"Venice Bitch" is a song written by Lana Del Rey and produced by Jack Antonoff. The song was released on September 18, 2018 and it serves as the second single for the upcoming album Norman Fucking Rockwell.
Background
On September 12, 2017, The Fader announced Del Rey would release the song on September 18, 2018 and it would be accompanied by a music video shot by Chuck Grant. "Venice Bitch" and "Mariners Apartment Complex" serve as singles for Del Rey's upcoming album, which will be released in 2019.[1]
The song premiered on Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe.[2] Before the release, Lowe announced on Twitter that the track length was 10 minutes.[3] During the interview, Del Rey explained her managers' reaction to her interest in releasing the track as a single.
- "I played it for my managers and I was like, "yeah I think this is the single I want to put out". And they were like "It's 10 minutes long, are you kidding me? It's called “Venice Bitch”. Like why do you do this to us? Can you make a three minute normal pop song?" I was like "well, end of summer, some people just wanna drive around for 10 minutes get lost in some electric guitar"."
Composition
"Venice Bitch" runs at 9 minutes and 36 seconds long, making it Del Rey's longest running track released to date.
Critical reception
Pitchfork named the song "Best New Track" upon its release. In the review, critic Sam Sodomsky compared the song to "Mariners Apartment Complex", stating that the singles were "set in the golden haze of 1970s FM radio". Sodomsky wrote that the track was unlike anything Del Rey had ever written and that while it's nearly 10 minutes long, it's also "one of her most gripping", and added "she has never allowed herself to sink so completely into an atmosphere, burrowing deep into the song's dark blue, moody grooves".[4]
Music video
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | September 18, 2018 |
| Length | 9:41 | |
| Director | Chuck Grant | |
| Producer | ||
| Filmed | ||
| Location | ||
| Vevo views | 4+ Million views | |
The music video was shot by Chuck Grant and released simultaneously with the track. It features Del Rey's backup dancers Ashley Rodriguez and Alexandria Kaye who previously appeared in the video for "Mariners Apartment Complex".
The artwork of the single was shot by Lana Del Rey.
Cross-references
- "Nothing gold can stay" is a reference to the poem of the same title written in 1923 by Robert Frost, which was also referenced in "Music to Watch Boys To".
- Direct reference to the album title Norman Fucking Rockwell.
- Del Rey sings about her jealousy explicitly in the unreleased song "Jealous Girl".
- Direct reference to the 1968 hit single "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells.
- Del Rey refers to herself as "insane", possible reference to earlier song "Born to Die" wherein she sings "you like your girls insane".
- Being an ice queen is also mentioned in an unreleased song "Crooked Cop".
Lyrics
Fear fun, fear love
Fresh out of fucks, forever
Tryin' to be stronger for you
Ice cream, ice queen
I dream in jeans and leather
Life's dream, I'm sweet for you
Oh, God, miss you on my lips
It's me, your little Venice bitch
On the stoop with the neighborhood kids
Callin' out, bang bang, kiss kiss
You're in the yard, I light the fire
And as the summer fades away
Nothing gold can stay
You write, I tour, we make it work
You're beautiful and I'm insane
We're American-made
Give me hallmark
One dream, one life, one lover
Paint me happy and blue
Norman Rockwell
No hype under our covers
It's just me and you
Oh, God, miss you on my lips
It's me, your little Venice bitch
On the stoop with the neighborhood kids
Callin' out, bang bang, kiss kiss
You're in the yard, I light the fire
And as the summer fades away
Nothing gold can stay
You write, I tour, we make it work
You're beautiful and I'm insane
We're American-made
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Signin' off, bang bang, kiss kiss
Yeah, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Signin' off, bang bang, kiss kiss
Oh, God, want you on my lips (I do, I do)
It's me, your little Venice bitch
On the stoop with the neighborhood kids
Signin' off, bang bang, kiss kiss
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
(Signin' off, bang bang, kiss kiss)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Signin' off, bang bang, kiss kiss)
Yeah, yeah
Young baby is back in town now
You should come on, come over
We'll be hanging around now
You should come on, come over
Oh, God, I love him on my lips
It's me, your little Venice bitch
Touch me with your fingertips
It's me, your little Venice bitch
Ba-back in the garden
We're getting high now, because we're older
Me, myself, I like diamonds
My baby, crimson and clover
(La-la-la-la-la-la, beautiful)
(Beautiful, beautiful)
(La-la-la-la-la-la, beautiful)
(Beautiful, beautiful)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, whatever
Everything, whatever
Oh, oh, oh, oh, whatever
Everything, whatever
(La-la-la-la-la-la, beautiful)
(Beautiful, beautiful)
(La-la-la-la-la-la, beautiful)
(Beautiful, beautiful)
(La-la-la-la-la-la, beautiful)
(Beautiful, beautiful)
(La-la-la-la-la-la, beautiful)
(Beautiful, beautiful)
Back in the garden
We're getting high now, because we're older
Me and myself, I like diamonds
My baby, crimson and clover
Crimson and clover, honey
Crimson and clover, honey
Crimson and clover, honey
Crimson and clover, honey
Crimson and clover, honey
Crimson and clover, honey
Over and over, honey
Over and over, honey
Over and over, honey
Over and over, honey
Over and over
If you weren't mine, I'd be
Jealous of your love
If you weren't mine, I'd be
Jealous of your love
If you weren't mine, I'd be
Jealous of your love
If you weren't mine, I'd be
Jealous of your love
If you weren't mine, I'd be
Jealous of your love
Credits
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — songwriting, production, vocals
- Jack Antonoff — songwriting, production, drums, bass, keys, guitar, synthesizer
- Laura Sisk — engineering
External links
- Buy/stream "Venice Bitch"
- Watch "Venice Bitch"
References
- ↑ Renshaw, David (September 12, 2018) "Lana Del Rey to release two new songs ahead of 2019 album"
- ↑ Lana Del Rey on Instagram: "Venice Bitch. Tomorrow w Zane Lowe on Beats 1"
- ↑ Zane Lowe on Twitter: "New Lana coming to @Beats1 this morning ‘Venice Bitch’ is 10 min long. And it’s stunning."
- ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (September 18, 2018) ""Venice Bitch" by Lana Del Rey Review". Pitchfork.