Well this more than makes up for the looped trailer from yesterday.
Lana Del Rey has always been an artist who pays just as much attention to the visual aspect of her artistry as she does to the music and it pays off in the music video for 'National Anthem'. While there really isn't much of a storyline to the video, other than Lana and A$AP Rocky as JFK and Jackie O thoroughly enjoying their time as the heads of State, it manages to capture the oddly celebratory and melancholy feel of the song itself. It reminded me of her early cut and paste visuals for Video Games and the original Blue Jeans video, although National Anthem has a much clearer narrative to follow (and of course looks much more expensive). There is also a sense of dread that creeps up throughout the video, but that's probably because anyone who knows the story of JFK knows that as soon as these two get in that convertible, things are not going to end well.
Still, it's her most interesting video to date and I for one am relieved she's released a video where her lover ends up dead instead of her. The final two minutes of the video, in which Lana talks of her love for this man who is "torn between being a good person and missing out on all of the opportunities that life could offer a man as magnificent as him" could have easily come across as pretentious but instead seems heartfelt. When it comes from a singer who wears her heart on her sleeve as obviously as Lana does, this closing monologue is more captivating than eye-roll inducing. In my honest opinion the video didn't need to be this long, but the opening and closing chapters are intriguing enough that I won't be skipping them anytime I watch the video.
Still, it's her most interesting video to date and I for one am relieved she's released a video where her lover ends up dead instead of her. The final two minutes of the video, in which Lana talks of her love for this man who is "torn between being a good person and missing out on all of the opportunities that life could offer a man as magnificent as him" could have easily come across as pretentious but instead seems heartfelt. When it comes from a singer who wears her heart on her sleeve as obviously as Lana does, this closing monologue is more captivating than eye-roll inducing. In my honest opinion the video didn't need to be this long, but the opening and closing chapters are intriguing enough that I won't be skipping them anytime I watch the video.
National Anthem started out as a much more upbeat affair (never forget), and if it had stayed that way this video would never have worked. This video really shows how grand this song was always supposed to be and the album version is as perfect as it could get. All hail Lana Del Slay.
5/5
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