Lana del Rey – Biography, Net Worth, and Life Story

The Early Life of Lana del Rey

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, or famously known as Lana Del Rey. She was born on the 21st of June 1985 in the beautiful city of New York. Her mother and father were currently working in an advertising company in New York while she was not yet born. But when her mother took birth to her, the family decided to move to Lake Placid, New York.

Lana has 2 siblings both brother and sister were with her growing up. Lana went to a catholic school in her teenage days but she had a drinking problem. Because of this problem, her parents decided to send her into Kent School in Connecticut, the school was a boarding school. Though being in a boarding school does not solve the problem completely but when she was 18 Lana started to live a better life.

Lana did not proceed to college immediately after high school instead she went to Long Island to live with her uncle and aunt. Lana, later on, studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx but the music was her real focus.

Career Track of Lana del Rey

When she first climb up the stage she was still known as Lizzy Grant, she was always at the club doing gigs and open mics. She competed in a songwriting completion in 2006, but it was unfortunate. Although this kick-started her career a judge helped her to make a demo and she gained $10,000 in this deal. With the money she earned, Lana then decided to continue her dreams in a New Jersey trailer park.

When Lana launched her first album, Lana decided to have a name that will suit the public. Lana did have a list of names she wanted but later on, she settled in the name Lana Del Rey. She then changed her image by looking like a gangster, she made her hair blond and dressed like a bad girl.

Lana with Stranger Records

Del Rey made self-made videos of her song only using a webcam in 2011 and uploaded it on Youtube. The songs she uploaded was Video Game and Blue Jeans. Stranger Records noticed Lana because the song Video Game became popular that it became Viral. The recording company then signed Lana and they agreed that Video Game is going to be her debut single.

In October of 2011, the song won her The Next Big Thing award and in 2012 it won a Best Contemporary Song. For her to release her second album Born to Die Lana and Interscope Records and Polydor agreed into a joint deal. On Saturday Night Live Lana sang two of her songs from the album and received negative feedback from critics, they say that Lana’s vocals were shaky. She then later responded and defended herself releasing a statement.

On the 31st of January 2012, her second album Born to Die was released, it received different opinion but the bottom line was the album became number 1 in 11 countries. Lana then had her plans to re-release her first album under Interscope Records and Polydor in 2012 after buying back her rights to her album. But Lana’s statement to the press was different from what has been heard, she said she already bought the rights way back in 2010.

In 2012 Born to Die was the number 5 in the best-selling album with 3.4 million copies sold worldwide. In the H&M 2012 autumn campaign, they release a music video of a cover version of Red Velvet with Lana performing. For the promotion of her fast and coming EP, Paradise, Lana released the single Ride on the 25th of September. Later then on the 10th of October at the Santa Monica’s Aero Theater, she premiered the music video of Ride. Though the video received negative critics calling it antifeminist because of the content of the video.

On the 12th of November 2012, Paradise and Born to Die: The Paradise Edition was released as a standalone. In just its first week Paradise sold 67,000 copies making it Lana’s 2nd top 10 albums in the U.S and it also debuted number 10 in the billboard 200.

Her second album was nominated for the Best Pop Vocal Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, Lana won the Best Alternative performer award at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards and she was also nominated several occasions. Lana then won the International Female Solo Artist award at the Brit Awards in February of 2013. She also won both Best International Pop/Rock Artist and Best International Newcomer at the Echo Awards.

In the 2014 film Maleficent On the 26th of January 2014, Lana covered the movie’s song Once Upon a Dream. Lana started to write and record her next album Ultraviolence right after finishing Paradise. Lana released the album on the 13th of June 2014 and it was very successful being number 1 in 12 countries.

In just in its first week, the album sold already 880,000 copies all over the world. Big Eyes and I Can Fly which are 2 of Lana’s new songs was featured in the film Big Eyes by Tim Burton. Later then Lana showed hints that she was already working for her next album in the first month of 2015. She later then confirmed it saying that the name of her next album will be Honeymoon.

In May of 2015, Lana was with Courtney Love and Grimes as the opening act of The Endless Summer Tour. Lana the shared the song Honeymoon just after the tour ended, it is the first track on is upcoming 3rd album. On the 18th of September 2015, her 3rd album was released and garnered positive feedback.

The short film Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston in November of 2015 was produced by Lana. The film was about the life documentation of singer and songwriter Daniel Johnston.

Also See: Peng Liyuan: Biography of The First High-Profile First Lady in China

Awards and Nominations of Lana del Rey

Later then, in the People’s Choice Awards In January of 2016, Lana was nominated for the Favorite Female Artist award.She was also nominated for International Female Solo Artist for the 3rd time in the Brit Award. On the 9th of February at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles Lana premiered they song Freak’s music video. In the following month, the artist is already writing for her 5th album.

In December of 2016 The Weeknd Collaborated with Lana for his 3rd album, Lana was a back-up vocal in the song Party Monster and being the lead vocal in the song Stargirl Interlude. Lana was the co-writer of the song Party Monster which they released as a single, the single made it to the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was also certified double-platinum in the U.S.

On the 21st of July 2017, Lana released Lust for Life. She collaborated with many artists for this album which she has never done before. She worked with ASAP Rocky, The Weeknd and Stevie Nicks on this album.

The band Radiohead filed a lawsuit against Lana which she announced in January of 2018, the case was about her song Get Free which was very similar to the Radiohead’s song Creep. Though while performing at Lollapalooza in Brazil the artist happily announced that the lawsuit was done.

Lana then did vocal guesting in other musician’s tracks such as Borns for Blue Madonna’s Blue Madonna and God Save Our Young Blood. Lana then releases the single Mariners Apartment Complex which was produced by Jack Antonoff. After 6 days the track Venice Bitch was released by her and just right after releasing the track she then announced her 5th album’s title, the name is Norman Fucking Rockwell.

In January of 2019, the third single of the album was released Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman like Me to Have – but I Have It.

Career Inspiration of Lana del Rey

Lana has much to mention when you ask her who influenced her music. Most of her icons are from the mid-twentieth century performers including Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nina Simone, The Crystals and Bobby Vinton.

Lana also loves to listen to rock music especially from the late-twentieth-century which also inspired her music. They were artists like The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen.

Relationship: Is Lana Dating?

Lana Del Rey and Sean Larkin are together right now and she confirmed it in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. There is only a little information about their relationship, though they were seen in Central Park drinking iced coffee.

Fun Facts about Lana del Rey

• She has other talents, Lana is good at writing. In fact, she wrote a short film called Tropico.
• She is known for a lot of names, she was born as Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. Yet, she settled in the name Lana Del Rey in 2010. Including her screen names are Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, Lizzy Grant, and The Phenomena.