Earlier this week, Lana Del Rey shared some key details — the project’s artwork, tracklist, and release date — of her upcoming album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club. But when she shared it, she did something that enraged many online: she made comments about race and the people she included in the album cover, which came off as tone deaf to many people. “My best friends are rappers my boyfriends have been rappers,” she said in the now-deleted post. “My dearest friends have been from all over the place, so before you make comments again about a WOC/POC issue, I’m not the one storming the capital.”
A day after she posted the controversial comments, Lana addressed them during an interview with BBC Radio 1 where said inclusivity was not one of her “issues” and that critics could not “just make it my problem.” Despite her attempt to clear the air, some saw additional problems in her interview and shared their reactions to them. But now Lana has responded, attempting to defend herself.
OK complex not that our 10 year relationship matters I guess Thanks for the cool soundbite taken out of context, I said that the bigger problem is Sociopathy-so whether he meant to incite a riot is less important than the larger issue in America at hand -the problem of sociopathy
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
It’s fucked up. You know I’m real. You know I voted for Biden. I’m super steady in everything I’ve ever said. You probably listened to my entire interview. So whoever wrote this is a genuine piece of shit. I am the one helping bringing the problem with narcissism to light. Gfys
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
I’m actually not tone deaf, I don’t think there’s anything tone deaf about responding to questions about why there are only white women on a album cover when that’s just not the case. I’m not gonna let people say that some thing is what it isn’t. You’re jealous I get it.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
I also want to say that I don’t appreciate complex magazine inferring that I thought it was right to storm the capital. After my long term relationship with them and exclusive interviews over the last 11 years I think it’s pathetic
if Rolling Stone chimes in-same goes for them— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
The singer caught wind of a tweet from Complex that read, “Lana Del Rey is back at it with another controversial take: she says Trump didn’t mean to incite the Capitol Building riot.” She quickly slammed the publication for the “cool soundbite taken out of context.” “I said that the bigger problem is Sociopathy-so whether he meant to incite a riot is less important than the larger issue in America at hand -the problem of sociopathy,” Lana said in one tweet. She posted additional comments that called the post “f*cked up” and “pathetic,” before sharing a video that further expanded on her frustrations with “bigger magazines.”
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
So I just want to talk about a couple of things, some of the articles that are coming out today about me thinking that Trump didn’t mean to incite the riots. I think it’s cute that that’s the little takeaway that Complex gets from that, especially with our relationship over the last ten years — obviously completely disregarded. The other bigger magazines, that goes for you as well. I get it, I have something to say, and I don’t just show up, giggling, talking about my hair and my makeup. I was asked directly political questions for over 40 minutes by the BBC Radio 1, and I answered them. I said, “When someone is so deeply deficient in empathy, they may not know that they’re the bad guy.” That may be a controversial opinion, but don’t make the controversy that I don’t think that he meant to incite the riot. It’s not the point is what I was saying. The general point is the wider-ranging issue of sociopathy in our system that’s being reflected in our government right back to us. What we’ve seen in the pandemic is the second epidemic and I talked about this for ten minutes. I said to Annie Mac, “This is the takeaway for me: we’ve seen violence within the household increase 300-fold throughout every county in America, 911 calls going up 300% because of issues of delusions of grandeur between one partner or another and the violence that stems from that and the chaos.”
You can watch the video above and read additional tweets from the singer below.
I’m actually not tone deaf, I don’t think there’s anything tone deaf about responding to questions about why there are only white women on a album cover when that’s just not the case. I’m not gonna let people say that some thing is what it isn’t. You’re jealous I get it.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
The music is great and it is important to talk about inclusivity. Which I don’t have an issue with, I’ve been super open about my issues are and that isn’t one of them. I just think it’s sad that you’re trying to paint one of the only artist who is genuine as otherwise.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
Just to take a moment to say that what I was describing w the bbc was that Trump is so significantly impaired that he may not know what he was doing due to his significant lack of empathy and the wider ranging problem is the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
I’ll say it again I don’t appreciate the larger magazines taking my well-intentioned and believe it or not liberal comments out of context. It’s actually what I sing about quite often. It’s what I’ve been condemned for saying. You can listen to the entire interview.
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
A woman still can’t get mad right? Even when a mob mentality tries to *incite
— Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021
Chemtrails Over The Country Club is out 3/19 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.