"Blue Velvet" is a song written by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris that was covered by Lana Del Rey. It is the fifth track on Del Rey's second major release Paradise, and served as the first promotional single off the album, released on September 20, 2012. It was used in an advertising campaign for the clothing retailer H&M.
Cross-references
- It could be argued that Del Rey chose to sing 'Blue Velvet' because of the film of the same name by David Lynch; the film features a desire for violence in relationships - something that appears throughout Del Rey's songs, such as 'Heavy Hitter' and 'Ultraviolence'. Frank often refers to himself as 'Daddy' and Dorothy as 'Mommy' while he beats her, and Dorothy asks Jeffrey if he is a 'bad boy' and promises she will do 'anything' he wants. References to Lynch's work are also found in 'JFK' and 'Carmen'
- Velvet is also mentioned in "This is What Makes Us Girls".
Critical reception
Rolling Stone called Del Rey's cover "doleful".[1] Carl Williot of Idolator dubbed Del Rey's cover, "beautifully languorous and dreary (though [it] is replete with her go-to swell of strings and grainy programmed beats).[2] Jenna Hally Rubenstein, writing for MTV, called the commercial and vocals, "moody, totally broody", playfully adding, "what would a Lana Del Rey campaign be if it didn't make you feel a tad depressed?" In the video, Rubenstein said Del Rey was a "ridiculous beauty" sporting a Brigitte Bardot–inspired look, which she added, not every singer can pull off.[3] People said the video was dramatic, intriguing, unique, and played off the moody, vintage Hollywoodimage of the retro-inspired starlet. Appropriately, they wrote, the video had film noir elements.[4] Specifically, it was compared to the neo-noir film, Mulholland Driveas well as the film Blue Velvet itself. In an interview with Artinfo, David Lynch spoke out about Del Rey's cover:
''Lana Del Rey, she's got some fantastic charisma and – this is a very interesting thing – it's like she's born out of another time. She's got something that's very appealing to people. And I didn't know she was influenced by me!''[5][6]
Music video
Music video | Information | |
---|---|---|
Released | September 19, 2012 | |
Length | 2:01 | |
Director | Johan Renck | |
Producer | ||
Filmed | 2012 | |
Location | ||
Vevo views | N/A |
Background and description
On September 19, the music video, which serves as a commercial for the H&M 2012 Autumn Collection as well, for "Blue Velvet" was released through H&M. In the video, direted by Johan Renck, Del Rey is singing the song in a low-lit room before an audience of pallid people, playing an Americana lounge singer dressed in a pink mohair sweater, She is then hypnotized. Three women dressed identically to Del Rey sit on a couch and watch her coldly. At the end of the video, a little man walks into the room, pulls out the plug for Del Rey's microphone, silencing her. A behind the scenes video was filmed and posted to H&M's official YouTube channel.
Behind the scenes
Lyrics
She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars
She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet were here eyes
Warmer than May her tender sighs
Love was ours
Ours a love I held tightly
Feeling the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow of
Blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm a memory through the years
And I can still see blue velvet through my tears
Comercial release
Digital release
Blue Velvet - Single
Label: Interscope Records Format: Digital Released: September 20, 2012 Barcode: None Photography: None Design: Unknown |
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# | Name | Time | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Blue Velvet" | 2:38 | |||||||
Physical release
Blue Velvet picture disc
"Blue Velvet" was released in picture disc vinyl format, which was exclusively included in the Born to Die - Paradise Edition box set.
Label: Interscope Records Format: 7 inch Picture Disc vinyl in plastic sleeve Released: November 12, 2012 Barcode: 00602537189342 Photography: Inez and Vinoodh Design: Unknown |
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# | Name | Time | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Blue Velvet" | 2:38 | |||||||
2. | "Blue Velvet" (Penguin Prison Remix) | 5:02 | |||||||
Remixes
- Clasixx Remix 5:03
- Lindstrøm Remix 9:27
- Penguin Prison Remix 5:02
Credits
Personnel
- Strings arrangment — Larry Gold
- Strings — The Larry Gold Orchestra
- Mastering — John Davis at Metropolis Mastering (London)
- Mixing — Tom Elmhirst
- Assistant mixing — Ben Baptie
- Assistant engineering — Spencer Bugess Junior
Charts
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] | 40 |
France (SNEP)[8] | 40 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] | 49 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[10] | 44 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 42 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] | 60 |
References
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/thread-count/lana-del-rey-debuts-lynchian-h-m-commercial-20120917
- ↑ http://idolator.com/6910222/lana-del-rey-blue-velvet-cover-listen
- ↑ http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2012/09/17/lana-del-rey-hm-video/
- ↑ http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2012/09/14/lana-del-rey-hm-campaign-video/
- ↑ http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/814154/lana-del-rey-to-channel-david-lynch%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cblue-velvet%E2%80%9D-as-the-face-of-hms-new-global-campaign
- ↑ http://www.nme.com/news/lana-del-rey/66128
- ↑ http://www.austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Lana+Del+Rey&titel=Blue+Velvet&cat=s
- ↑ http://www.lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lana+Del+Rey&titel=Blue+Velvet&cat=s
- ↑ http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Lana+Del+Rey/?type=single
- ↑ http://www.spanishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lana+Del+Rey&titel=Blue+Velvet&cat=s
- ↑ http://www.swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lana+Del+Rey&titel=Blue+Velvet&cat=s
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/2012-09-09/
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