Photo: NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
On Sunday, Lana Del Rey released the cover art and tracklist for her long-awaited next album Chemtrails Over the Country Club, which will include songs like “Tulsa Jesus Freak” and “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, as well as the previously revealed single from the EP, “Let Me Love You Like a Woman”, which debuted last fall. In an interesting nod to Christopher Nolan’s storyline Principle, the singer also wrote a comment on Instagram in which she tries to reverse the entropy flow of the Internet and defend Chemtrails‘cover art against any future criticism that could be directed at her, including, apparently, that her inclusion of women of color could be seen as an attempt to neutralize her bad publicity this spring. In fact, Del Rey goes far enough to conclude with the lines: “I am not the one invading the capital, I am literally changing the world by putting my life, thoughts and love on the table 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Respect. ” Ufa!
“I also want to say that with everything that’s going on this year! And no, that was not the intention – these are my best friends, since you are asking today. And damn it! ”, Wrote the singer in the deleted comment, captured here by Stereogum. “As it happens when it comes to my incredible friends and this cover, yes, there are people of color in the photo of this album and that is all I will say about it. But thanks. My beautiful friend Valerie from Del Rio Mexico, my dear friend Alex and my beautiful friend Dakota Rain, as well as my dear Tatiana. These are my friends, this is my life. We are all a beautiful mixture of everything – some more than others, which is visible and celebrated in everything I do ”.
“In 11 years of work, I have always been extremely inclusive without trying,” continued Del Rey. “My best friends are rappers, my boyfriends were rappers. My dear friends came from everywhere, so before you comment again on a WOC / POC problem, I am not the one invading the capital, I am literally changing the world, putting my life, thoughts and love out there on the table 24 Seven. Respect. “
In May, the singer defended herself from criticism that her comments comparing her reception to that of black artists like Beyoncé, Doja Cat and FKA Twigs sounded deaf and racially insensitive. “The fact that they want to turn my post, my defense of fragility into a racial war,” said Del Rey in a subsequent video, trying to clarify his statement. “This is really bad. It really is really bad.”