Rank: 4/5

Lana Del Rey’s highly anticipated fifth studio album, “Lust for Life,” was released on July 21. After the album’s two singles “Love” and “Lust for Life” dropped earlier this year, fans and critics have been eagerly awaiting the record that boasts an impressive tracklist of 16 songs featuring the likes of Stevie Nicks to A$AP Rocky.

Del Rey stated in an interview with Dazed Magazine that her first four albums she made for herself, but “Lust for Life” is for her fans and where she “hopes we are all headed.” Besides her fans, Del Rey drew inspiration from current political unrest as well as “Hollyweird,” a term typically reserved for metalheads to describe Hollywood’s concentration of self-proclaimed “weird” people that Del Rey has since started using herself.

I was a huge fan of Del Rey when her first two albums “Born To Die,” and “Paradise,” were released, but didn’t like her most recent two as much, 2014’s “Ultraviolence” and 2015’s “Honeymoon.” “Lust For Life” is more than just a new album for me; it’s falling in love with her music all over again. “Lust For Life” is a beautiful work that’s dreamy, captivating and marked by stellar duets with some of the most talented artists in music right now.

The opening track, “Love,” is a retro ode to being young and in love. The first single off the album was released in February, and it was the perfect first tease for what was to come, and signaled a new era for Del Rey.

“Lust for Life,” the second single and title track, features The Weeknd in a 60s-inspired duet of pleasing layered harmonies. The duo, also known as Starboy and Stargirl, have made notable collaborations such as on The Weeknd’s “Stargirl Interlude.” Both share a similar emotional, lustful singing style, and the imagery of the ethereal pair sitting atop the Hollywood sign embodies the album’s aesthetic as a whole.

One of my few complaints with the album is that some of the songs can feel repetitive and don’t fit in next to some of the more standout tracks.

“Summer Bummer” features Playboi Carti and A$AP Rocky, whom at first glance seem an unlikely choice to appear on a Del Rey song, but upon closer inspection one can see they fit surprisingly well. The track consists of Del Rey crooning over a catchy beat, and I love it. “Groupie Love” solidifies the marriage of Del Rey and A$AP Rocky’s opposing styles, meshing well together to create a soulful, mesmerizing track.

“In My Feelings” is a nice change of pace on the album, and despite the song’s seemingly vulnerable title, it’s an anthem for independent, successful women. “God Bless America – And All The Beautiful Women In It” has a beautiful opening, and the ballad includes empowering feminist imagery of the Statue of Liberty, with Del Rey’s own subtle political statement at the song’s end.

Hands-down, one of the best songs on the album is the enchanting “Beautiful People Beautiful Problems” featuring the signature vocals of inimitable icon Stevie Nicks. The duo sing together about troubled love, and this duet alone takes “Lust for Life” to the next level.  

Another one of my favorite songs from the album, and arguably the second-best duet featured, is “Tomorrow Never Came,” where Del Rey is joined by Sean Ono Lennon on a slower, acoustically-driven track. Lennon’s amazing voice is heavily reminiscent of his late father’s. Del Rey hits another high note over this dazzling ballad with how well her voice intertwines with Lennon’s.

The album ends on a good, memorable note with “Get Free,” an upbeat yet delicate Beach Boys-esque track. Lana gave her audience exactly what they were yearning for and beyond with this new release, and I couldn’t be happier. The typically moody songstress has finally found her “Lust for Life.”

Listen to “Lust for Life” below.