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10 Reasons Why Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence Is Already The Album of the Year

On June 13th, Lana Del Rey released her third studio album, titled Ultraviolence. The controversial singer captured the US number one slot for the first time in the record's opening week, despite not performing on American TV in over two years and only conducting a handful of print interviews. Ultraviolence sold 182,000 copies in its first seven days alone, marking a career-best sales week for Del Rey and worldwide, the album sold 880,000 copies, debuting at number one in twelve countries. Furthermore, the release of Ultraviolence marked the largest sales week for a female artist since Beyonce's self-titled album sold 310,000 copies in its third week back in December 2013.

3) Ultraviolence Contains The Best Alternative Summer Jam In Years

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Earlier songs by Del Rey such as National Anthem and Summertime Sadness contained huge pop hooks, but by eschewing the hip-hop beats, the singer appears to have also stopped searching for commercial hits. However, that doesn’t mean that Ultraviolence is a difficult album to listen to by any means. While tracks like Iggy Azalea’s Fancy and Ariana Grande’s Problem dominated the airwaves this summer, music fans looking for an alternative summer jam needed to look no further than Del Rey’s lead single for Ultraviolence.

The evolution of Del Rey’s music can be heard most clearly on the track West Coast, which sounds like nothing the singer has ever recorded before. While the song retains Del Rey’s signature airy vocals and vulnerable delivery, the groove of the production gives the track a sultry sway reminiscent of Stevie Nicks in her heyday.

West Coast may not be instantly catchy, but the hypnotic production and haunting refrain looped at the end of the track take hold of the listener without you even realizing it, until you find yourself returning to the song over and over again. Del Rey is determined to follow her own path and this refusal to commercialize her music has made Ultraviolence her most powerful work to date.