Continuing her journey as a music artist, Lana Del Rey released her seventh studio album, Chemtrails over the Country Club on March 19 on music platforms everywhere, meeting fans’ desire for new music.
The album starts off with “White Dress”, a song about her femininity being sold as a product during her time as a waitress. She compares her time as a waitress to her time as a growing musician, implying that her femininity was turned into a product in both industries.
The song expresses that the difference between the two professions is that as a singer, she is able to express her music. At the end of the song she asks herself if it was worth allowing her persona to be commodified, “It kinda makes me feel, like maybe I was better off.” “White Dress” is whimsical and expressive. The lyrics match the sad mix of the song. The opening track showcases her wide range of vocals and musical expression.
The title song, “Chemtrails over the Country Club”, was released as a single before the rest of the album. It is a much stronger mix, with a compelling piano background. The song is suspected to be about her inviting a romantic interest to live out their lives under airplanes going across the sky of a country club.
The song conveys that Del Rey wants to be rid of her worldly burdens and stresses, asking for her partner to “Take out your turquoise and all of your jewels” and laugh freely. The song is more upbeat, but still temperate and mellow.
The next song on the track is “Tulsa Jesus Freak”. Del Rey sings about a toxic relationship in her past, asking her partner to “stay real close to Jesus” and treat her with kindness and respect. She implies that her partner was a religious man who didn’t follow his morals. The vocals are quiet and beautiful.
“Let Me Love You Like A Woman” was also released as a single before the rest of the album. The song follows a conversation that Del Rey had with a romantic partner that she was inviting to leave L.A., California.
She tells them that she doesn’t care where they go as long as they are together and it is away from urban stresses. She implies that wants to conform to normalcy and leave her expectations of stardom behind. The song follows the entire theme of the album, expressing that she is a carefree woman who doesn’t want the societal pressures of being in the spotlight.
A perfect representation of the album, in “Wild At Heart”, Del Rey expresses that if someone loves her, then they will love her for who she is. “If you love me, you’ll love me; ‘Cause I’m wild, wild at heart.” The song is upbeat and more cheerful than the others, but still sweet and ethereal.
Halfway through the album is “Dark But Just A Game”. The song is darker, about the tragedy of people who stay in L.A. the quote “dark, but just a game” comes from a conversation she had with her producer about musical talent ending up unhappy. The song has more range than the others, having a faster tempo in some areas than others.
“Not All Who Wander Are Lost” is about her free spirit and her desire to travel aimlessly. She implies that she doesn’t need a plan or clothes, but just her companion and wanderlust. The song is upbeat and repetitive, feeling hopeful for her escape from the media.
“Yosemite” is melodic and sweet. She sings about how she is no longer a “candle in the wind”; being a candle in the wind is a metaphor she has reference throughout multiple songs and is a symbol of fragility and inability to fight against stronger powers.
Del Rey sings in “Yosemite” how now that she has her partner has helped her grow as a person, she is stronger than she ever has been. Now she “does it for fun, does it for free” and lives a happier life.
“Breaking Up Slowly” is sung with artist Nikki Lane and is about how breaking up is “the hard thing to do”, but that it must be done for happiness. The women request that their partner doesn’t “send me flowers like you always do” because they know they need to part ways.
They express that their partner is the only one that they love, but it has become a sad love that they need to leave. It is sad and slow and leaves the listener very emotional.
“Dance Till We Die” is in ways a tribute to those who were once role models and are now her friends. They have helped her get through media backlash and she is grateful for that. “We won’t stop dancing till’ we die” could imply that she won’t stop continuing to make music and live her life as long as she has her people buy her side. It has hints of jazz tempos and is the only truly exciting song on the album.
The final song on the album, “For Free”, features Zella Day and Weyes Blood. It is a calm close to the album, examining the music industry. Messages of fame and luxury dictating musicians’ art is prominent. Lesser unknown artists produce art “for free” but musicians deemed fameworthy by the media must produce art to maintain their lavish lifestyles.
The entire album expresses distaste toward the music industry and discontent with living in the spotlight from Del Rey. The album provokes questions of if the current media-music artist relationship is healthy for musical talent.