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"Shades of Cool" (originally known as "Unfixable" and "Blue Jazz") is a song by Lana Del Rey written with Rick Nowels and produced by Dan Auerbach. It is featured on Del Rey's second major-label studio album Ultraviolence, and was released as the first promotional single from the album on May 26, 2014.
Background[]
On May 23, 2014, various music streaming sites announced that "Shades of Cool" would be debuted on May 26 as the first promotional single from the album, Ultraviolence. The artwork for the single was released alongside the news that it would be a promotional single.
The song was recorded during November 2013, in the same sessions as "Sad Girl", "Is This Happiness", "I Can Fly", "Fine China", "Say Yes to Heaven" and "Your Girl".
An unmixed version leaked on November 10, 2020.
On June 13, 2024, an insider revealed the existence of two early demos of the song, Nowels' original version titled "Unfixable" and another early demo titled "Blue Jazz".[S 1]
On June 21, 2024, a demo of the song, called “Unfixable” leaked.
Composition[]
The track is in D minor with a time signature of 6/8 and a tempo of approximately 49 beats per minute. Del Rey sings using the higher part of her register, a departure from most of her music since Born to Die.
Critical reception[]
"Shades of Cool" received general acclaim from music critics. Coplan of Consequence of Sound complimented the song for its "grace and sophistication".[1] Saran Shetty of Slate called "Shades of Cool" "a beautiful, brooding return to form [for Del Rey]", and opined that the single would "fit perfectly" in a James Bond theme track.[2] Likewise, Rolling Stone 's Caryn Ganz wrote that the track "would be perfect for a James Bond film directed by Quentin Tarantino."[3] Lathan Ryan from PopMatters positively compared Del Rey's vocals on "Shades of Cool" to those of Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, observing that "Del Rey has never sounded better".[4]
Music video[]
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | June 17, 2014 |
| Length | 5:43 | |
| Director | Jake Nava | |
| Producer | Ben Cooper | |
| Filmed | May 2014 | |
| Location | Los Angeles, California | |
| Vevo views | 116 million+ views | |
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | July 1, 2014 |
| Length | 5:43 | |
| Director | Jake Nava | |
| Producer | Ben Cooper | |
| Filmed | May 2014 | |
| Location | Los Angeles, California | |
| Vevo views | N/A | |
Background[]
On June 12, 2014, Del Rey posted a preview of the video on Instagram.[5][dead link] The video was uploaded to YouTube and Vevo on June 17, 2014. The video was filmed in Los Angeles in May and stars celebrity tattoo artist Mark Mahoney who previously appeared in the music video for "West Coast". On July 1, 2014, music video director Jake Nava released a director's cut version of the video. The video was picked up by many online news sources, and includes extra shots of the pool and dancing scenes with Mahoney. The director's cut version is 5:42 long and contains most of the same shots in the officially released video. The original music video ending featured a deleted scene of Del Rey drowning, compared to the released version.
Description[]
The video opens with Mahoney looking at the camera as a scene of an LA street at night fades in. Del Rey starts singing over shots of Mahoney driving a car before she appears superimposed over various dark blue plants and flowers, with the colors on her distorted and blurring. During the chorus, the scene with Del Rey shows red fireworks and birds while Mahoney is shown with blue shooting stars.
In the second verse, Del Rey walks down a street of LA in the daytime and sees Mahoney getting into his car. He notices her but gets in anyway.
In the next scene Del Rey swims by Mahoney by the glass side of a swimming pool as Mahoney crosses himself. Del Rey is then seen dancing in a living room while Mahoney drinks. Del Rey eats a strawberry then drinks and smokes in the pool while in another scene she playfully hugs and dances with Mahoney. She gets out of the pool as the shot references Marilyn Monroe in Something's Got to Give.
The video ends with a shot of Mahoney pulling a happy Del Rey off the floor into an embrace in reverse.
Photoshoot by Neil Krug[]
Cross-references[]
- A Chevy is also mentioned in "Every Man Gets His Wish", "Heartshaped Chevrolet", "Hundred Dollar Bill", and "On Our Way".
- Drugs are also mentioned in "Cola", "Florida Kilos", "Heroin", "Hollywood", and "Yayo", among several other songs.
- A relationship with a man who loves drugs is similarly referenced in "Cruel World" and "Pretty When You Cry".
- California is also mentioned in "Angels Forever, Forever Angels", "Freak", "Fuck It I Love You", "How to Disappear", "If I Die Young", and the two songs of the same name, among several others.
- Calling for someone is also mentioned in "Old Money".
- Hot weather is also mentioned in "Heroin" and "Salvatore".
- Jazz is also mentioned in "Brooklyn Baby", "Fuck It I Love You", and "Salvatore".
- Peace is also mentioned in "Say Yes to Heaven" and in the song of the same name.
- Praying is also mentioned in "Off to the Races" and "Tulsa Jesus Freak".
- Summer is also mentioned in "Summer Bummer", "Summer of Sam", "Summertime Sadness", "Venice Bitch", "White Mustang", and "Without You", among several others.
- The color blue is also mentioned in "Blue Jeans", "Breaking Up Slowly", "Honeymoon", "Nectar of the Gods", "Norman Fucking Rockwell", "Video Games", and "1949", among several others.
- The song's theme of failing to change a lover is also found in "Afraid" and "Backfire".
Official versions[]
- Album version – 5:42
- Instrumental version – 5:40
- Unmixed version – 5:44
- "Unfixable" demo version – 5:12
- "Blue Jazz" demo version (unleaked) – Unknown
Lyrics[]
Album version[]
My baby lives in shades of blue
Blue eyes and jazz and attitude
He lives in California, too
He drives a Chevy Malibu
And when he calls, he calls for me, and not for you
He lives for love, he loves his drugs, he loves his baby, too
But I can't fix him, can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about his strange weather
But you are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
My baby lives in shades of cool
Cool heart and hands and aptitude
He lives for love, for women, too
I'm one of many Bonnie's blue
And when he calls, he calls for me, and not for you
He prays for love, he prays for peace, and maybe someone new
But I can't help him, can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about his strange weather
'Cause you are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
You're hot, hot, weather in the summer
Hot, hot, neglectful lover
Hot, hot, weather in the summer
Hot, neglectful lover
You're crumbling subtly
You're subtly crumbling
You are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
Bah-bah-da-bah
Bah-bah-da, hah-hah-oh
Ooh-hoo, hoo
"Unfixable" demo version[]
My baby lives in shades of blue
Blue eyes, blue jazz, blue attitude
He lives in California, too
He drives a Chevy Malibu
But when he calls, he calls for me, and not for you
He lives for love, he loves the drugs, he loves his baby, too
But you can't fix him, can't make him better
And you can't do nothing about his strange weather
You are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
My baby lives in shades of cool
Cool heart, cool hand, cruel aptitude
He lives for fun, for women, too
I'm one of many Bonnie's blue
And when he cries, he cries alone over the telephone
He prays for peace, he prays for hope for his immortal soul
But I can't fix you, can't make you better
And I can't do nothing about your change of weather
'Cause you are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
You're hot, hot weather in the summer
Hot, unforgiving lover
Hot, hot weather in the summer
Hot, neglectful lover
You're crumbling suddenly
You're subtly crumbling
But you are unfixable
I can't break through your world
You live in shades of cool
I can't break through your world
Credits[]
- Personnel[a]
- Lana Del Rey – songwriting, vocals
- Rick Nowels – songwriting
- Dan Auerbach – production, electric guitar
- Collin Dupuis – engineering, drum programming
- Robert Orton – mixing
- Kenny Vaughan – electric guitar
- Russ Pahl – electric guitar
- Nick Movshon – electric bass
- Leon Michels – Mellotron
- Seth Kaufman – Omnichord
- Maximilian Weissenfeldt – drums
- John Davis – mastering
- Technical
- Published by R-Rated Music administered by EMI April Music Inc. (ASCAP) / Sony ATV Music Publishing Ltd.
- Recorded at Easy Eye Sound, Nashville, United States
- Mixed at Hot Rocks Studios, Santa Monica, United States
- Mastered at Metropolis Studios, London, United Kingdom
