Lana Del Rey’s eighth album release features soaring vocals, emotional outpourings, and vivid aesthetics but leaves both critics and fans with confusion.

On the surface, Del Rey’s most recent release could be heard as repetitive and unvaried, with many critics branding the album as samey or confusing. The fact that Blue Banisters is Del Rey’s second release within a year, following Chemtrails over the Country Club released in March, could contribute to the perceived repetitiveness of the music. However, when delving deeper into the details of the album’s construction, Blue Banisters stands apart from Del Rey’s previous endeavours.

Although reviews and opinions are very mixed in response to the release, a resounding theme of all judgements is that the album is confusing, and that Del Rey’s intentions are unclear. The album is the first release since Lana Del Rey announced that she was deleting her social media in September. After a string of criticisms and controversies online. Del Rey expressed that she was going to take a step back from the public eye, stating that her current projects needed “privacy and transparency.” Perhaps this social media absence contributes largely to the confusion caused by Blue Banisters; it exists in an undefined space, with little accompanying commentary from the artist. The social media blackout being shortly before the release of this album may have been somewhat tactical, Del Rey had received increasing criticism about the transparency of her identity as an artist. Many believing that she faked her lifestyle for aesthetic gain, and glamourised domestic abuse in her music. While Del Rey has denied that she needs to put on a persona for her music, she is clearly a master of aesthetics.

The lyrical content of the album could hint at a response to these comments about Del Rey’s ingenuine character, with them appearing largely unposed. The album is a tangle of declarations of love, emotional confessions, and ironic commentary. Perhaps unlike previous albums, the lyrics of this album seem more personal, expressed with more genuine emotion. The lyrical themes will be recognisable to fans, but the presentation of such strong emotion in the absence of cool and constructed imagery may come as a surprise.

Some stand-out moments include the fan-favourite album track ‘Dealer’, within which Del Rey belts a passionate and desperate “I don’t wanna live, I don’t wanna give you nothing” amongst a comparatively subdued duet. This outpouring of emotion has resonated with fans, who identify this moment as one of clarity and refreshing transparency. The excerpt has been appearing across social media and is prominently used on TikTok. Alongside this, the closing track ‘Sweet Carolina’ is a touching tribute to her sister, some fans even labelling it as the greatest love song Del Rey has ever written. She reveals further glimpses into her life and past throughout the album, often mentioning relationships with family and friends in passing. This is an unusual shift in Del Rey’s style, as her personal relationships had never before been so directly referenced in her music. In these small moments Del Rey bares her soul for all, and fans are grateful for even a small amount of insight.

It is also true that Del Rey’s voice has never sounded better, her vocal tone and control are unmatched by any of her previous releases, which is one of the reasons why the album has a simply beautiful, addictive quality. The single, ‘Arcadia,’ stands as another popular track with its lilting and effortless melodic lines paired with familiar Lana Del Rey imagery. As a single, ‘Arcadia’ reminds fans of Del Rey’s recognisable style while also promising more, promising that this time she is candid and speaking from the heart.

Another notable change is that the album moves away from a reliance on Del Rey’s relationship with men. Although some of the songs are about romantic love, many of them centre around her sister, mother, or girlfriends, focusing on a myriad of different types of relationship. This complex treatment of emotion comes across as more realistic and rounded, providing listeners with a fuller view of Del Rey’s personal life. Even the visual content of the music videos for this album is made up of mostly candid shots of Del Rey with her girlfriends and family, or alone, whereas previous videos almost always featured a male counterpart.

The album is perplexing and represents a duality of dishonest imagery and honest confessions. There is a level of distrust which accompanies the accusations that Del Rey assumes a character which is completely removed from her own life. Fans know that Del Rey has a keen eye for aesthetic detail, and that she is aware of how to market her music under a persona (whether completely fabricated or exaggerated to varying extents). Because of this, many have suggested that Del Rey’s social media absence and sincere expression could all be a part of a new, dishonest but honest-presenting, phase of Del Rey’s stage persona. It is worth noting that Blue Banisters is her only release not to reach within the top 5 Billboard releases since 2010, is this the price paid for authenticity? Or is this another of Lana’s convincing characterisations which just has not captivated listeners the same way?

The album appears to represent a retreat from the public forum and a move to focus on more personal writing, Del Rey is allowing the music to speak for her, with little commentary or visual supplement. This emphasises the perceived rawness of Blue Banisters, the album almost needs no explanation; it simply exists as a creative emotional outlet. The album leaves all with questions and without Del Rey’s social media presence to answer some of these, fans return to listen again to find answers – perhaps this is a smart move on Del Rey’s part or a symptom of a new, more absent, identity. In a way, the album feels like a turning point in Del Rey’s career, a realisation that her music can stand alone, without constant aesthetic support. For fans, Blue Banisters is a mystery to figure out, to keep returning to, and to admire.