Is “National Anthem” Lana Del Rey's Best Video? MUSIC FEATURES | PlayGround | INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATIVE INDEPENDENT MUSIC FEATURES ONLINE

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Is “National Anthem” Lana Del Rey's Best Video?

The artist premiered her new clip yesterday, emulating Jackie Kennedy with A$AP Rocky as JFK

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Opinion in favor of Yes por Mario G. Sinde

If the music video is an extension of cinema rather than publicity, “National Anthem” deserves a big applause for the elements it focuses on: the cinematography, with Super 8 textures, is excellent, the characters and the moment of JFK's killing are of thriller-like quality, and, apart from the formal aspect, there is the spiritual: the video is epic, twisting the American mythology, a big influence on Lana del Rey's music and image, in an original way. Turning JFK into a black president, getting A$AP Rocky involved in it, and perverting the collective memory with such unexpected resources, takes a lot of guts. Her previous videos look like perfume ads; this one goes way beyond that. To me, this is the video of the month.

Opinion in favor of No por Sergio del Amo

I'll take the rococo, the fake tigers, the walks between mansions in a nightgown, like on “Born To Die”, over that American way of life cliché that co-opts the memory of JFK (and Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy as well) every day of the week. Not to mention the “Blue Jeans” video, where she was like Esther Williams surrounded by alligators, which was candy to our eyes, courtesy of Woodkid. This whole transformation of Lana from a femme fatale to a real lady—I don't buy it. That teased hairdo of hers that is a threat to the ozone layer doesn't become her this time.

vote Yes vote No