Chris DeLine

Playing Jackie O* to A$AP Rocky’s JFK, Lana Del Rey slides into this luxurious cinematic role nicely, displaying an aptitude for assuming a leading lady position not entirely unlike that of her current role as resident label darling at Interscope. In an interview with VICE, A$AP spoke to his amazement of just how much the label was investing in both the singer and the video. “Anthony Mandler shot it with some old cameras and shit to get the 1960s look and they had a set of extras. They had so many extras there, Interscope paid so much fucking money for this video that it’s not even true.” The point is that they see something in the 26 year old that merits the shelling out of such exorbitant resources. The ability to assume such a regal role without so much as a hint of irony or visible discomfort is about as rare as prolonging the magnetism behind a singer who’s not entirely regarded for her range or performance abilities. That could be it. Sometimes, as Mandler’s video urges us to believe, the appearance of glamour is a far more compelling and valuable asset than we might give it credit for.

*Though the “Happy birthday Mr. President” which kicks off the video is far more Marilyn; which I can’t help but hear without thinking of Dave Chappelle’s “Bitch, my family’s here!” bit.

[This article first appeared on Seen Your Video.]