May 28, 2021
By Amerie Diaz
Staff Writer
As the album title might imply, Lana Del Rey’s “Chemtrails over the Country Club” is undoubtedly unique. In this album, Del Rey reinvents her sound and style, making her one of the most versatile singer-songwriters in the industry today.
Released on March 19, Del Rey’s seventh studio album is the follow-up to her previous album “Norman F*cking Rockwell!,” which came out in August 2019.
On May 21, 2020, Del Rey made a controversial post on social media, which criticized the double standards faced by women in the music industry. Along with this post, she announced she would be releasing her next album on Sept. 5, though production was delayed due to the pandemic.
“Chemtrails over the Country Club” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard US 200 Chart and topped the United Kingdom Albums Chart. Within the first week of release, the album sold 58,000 copies in the United States, and 54% of the album’s first-week sales were vinyl copies.
In “Chemtrails over the Country Club,” Del Rey sings about her experiences with heartbreak, love and nostalgia.
Incorporating a unique country-pop sound to her original style, “Chemtrails over the Country Club” starts strong with “White Dress” where Del Rey reminisces about her simpler life before fame, singing, “Sun stare, don’t care with my head in my hands / Thinking of a simpler time.” Her voice is like a soft whisper.
“Chemtrails over the Country Club” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard US 200 Chart and topped the United Kingdom Albums Chart.
The title track, “Chemtrails over the Country Club,” was released on Jan. 11, which was hinted to be the original release date of the album. In an interview with Jack Antonoff, Del Rey explained the meaning of the track.
“I hear ‘Chemtrails’ and I think ‘work,’ but I also think of my stunning girlfriends, who so much of the album is about, and my beautiful siblings. ‘Chemtrails’ is the title track because it mentions them all, and it mentions wanting so much to be normal and realizing that when you have an overactive, eccentric mind, a record like ‘Chemtrails’ is just what you’re going to get,” Del Rey told Antonoff.
“Dark But Just A Game” stands out from the rest of the album. In this song, Del Rey addresses the darker side of fame, singing, “The faces aren’t the same / But their stories all end tragically.” The dramatic beat and the dark, eerie lyrics are really what bring the track together.
The weakest song on the album is Del Rey’s somewhat unoriginal and basic “Wild at Heart,” in which she sings about her carefree relationship with her partner. This song isn’t terrible, but after hearing other tracks on the album, she could have done much better.
Despite the mediocre “Wild at Heart,” the wait for “Chemtrails over The Country Club” was well worth it. Whether it’s the groundbreaking vocals or the poetic lyrics, Lana Del Rey does not disappoint with her latest album.
