Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence is a record built on a single idea: darkness as mood, not metaphor. Where her debut Born to Die leaned on nostalgia and cinematic haze, this album narrows its focus to a love story told in shadows. The songs circle the same themes — betrayal, fame, isolation — and the production keeps pace with them, wrapping her voice in a dense, atmospheric haze that turns the record into a continuous night scene rather than a collection of singles. It is a deliberate choice, and it mostly pays off.
Cruel World Sets the Tone
The album opens with “Cruel World,” a six-minute track that establishes the record’s central tension. Del Rey sings about being trapped in a relationship that feels both dangerous and magnetic, and the song’s slow-burn build gives the listener time to settle into the album’s patient, unhurried pace. It is the strongest opener she has ever recorded.
“Ultraviolence” follows, and it is the title track for a reason: it is the most direct statement of the record’s thesis, a song about violence and desire that refuses to separate the two. The track leans heavily on the lyric “He hit me and it felt like a kiss,” which has become the album’s most quoted moment. It is blunt, repetitive, and effective.
Shades of Cool Through West Coast
“Shades of Cool” is the record’s most atmospheric moment, a five-and-a-half minute track that drifts through a haze of guitar and piano. It is less immediate than the opening pair but rewards patience, building to a chorus that feels like a release after the track’s early tension. “Brooklyn Baby” slows things down further, a ballad that finds Del Rey singing about a lover who has moved away, the song’s longing undercut by a sense of detachment that suits the album’s overall mood.
“West Coast” is the best pop song on the record. It is built around a simple, catchy riff and a melody that sticks, and it shows Del Rey can write a tune that lands without sacrificing her darker instincts. “Sad Girl” returns to the record’s core themes, a track about loneliness and the weight of fame that feels like a direct address to the listener rather than a character study.
“It’s true that much of Ultraviolence, like Born to Die, rams the same sonic guidepost over and over”
Pretty When You Cry Through The Other Woman
“Pretty When You Cry” is a slighter track, a mid-tempo ballad that doesn’t add much beyond the themes already established. “Money Power Glory” is the record’s most overtly political moment, touching on wealth and status, though it plays more as backdrop than argument. “Fucked My Way Up to the Top” is the most confrontational track here, a song about climbing the ladder of success that carries a harder edge than anything else on the album.
“Old Money” slows things down again, a reflective track about privilege and memory that feels like a breath before the finale. “The Other Woman” closes the record on a note of finality, a track about leaving a toxic relationship that brings the album’s themes full circle.
What Works, What Doesn’t
The record’s weakness is also its strength: it repeats itself. The production is consistent to a fault, and the songs often feel like variations on the same template rather than individual statements. That consistency is part of what makes the album work as a whole, but it means individual tracks don’t always stand out on their own.
The best moments — “Cruel World,” “Shades of Cool,” “West Coast,” “Sad Girl” — are genuinely excellent. The lesser tracks — “Pretty When You Cry,” “Money Power Glory,” “Fucked My Way Up to the Top” — are still serviceable, just not essential. The album holds together as a complete listening experience better than it breaks down into singles.
The Verdict
Ultraviolence is a strong, cohesive record that succeeds because it commits fully to a single emotional universe. It is darker and more focused than Born to Die, and the consistency of its tone is its greatest achievement even when it leads to repetition. The album’s ambition is real, and so is its execution.
Key Facts
- Artist: Lana Del Rey
- Album: Ultraviolence
- Release type: Album
- Tracks: 11
- Total running time: 51 minutes
- Metacritic score: 79/100
- Cruel World6:40
- Ultraviolence4:11
- Shades of Cool5:42
- Brooklyn Baby5:52
- West Coast4:17
- Sad Girl5:18
- Pretty When You Cry3:54
- Money Power Glory4:31
- Fucked My Way Up to the Top3:32
- Old Money4:31
- The Other Woman3:02
