Blue Banisters (song)
| "Blue Banisters" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Lana Del Rey | ||||
| from the album Blue Banisters | ||||
| Released | May 20, 2021 | |||
| Studio | Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA) | |||
| Length | 4:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Gabe Simon | |||
| Lana Del Rey singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Blue Banisters" on YouTube | ||||
"Blue Banisters" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on 22 May 2021 by Interscope Records and Polydor Records alongside "Text Book" and "Wildflower Wildfire" as the joint lead singles for her eighth studio album Blue Banisters. The song was written by Del Rey and Gabe Simon, the latter of whom also produced the song.
Background and release
[edit]Lana Del Rey announced the release of her eighth studio album Blue Banisters on 28 April 2021, with the release date initially set for 4 July.[1] On 20 May 2021, three singles were surprise released by Del Rey — "Blue Banisters", "Text Book", and "Wildflower Wildfire" — as "buzz tracks in anticipation of her upcoming 8th studio album".[2][3] A music video for "Blue Banisters" was released two days before the album on 20 October.[4]
"Blue Banisters" is a ballad[5] containing cushioned piano notes and quiet vocal runs.[6] Lyrically, the song delves into the sorrow following a breakup and growing older. Del Rey also alludes to her earlier style by mentioning Russian poetry, and her sister Chuck.[7]
Critical reception
[edit]Steffanee Wang of Nylon described "Blue Banisters" as "a crescendoing, towering ballad", noting how "Del Rey is able to signal her growth in perspective regarding feminism" "elegantly" on the track.[8] Alisha Mughal from Exclaim! emphasized how Del Rey sounds "unprocessed, raw, unaffected, and so, so beautiful" on the song.[9] Ben Bryant from The Independent felt "the stunning, spacious" song "is as luxurious and haunting as a Jim Buckels painting".[10]
Music video
[edit]The music video for "Blue Banisters" was released on 20 October 2021. The video features a peaceful setting, where Lana rides a tractor and has fun with her friends painting banisters blue, and decorating cakes.[11][12] The video is serene until Lana's expression turns serious at the end.[4] Jon Blistein from Rolling Stone described how the "clip toes the line between literally and abstractly complementing the lyrics",[13] a feat also noted by Sam Kemp from Far Out.[14]
An earlier version of the music video was first teased on April 28, 2021[15] and was set to feature Del Rey's partner at the time, Clayton Johnson, who also posted a picture of himself in his music video costume on November 25, 2020.[16] The original concept was likely scrapped after Del Rey and Johnson broke up.
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[17] | 31 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] | 42 |
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | May 20, 2021 |
References
[edit]- ^ Peters, Daniel (April 28, 2021). "Lana Del Rey announces new album 'Blue Banisters'". NME. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Haylock, Zoe (May 20, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Uploads 3 Singles With No Warning". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (May 20, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Releases 3 New Songs: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Schube, Will (October 20, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Rides A Tractor And Decorates Cakes In 'Blue Banisters' Video". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Wang, Steffanee. "Lana Del Rey's 'Blue Banister' Singles Are Her Most Personal To Date". Nylon. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ Corcoran, Nina (May 21, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Releases New Songs "Blue Banisters", "Text Book", and "Wildflower Wildfire": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ "On Edge: Anticipating Lana Del Rey's Blue Banisters". The Edge. October 19, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Lana Del Rey's New 'Blue Banister' Singles Explained". Nylon. May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Lana Del Rey's 'Blue Banisters' Delivers Elizabeth Grant, Unfettered | Exclaim!". Lana Del Rey's 'Blue Banisters' Delivers Elizabeth Grant, Unfettered | Exclaim!. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Bryant, Ben (May 5, 2022). "Lana Del Rey review, Blue Banisters: One revelation colours the singer's entire body of work". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Dazed (October 20, 2021). "Lana Del Rey hops on a tractor for her new 'Blue Banisters' music video". Dazed. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Curto, Justin (October 20, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Paints Banisters Blue in Her 'Blue Banisters' Video". Vulture. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (October 20, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Gets Literal About Painting 'Blue Banisters' in New Clip for Title Track". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Lana Del Rey releases video for new single 'Blue Banisters'". faroutmagazine.co.uk. October 21, 2021. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Lana Del Rey Twitterissä: "I'm writing my own story. And no one can tell it but me… "". April 28, 2021. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 31, 2021. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2024.