Lana Del Rey has revealed new details about her upcoming Chemtrails Over the Country Club album, though that’s not why she was trending on social media.
In an Instagram post, Del Rey posted the cover artwork for the record, which shows her surrounded by a diverse group of women. She also wrote a lengthy explanation for the artwork in the post’s comments, which reads, “In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without even trying to.”
“My best friends are rappers my boyfriends have been rappers,” Del Rey wrote. “My dearest friends have been from all over the place, so before you make comments again about a WOC/POC issue, I’m not the one storming the [Capitol], I’m literally changing the world by putting my life and thoughts and love out there on the table 24 seven. Respect it.”
You may recall that Del Rey made headlines last spring when she shared a post asking why artists including Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Kehlani, Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé were lauded for songs about “being sexy, wearing no clothes, f***ing [and] cheating,” while she was being criticized for “glamorizing abuse” in her lyrics. That led to commenters calling Del Rey out for naming primarily women of color to illustrate how she herself was being criticized.
In response to her latest comments, commenters took issue with Del Rey seemingly equating being a rapper with being a certain race or ethnicity. Others compared her post to the comments made by Miya Ponsetto — the 22-year-old who’s been charged with assaulting a Black teenager after accusing him of stealing her phone — during her viral interview with CBS’ Gayle King.
Del Rey is expected to release the Chemtrails Over the Country Club title track on Monday. Here’s the track list:
“White Dress”
“Chemtrails Over the Country Club”
“Tulsa Jesus Freak”
“Let Me Love You Like a Woman”
“Wild at Heart”
“Dark but Just a Game”
“Not All Who Wander Are Lost”
“Yosemite”
“Breaking Up Slowly”
“Dance Till We Die”
“For Free”
By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.