In the article, Shabby Chic, Spin Magazine writer, Simon Reynolds takes a closer look at Lana Del Rey and her retro style, throwback music, and the comeback the past is making in 2012
I've been noticing a trend over the past year. Every time I am with my mom, and I see someone wearing the latest, trendy wardrobe, I'll say, "Hey, I like the way they're dressed." My mom replies with, "That's the kind of stuff I wore when I was growing up." Simply put, the past is cool, and the music, fashion, and art of today is without a doubt taking creativity from the 50's and 60's. I once heard someone say, there's no such thing as new knowledge. Every new idea is really just borrowed or inspired by someone or something else. Well, I believe there is no such thing as new music, or new fashion, or new art. It is all borrowed or inspired from past decades, and presented to wide-eyed, fresh faced hipsters seeking their next counter-cultural high.
Enter Lana Del Rey. The lastest and greatest pop star to hit the scene. Straight off of Youtube, Lana Del Rey is one of the most loved yet hated musical artists at this moment. Lana is the focus of Reynolds' article, using her as a prime example of the way artists today are simply drawing inspiration from the glory of their favorite past decade. Reynolds' eloquently explores the fact that artist are becoming more and more retro-esque. Reynolds explores the appeal behind a relapse to the golden age. The clothes were beautiful, the celebrities graceful, and the music was some of the best in history. Even mainstream artists like Adele are being compared to great singers like Etta James. Throughout his article, Reynolds provides quotes from Lana Del Rey explaining why she takes a step back into the past. Reynolds notes that the word "beautiful" pops up quite a bit in there conversation. She even changed her name from Lizzy Grant to Lana Del Rey. Why? She wanted a beautiful name to go along with beautiful music. Plus it was reminiscent of 60's movie stars and Hollywood (Or, maybe, it is a marketing ploy since "Lizzy Grant" didn't make the label much money). Nevertheless, Reynolds does a wonderful job of bringing to the attention of indie music lovers that the present is not their own. Musical Artists are all just drawing from influences of the past.
Though this piece wonderfully focused on the mystery that is Lana Del Rey, I wish it had been a bit more critical. I love the past. I love the music of the 50's, 60's, and 70's just as much as the next music lover, but it angers me to see so many young people go about life thinking they are so creative and original, when all they're really doing is wearing my mom's clothes from her childhood and making it "cool." To borrow from others is flattering, and to revive a lost art is noble, but originality is the highest form of artistry. I would like to see more artists being truly original, if that's even possible. I would like to see artists create something that is their own so that in 30 years bands say, "Let's recreate the sound of 2012." Most importantly, I would like to see heavy media influences promote the idea of originality, even if that means being critical.
Interesting post that made me think of MY retro days. I thought tube tops were so daring in the 1970s, and my mother said, "Oh, I wore those in the 1950s." And the same for short shorts!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, you've scratched at the surface as to why we should all study history -- and in our field, media history.