Lana Del Rey has slammed ‘sick’ outrage culture and accused her detractors of trying to start a ‘race war’ after she appeared to attack songs by Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and other female musicians of color.
Del Rey, 34, landed in hot water last Thursday after she took to Instagram to bemoan that those singers had received acclaim for songs ‘about being sexy, wearing no clothes, f***ing, [and] cheating’, while her own music has been harshly criticized.
Critics called out Del Rey, noting that she only referenced musicians of color, before they accused her of ‘glamorizing abuse’ in her songs, one of which features the lyric: ‘He hit me and it felt like a kiss’.
On Monday, Del Rey shared a lengthy video on social media, denying she was racist before she doubled down on her initial claims and took aim at outrage culture.
In the clip, the star insisted that the singers she initially referenced – including Beyonce, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and Camila Cabello – were her ‘friends, peers and contemporaries.’
But she then reasserted her initial claims, stating: ‘But the difference is, when I get on the pole, people call me a whore, but when [fellow singer] FKA Twigs gets on the pole, it’s art’
She added: ‘I just want to say the culture’s super sick right now, and the fact that they want to turn my post – my advocacy for fragility – into a race war, it’s really bad.’
Lana Del Rey has slammed ‘sick’ outrage culture and accused her detractors of trying to start a ‘race war’ after she complained about songs by Beyonce and Nicki Minaj and other female musicians of color
Last Thursday, Del Rey called out artists, including Nicki Minaj (left) and Beyonce (right) for having number one songs ‘about being sexy, wearing no clothes, f***ing, cheating, etc.’
Last Thursday, Del Rey began by calling out Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj, and Beyonce for having number one songs ‘about being sexy, wearing no clothes, f***ing, cheating, etc.’
She ranted that it was unfair that they have found success doing that, but she has been ‘crucified’ for ‘glamorizing abuse’ because she sings about ‘feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect’.
‘I think it’s pathetic that my minor lyrical exploration detailing my sometimes submissive or passive roles in my relationships has often made people say I’ve set women back hundreds of years,’ she wrote.
Del Rey’s complaint quickly earned backlash, with Twitter users pointing out that she only complained about performers who are women of color.
‘Lana Del Rey is racist. Why is she only attacking WOC???’ wrote one.
‘So when Lana del Rey writes about sex and abuse and relationships is glamorous, artistic and undervalued but when black women do its… what? Overrated? Cheap? Because that’s what I’m getting from her tone,’ wrote another.
‘That Lana del ray posts seems a bit racist and HELLA envious to me,’ said one more.
However, Del Rey was quick to respond to the criticism, firing back in a post the following day.
Lana’s initial post, shared last Thursday, sparked fierce backlash after she complained that performer of color often reach number one, while she is unfairly criticized for the subjects of her songs
On Friday, Del Rey wrote: ‘A couple of final notes on my ‘controversial post’ that’s not controversial at all.’
She then took aim at hyper-partisanship, writing: ‘I’m sorry that the folks who I can only assume are super Trump/Pence supporters or hyper liberals or flip-flopping headline grabbing critics who can’t read want to make it a race war, when in fact the issue was about female critics and female alternative artists who are dissociated from their own fragility and sexuality and berate more sexually liberated artists like myself and the women I mentioned’.
‘In truth, making it about race says so much more about you than it does about me – you want the drama… Nothing new here in your reaction.’
On Friday, Del Rey revisited the issue with some ‘final notes’, in which she hit out at partisanship and accused her critics of trying to make the subject all about race
Appearing unable to let the issue die, she then returned with her lengthy six-minute video on Monday.
‘I don’t want to beat a dead horse, and I don’t want to go on and on about this post thing,’ she began.
‘But I just want to remind you, my one and only personal declaration I’ve ever made [her post on Thursday] was about the need for fragility in the feminist movement’.
Del Rey continued: ‘I just want to say to all of the other women out there who are like me – good girls, good-intentioned, who get [mistreated] constantly by the culture just because you say what you really mean – I’m with you. And I feel for you. And I know that you feel for me.
She once again addressed accusations of racism, say she was an advocate for reparations for slavery, and only mentioned the women of color in her initial post because they were musicians she admired.
‘You can call me whatever. I’m sorry that I didn’t add one 100% Caucasian person into the mix of the women that I admire, but it really says more about you than it does about me,’ she stated.
‘I think what’s interesting is that the very first time I decide to tell you anything about my life… [I get] 200,000 hateful, spiteful comments come in, and my phone number leaked.’
Del Rey went on to reveal that she had been in contact with a number of the musicians she mentioned in her initial post.
She did not reveal which ones, but stated that they had disagreed with her perspective that she was more harshly criticized than them.
‘I’m sorry that a couple of the girls that I’ve talked to who are mentioned in that post have a super different opinion of my insight, especially because we’ve been so close for so long.
‘But it really … makes you reach into the depths of your own heart and say, ‘Am I good-intentioned?’ and of course, for me, the answer is always, ‘Yes.’
She later explained: ‘I barely ever share a thing. And this is why… But there are women out there like me who have so much to give and don’t quite get to the place, spiritually or karmically, where they’re supposed to be because there are other women who hate them and try and take them down, whether in my case it’s certain alternative singers or mal-intented journalists or men who hate women.
‘But I’m not the enemy. And I’m definitely not racist, so don’t get it twisted.’
Del Rey finished off her lengthy six-minute video by defiantly stating: ‘F**k off if you don’t like [this] post’.
More to say: Lana Del Rey is continuing to speak out after landing in hot cultural waters last week with a controversial social media rant
Followers were left divided by Del Rey’s latest comments, with one stating: ‘The fact that your black and brown fans are explaining the inherent white fragility and privilege in your words and actions to you, a grown, privileged, and rich white woman, says enough. The fact that instead of listening to them and trying to understand their point of view while they are being receptive to yours, you are dismissing them and upholding a victim complex says more.’
However, another follower supported Del Rey’s right to free speech.
‘Lana you have always had a beautiful heart which I’ve always admired. These people saying these hateful comments don’t know you at all. When you finally got the courage to speak up about how you are feeling people Started twisting your words to fit how they wanted it to be. Its a shame that’s the society we live in now a days,’ they wrote.
Followers were left divided by Del Rey’s latest comments, which came during a six-minute video shared to her Instagram page Monday