shouldn't express myself that way...

Btw, that review is so padded, damn... It's not really new, but certainly makes me appreciate more writers who get straight to the point...

[beaublue 3,865]

I agree with Lana... she didn’t say anything out of turn. The critic is the one attacking Lana personally, it’d be different if she were just criticizing the music but she chose to attack her character as a person. All I’m seeing from the people defending the critic is that Lana should be “thankful” that Ann reviewed her work, as if it somehow gives credibility to Lana’s work/career which it doesn’t.

[CautiousLurker 16,578]

9 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

It isn't click bait when it is happened. Bet you didn't even read the tweets in the post.  

You kinda did tho... Lana didn't make a mistake - she fired back at the right person.. Just because it's a famous critic doesn't mean she didn't have a place to do so...

When I read that title I thought Lana made a mistake or took something out of context, but she didn't

[ice bear 1]

she literally said she doesn't relate to the review, doesn't use a persona, told the critic not to call herself a fan, which since she's paid to be listening to an album is real s*it,  and gave her two bits about her work

and people attack her for that? is the critic some sort of deity that can't be reached or answered to?

yeah stan culture is bad and toxic, but imagine stanning someone whose work consist in going through an artist's catalogue and pointing "eh, i expected better" while also attacking the artist as a person in the guise of criticizing the work

and don't yall call me illogical for defending my favorite artist, i've seen to what lengths people go even in here to defend their artists who's done things way way worse than defending their work and expression

[Sorcerer 10,559]

Lana has all the right to react to this. Even if NFR! was praised, the critic talked about Lana creating a "character" that just "landed on cliches" on her earlier career. Lana should be the one knowing more about herself, not some music critic.

This situation kind of reminds of me of the critics of every Gaga era: that Gaga has another "inauthentic phase" and there will never be an authentic side from her. And whenever she ventures into different directions, critics will say that Gaga has never fully embraced something. Music critics should only focus on the quality of the work, that's why they are called MUSIC CRITICS, NOT PSYCHOLOGISTS who understand the workings of an artist's mind.

[ItsTommyBitch 12,640]

It's a very positive and very thorough review.

But, it also reads like a psycho analysis of Lana as a person because Lana has said repeatedly that "Lana Del Rey" is not a character that she made up in order to express a "sad girl" persona, and the author of the critic doesn't address that, but rather the entire review is clouded by this assumption in the guise of an assertation.

To Lana, who is not a character, and who is just writing what she thinks and feels and making music about her own life, this could easily read as an attack. I would argue that though there are pejoratives in the review (and it does read as condescending at times) it ultimately is a positive, but I entirely get why Lana felt the way she did.

But in a way, she's still taking charge of her narrative, even if we *want* to read NFR! as a chapter in an on going, even recently political epic about an American character's evolution , it is entirely her right as the artist to reject that narrative. 

Half of the positive reviews for NFR! don't just critique it on the basis of being good musically, but narrative and socio-politically as well. "The greatest" is apocalyptic pop, Lana is mourning American culture, ethics, diversity, etc. She's reclaiming sadness and empowerment, she's anti trump, anti-gun control, California is burning on the cover, so she's criticizing climate change and this inevitable feeling of despair looming over America...

It's all great, wonderful, and its how those people are connecting to this album because its impossible to disengage yourself in that way... But it doesn't mean its how Lana sees it, or why she does it. 

I do think she should have kept quiet about it though because it was ultimately positive, but we can't know exactly how she felt reading it, if she even read the whole thing, etc.

[Lilmonzter 2,864]

I love Lana but she really can't take criticism and its really getting annoying, there's gonna be a lot of negative and positive stories about you and your work, we don't see any other pop star attacking a reviewer?! 

[PartySick 134,256]

"My gift is the warmth I live my life with and the self reflection I share generously"

This bit rubs me the wrong way  the only person this level of pretentious has ever worked for was Gaga in the ARTPOP era

[Kulture Kiari 3,433]

Yall defending this lady and not siding with Lana!?

It's like someone going up to you and being like "Honey. You look and act like trash. But you're still breathing so that's guaranteed that you are human. 

Providing negative feedback but throwing "good comments" afterwards does not change the fact that its still negative feedback.