On last year’s Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Lana Del Rey covered Sublime’s “Doin’ Time”, accompanying the track with an Attack of the 50 Foot Woman-inspired video. Now, the singer has dug deeper to cover a classic sampled in the 1997 Sublime song: George Gershwin’s 1935 jazz standard “Summertime”.
An appropriately old-timey video sees Del Rey perform “Summertime The Gershwin Version” with a (COVID-tested) backing band. And if that sounds appealing, then you’re in luck, because the singer has a whole album of American standards and classics on the way.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on her much-delayed album Chemtrails Over the Country Club, which is now likely to arrive either December 10 or January 7 due to coronavirus-related complications. Back in September, she did tease the video set for the record’s title track, and last month she released the first single, “Let Me Love You Like A Woman”.
Earlier this month, Del Rey also covered the Catholic hymn “On Eagles’ Wings”, after it was referenced by Joe Biden in his first speech as president-elect.
Of the new Gershwin cover, she writes: “I’m so grateful to have been asked to perform this version of summertime by George Gershwin — the legendary composer-pianist whose music the New York Philharmonic has premiered and with whom we performed. Especially during a crisis faced by all performing arts organizations.”
Del Rey’s “Summertime” will benefit both the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic, which have suffered losses due to coronavirus-based cancellations this year. Watch the video below.