Lana Del Rey’s first official country album, tentatively titled Lasso, has been a long time in the making (especially after she took some time out to marry her alligator-taming boyfriend). Now, we’re getting news that it might not be a country album at all.

Speaking in a recent interview with Vogue Italia, the singer says that the name of the album isn’t set in stone, as the whole direction of the record is still evolving. “There was a lot of ‘American flair’, too much of that very American aesthetic,” she says. “I stopped because I didn’t recognize myself. I would like this album to be a reflection of the person I am today.” 

“I might turn it into something more ‘southern gothic’,” she suggests, “like it was supposed to be in the beginning, and less country.” It will also mark a break from the Lana of iconic singles like “Video Games” and “Ride”, she says: “I’m entering a new era. It has to do with living in Oklahoma and feeling different. My eyes have seen so much open space, I’ve felt the wind, and that’s the kind of energy I want to talk about now.”

Last week (October 24), Del Rey also shared some details on the album’s delayed development at the 2024 Instyle Imagemaker Awards in LA. “I think all the songs have been Americana and I want to wait to see what the musical atmosphere feels like,” she told People. “I don’t usually feel like I need a pause in the creation process, but if there’s a literal energetic pause that almost feels physical, then I have to wait and I don’t know why.”

“I’ll have to see if it’s because of something someone’s done,” she added, “or because it’s going to take a turn.” Cryptic!

Thankfully, the album’s southern gothic turn doesn’t mean staring from scratch. “The songs I have, I love,” she says, explaining that she has good reasons for making us wait. “I don’t want to turn it into something that’s half cooked, even if it’s super stripped back. I want it to be what it was supposed to be.”

Like Norman Fucking Rockwell! And Chemtrails Over the Country Club before it, Lasso is set to feature frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, alongside the Nashville-based country songwriter Luke Laird. Needless to say, the release date is still TBC.

Last week (October 24), Del Rey also shared some details on the album’s delayed development at the 2024 Instyle Imagemaker Awards in LA. “I think all the songs have been Americana and I want to wait to see what the musical atmosphere feels like,” she told People. “I don’t usually feel like I need a pause in the creation process, but if there’s a literal energetic pause that almost feels physical, then I have to wait and I don’t know why.”

“I’ll have to see if it’s because of something someone’s done,” she added, “or because it’s going to take a turn.” Cryptic!

Thankfully, the album’s southern gothic turn doesn’t mean staring from scratch. “The songs I have, I love,” she says, explaining that she has good reasons for making us wait. “I don’t want to turn it into something that’s half cooked, even if it’s super stripped back. I want it to be what it was supposed to be.”

Like Norman Fucking Rockwell! And Chemtrails Over the Country Club before it, Lasso is set to feature frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, alongside the Nashville-based country songwriter Luke Laird. Needless to say, the release date is still TBC.