Lana Del Rey’s fandom is strongly seen across Venice High’s students. 

“I love her, I think she’s so iconic and she’s had an effect on young people with style and everything about her is just so influential,” said sophomore Julia Smith.

She debuted in 2011 when she released her single “Video Games.” It was a huge hit and that’s really when Lana Del Rey was born. After her first hit, her second hit was her “Born To Die” album. 

Del Rey has shown a personal connection to the West Coast in California. She has featured cities like Malibu and Venice in her songs and even in her song titles such as “West Coast” from her album Ultraviolence. She often picks Los Angeles as her place to film her music videos.

 There is a mural made for her by Jonas Never on the historic Ellison Hotel in the Venice Boardwalk with the lyrics of the song that made her rise in fame, “Video Games.” Painted in black and white, Del Rey has an old Hollywood look and her signature blazes in hot pink. 

“Her vintage-like music videos and the way she speaks her heart out with heartfelt lyrics overall that feeling that you’re in a different era in time,” said senior Kylie Kamal. 

Lana Del Rey has recently grown in popularity on social media platforms. This has caused a huge exposure to her music to this generation of high school students.

One reason why students relate to Del Rey is because she writes about issues with relationships in some of her work such as breakups or personal issues.

“She sings about falling in love and just living through those phases and being young and having fun and all the types of things that teenagers like to fantasize about,” said sophomore Julia Smith.

Junior Giovanna Szewczyk feels  similarly. “Students relate to Lana Del Rey because she makes everything in life aesthetic and she’s just a nice person to listen, too.”

Del Rey has interpreted famous women from the past such as Marylin Monroe in her music videos, In 2012 alongside her album “Born To Die” he released a music video for her song “National Anthem.” Before her song begins, she recreates the famous “Happy Birthday Mr.President” performance Marylin Monroe sang to Former President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Later on in the video she interprets as Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Lana has been an artist out of the spotlight for many years, but many have had a much more personal connection to her way before.

“In 2012, her song ‘Summertime Sadness’ would play on the radio and that’s really where my love for her began,” senior Kylie Kamal said. 

Lana features a clip of Venice Beach in her “Doin’ Time” music video.

With that said, Lana Del Rey is an icon in the many spectrums of society, ranging from a worldwide city to mothers to teenagers. Her authenticity and flair in the music industry is what has brought her great success in the people’s eye, and I for one, can praise her for being that multifaceted personality and such a force to anyone who takes the time to not only listen to her lyrics, but her.