celeb news Pitchfork names Lana's "A&W" the best song of 2023

[Trainwreck]

 

Quote

Interscope

1.

Lana Del Rey: “A&W”

“American *****” sounds almost like “American woman,” and I’ll tell you how often people say one to mean the other. Picture vintage 2012 Lana in the Budweiser T-shirt. “Ride” was her bid for total freedom and she prefaced it with a monologue about what that meant: broken dreams, the open road, and being the other woman, the one with no attachments. On “A&W,” co-written with Jack Antonoff, she approaches her destination with a seven-minute autofiction epic that breaks like a storm cloud over Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. Lana seeks the source of her ill humors and speaks of lost youth, a distant mother, predation, addiction, and desperate, toxic validation. Little rivulets of piano trickle through the melody, wearing out the paint. Hear her sing the word “raped” with the same polite trepidation they’ll use to suggest that she asked for it: No point explaining, she knows what they’d call her.

Her exposition is its own kind of dark comedy, like, I know the app says I’m in Rosemead—can you come to my hotel room? Lana can be tender but the American ***** is ice cold, smiling: She challenges us to ask how she ended up here and the answer is defensive and unsatisfying. She knows that being bad feels amazing—delirious, sharp like new money, concussive like the riptide bass that sucks us into the song’s furious, twisted fantasy denouement. “Surf’s up!” When the switch flips it’s Lana’s script, The Experience of Being an American *****, one of those trendy youth dramas full of sex, drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. And here’s mystery Jimmy, the habit that uses her back. Doesn’t the melody sound like it’s spiraling? The perfect victim is silent so Lana becomes loud, stubborn, unbreakable. She’s got a “your mom” joke that’s gonna stop his heart: What if I told her everything? –Anna Gaca

Here's the full list https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2023/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_social-type=owned&mbid=social_twitter&utm_brand=p4k

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Trainwreck

[suburbannature]

I hope this song wins her her first Grammy

[Domination]

Lady Gaga @ #98, okay let’s celebrate that

Edited December 4, 2023 by Domination

[Cruel Summer]

It’s true, and they should say it!

[Vermillion]

Going back through their lists the difference between their year-ends and decade ends are SO drastic. Like multiple that make top 5 over a few years not even near their top 40 of the decade-end.

 

I get culture reassessment after several years with artists like Kanye, but the transparent politics here dampen any celebration I might have when they do this for artists I love like Alvvays.

 

As for A&W I personally think it’s overhyped but even if it wasn’t I prefer lists from other outlets slightly more like Stereogum.

 

 

[AM98GJ]

ughhh yes we'll take all the accolades thank u 

[Bad_vocal_technique]

Omg! The acclaim continues 

[Joyride]

they did not lie, it's so good

[Karla Cabello]

not even the best on tunnel

[Escape]

Paris, Texas is better but whatever.

[Innocencelost]

I wish we got a video for it

[Velvet Night]

Lana is sweeping these year-end lists! Well deserved  

[Joesuxx]

5 minutes ago, Karla Cabello said:

not even the best on tunnel

From an individual listeners standpoint, but from a music critics point of view it’s structurally one of the most interesting and for that reason alone it kinda deserves these flowers, wish more women in music would take risks with their formulas to brighten the landscape. 
 

Pitchfork ain’t slick how the tables have turned.

[Selfloathingpoet]

This album is gonna get her her first Grammys, A&W SOTY, Ocean Blvd AOTY and Best Alternative Album.

[K$Ellie]

basic ass taste but newjeans top ten

[Richie]

Lana better be choosing a fire dress for the Grammys because she is getting screentime for her acceptance speeches.

 

[emailmyhearts]

Would Pitchfork lie? 

[xperience30]

[qurl]

honestly , theyre right !

 

but needs by Tinashe should have swapped with Rush by Troye Sivan

Edited December 4, 2023 by qurl

[Venice B]

54 minutes ago, K$Ellie said:

basic ass taste but newjeans top ten

don't set up my girls like that 

[Frozen99]

 

[Paky McGee]

Songs like Paris Texas, lead single of Tunnel album or even Fingertips to me deserve this position more than A&W, but I'm still okay with that. 

[Blue Jeans]

Give Lana a Grammy already

Great to see Caroline Polachek twice (well, Bunny is a rider was the 2021 song of the year plus Billions #20 in 2022, so it would be 4)

[Credit]

liv top 5 omg

 

but i don't understand people who like ghb more than vampire

[duybeeGAshantiGA]

The way multiple music critics/publishers putting this at #1 just for the Grammys not awarding it for Song of the Year for obvious reasons I know it will go to someone else at the stupid Grammus.