Lana Del Rey has hit back at accusations of
racism, after facing a backlash over a controversial post she shared on her
Instagram page.
On Thursday morning, Lana raised eyebrows when she posted a lengthy statement, lamenting that many female artists were having success with songs about “being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc.”, when she had – in her words – been “crucified” and accused of “glamourising abuse” when she explored these themes in her music.
“With all of the topics
Women are finally allowed to explore I just want to say over the last 10 years I think it’s pathetic that my minor lyrical exploration detailing my sometimes submissive or passive roles in my relationships has often made people say I’ve set women back hundreds of years,” she wrote.“Let this be clear, I’m not not a feminist – but there has to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me – the kind of woman who says no but men hear yes – the kid of women who are slated mercilessly for being their authentic, delicate selves, the kind of women who get their own stories and voices taken away from them by stronger women or by men who hate women.”
While many fans agreed with Lana’s overall message, others pointed out that the majority of the stars mentioned by name in the Grammy-nominated singer’s post, including Doja Cat, Camila Cabello, Beyoncé and
Nicki Minaj, were women of colour.
In fact, of all of the singers and rappers mentioned, only
Ariana Grande – who collaborated with Lana on the single Don’t Call Me Angel last year – was white, which did not sit well with many…It’s weird because the women she named, especially the black women she named HAVE been criticized for their artistry... heavily... why does lana think she’s oppressed? No one cares what you do just make your shit
music and go— sun₇𖧵 #AD2 (@rmtrend) May 21, 2020there’s no excusing lana. the whole post was unnecessary but most of the women she singled out were black women who are confident enough in their sexuality to make art about it and she has to tear down their success? for what? doesn’t sit right with me— baylee (@platinumfires) May 21, 2020now that all these black women hve had #1s about topics that have nothing to do with abuse can i sing about abuse?????????????????????????? https://t.co/1muEkEkl3W— G (@oneofthosefaces) May 21, 2020The thing with the Lana post is how she describes her music versus music by black women. BW's music - "about wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc."Lana's music - "about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love"Lana sings, "my pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola."— socially distant (@fka_j) May 21, 2020Most of this post is actually fine and accurate but the introduction is completely unnecessary lol! Especially since most of these black woman artists she’s listed have faced racist backlash, mostly from white feminists, about “oversexualisation” https://t.co/iIvh2NjgPw— Jase (@jasebyjason) May 21, 2020this is literally so humiliating ... a white woman mad about the success of woc ... https://t.co/B2rZ6h4a3U— ☆ (@tawantays) May 21, 2020feel like lana could’ve started her post 3 lines in and it would’ve had the same message ... or just paid some kind of homage to all the, mostly black, women she mentioned— lewis (@lwswaters) May 21, 2020Notice the similarities (excluding Ariana) between the artists she chose to compare......— Adj Thee Stallion (@Adwoonit) May 21, 2020lana could have made the same point without naming any names that have nothing to do with what she does— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) May 21, 2020Yes this is where she loses me, it feels like a misdirect to cite those women esp when black women have to fight against being hypersexualised etc. It’s also part of this thing where she calls out critics in a way that feels a bit ... shallow?? Idk— Conor Behan (@platinumjones) May 21, 2020this is... weird. what do other women have to do with your own exploration of submission/‘consensual’ abuse in a relationship? also all of the women she listed have had heaps of criticism for many reasons and they just ignore it or do better, as she is perfectly allowed to do https://t.co/uefi40o9yM— sami 🌺 (@smibkr) May 21, 2020Karen Del Ray 😭— Hades (@sillylittlethot) May 21, 2020Lana has since had her say on the backlash, updating the post’s caption to say: “By the way the singers I mentioned are my favorite singers so if you want to try and make a bone to pick out of that like you always do be my guest, it doesn’t change the fact that I haven’t had the same opportunity to express what I wanted to express without being completely decimated and if you want to say that that has something to do with race that’s your opinion but that’s not what I was saying.” View this post on InstagramA post shared by Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey) on May 21, 2020 at 12:26am PDTIn subsequent comments, she reiterated: “Bro. This is sad to make it about a WOC issue when I’m talking about my favourite singers.
“I could’ve literally said anyone but I picked my favorite fucking people. And this is the problem with society today, not everything is about whatever you want it to be. It’s exactly the point of my post – there are certain women that culture doesn’t want to have a voice it may not have to do with race I don’t know what it has to do with. I don’t care anymore but don’t ever ever ever ever bro call me racist because that is bullshit.
“And my last and final note on everything – when I said people who look like me – I meant the people who don’t look strong or necessarily smart, or like they’re in control etc.
“It’s about advocating for a more delicate personality, not for white woman – thanks for the Karen comments tho. V helpful.”
At the end of her initial statement, Lana announced that she would be releasing her new album – her seventh under her Lana Del Rey moniker – in September, and that it would feature “tinges of what I’ve been pondering”.
Lana released her most recent album Normal Fucking Rockwell last year, reaching number one here in the
UK, receiving an an Album Of The Year nomination at the
Grammys.READ MORE: Lana Del Rey Puts
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