Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass

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Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
Lana Del Rey - Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.png
AuthorLana Del Rey
LanguageEnglish
Release number
1
GenrePoetry
Published2020
PublisherSimon & Schuster
Publication date
September 29, 2020[1]

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass is the debut book by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. A poetry collection featuring over thirty original poems and photography,[2] including "13 longer poems" and several short pieces, the collection is Del Rey's first published work and was released by Simon & Schuster on September 29, 2020.[1]

In December 2019, Del Rey announced that she would be releasing a spoken word album to accompany the book, also featuring music by American producer Jack Antonoff, which was set to be released in January 2020. Following a delay due to personal problems, the album was set to be released in February through Interscope/Polydor.[3] The cover artwork, a painting of an orange tree by artist Erika Lee Sears, was released in April 2020.[4] The final release dates for the book were announced on July 9, 2020, with the audiobook being released on July 28, 2020, and the hardcover book to follow on September 29, 2020.[2] Half of the proceeds from the book will go to the Navajo Water Project.[5]

Background and development[]

Since her musical beginnings, Del Rey has expressed how she has been inspired by poetry, with Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg being instrumental to her songwriting.[6][7] Del Rey has written several poems which she has used as spoken monologues in her music videos and short films, the most notable being the lengthier, melancholic pieces featured Ride (2012) and Tropico (2013), in the latter of which she also recited poems from Whitman's Leaves of Grass.

In 2018, Del Rey announced her intention to release a book of poetry.[8] She explained how, following some writer's block while beginning work on Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) in 2017,[9] she had begun writing poetry.[10] Shortly afterwards, Del Rey revealed she would be binding the book herself and be selling copies for as little as a dollar.[11] When asked why the book would be so inexpensive, Del Rey replied "because my thoughts are priceless."[12][13] However, Lana's original plans changed when Simon & Schuster acquired the rights and published the book regularly and at a standard price.[14]

During her promotional cycle of Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Del Rey described the book as consisting of "thirteen long poems",[15] though she has teased shorter pieces on social media since, including "Never to Heaven",[16] "Happy", and "Quiet Waiter-Blue Forever," among other pieces.

Spoken word album[]

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
LanaDelRay VioletAlbum.jpg
Studio album by
Lana Del Rey
ReleasedJuly 28, 2020 (2020-07-28)
Recorded2019-2020
GenreSpoken word
Length38:50
Label
Producer
Lana Del Rey chronology
Norman Fucking Rockwell!
(2019) 		Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
(2020) 		Chemtrails over the Country Club
(2021)
Singles from Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
  1. "LA Who Am I to Love You"
    Released: July 28, 2020

In addition to the book, Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass was released as a spoken word album on July 28, 2020, through Interscope and Polydor in physical formats only, with the track "LA Who Am I to Love You" available on streaming[1] for a limited time. The poems are accompanied with music by Jack Antonoff, a frequent collaborator of Del Rey's and the producer of her albums Norman Fucking Rockwell! and Chemtrails over the Country Club.[2]

Del Rey originally said in an Instagram livestream that the album would also be U$1 in price and that 50 percent of proceeds would benefit charities supporting Native American land constancy and protecting indigenous rights in the United States, with the charities rotating every couple of years following the release of the record.[17][18] However, the album was never sold for $1.

Track listing[]

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass track listing[19][20]
No.TitleLength
1."LA Who Am I to Love You"5:20
2."The Land of 1,000 Fires"4:04
3."Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass"1:04
4."Past the Bushes Cypress Thriving"1:54
5."Salamander"1:54
6."Never to Heaven"2:05
7."SportCruiser"6:53
8."Tessa DiPietro"2:00
9."Quiet Waiter Blue Forever"1:28
10."What Happened When I Left You"1:18
11."Happy"2:22
12."My Bedroom Is a Sacred Place Now – There Are Children at the Foot of My Bed"2:00
13."Paradise Is Very Fragile"3:36
14."Bare Feet on Linoleum"2:52
Total length:38:50

Charts[]

Chart performance for Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
Chart (2020) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[21] 57
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[22] 34
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[23] 7
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] 11
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[25] 59
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 82
UK Albums (OCC)[27] 25
US Tastemakers (Billboard)[28] 21
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[29] 19
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[30] 3

References[]

  1. ^ a b c D'Souza, Shaad (July 8, 2020). "Lana Del Rey's "eclectic and honest" new album is out this month". The Fader. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass". Lanadelrey.com. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Sinha, Charu (April 11, 2020). "Lana Del Rey Shares Details of Audiobook, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass". Vulture. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  4. ^ "Lana Del Rey Shares Artwork for Violet Spoken Word Album". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "@lanadelrey". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "Lana Del Rey hates personal critics". STV. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  7. ^ Moore, Alex. "Here's Lana Del Rey's new Walt Whitman-referencing track, 'The Body Electric'". Death and Taxes. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  8. ^ Hood, Bryan (January 2, 2019). "Lana Del Rey is a poet now".
  9. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (March 24, 2019). "See Lana Del Rey Perform 'Mariners Apartment Complex' for First Time".
  10. ^ "Lana Del Rey's new album 'Norman Fucking Rockwell!' – everything we know so far". August 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Lana Del Rey is set to sell her new poetry book for $1". DIY.
  12. ^ "Lana Del Rey says her new album is coming "in two months"". The FADER.
  13. ^ "Lana Del Rey says she'll sell her new book of poetry for $1". The FADER.
  14. ^ Ramzi, Lilah (September 25, 2020). "Lana Del Rey Gave Us a Preview Of Her New Poetry Book". Vogue. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "Lana Del Rey's First Book of Poetry Is Forthcoming, and Expectations Are Mixed". June 19, 2019.
  16. ^ "Lana Del Rey Releases New Poem". PAPER. April 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Lana Del Rey Announces New Spoken Word Album In 2020". December 26, 2019.
  18. ^ Carras, Christi. "Music | Lana Del Rey makes spoken-word album as 'reparation' to Native Americans". The Columbus Dispatch – via Los Angeles Times.
  19. ^ "Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass Picture Disc". Lana Del Rey.
  20. ^ "Lana Del Rey | Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass - (CD) Lana Del Rey auf CD online kaufen | SATURN". Saturn.
  21. ^ "Lescharts.com – Lana Del Rey – Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  22. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  23. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Lana Del Rey – Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 41: del 2.10.2020 al 8.10.2020" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  26. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lana Del Rey – Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  27. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History - Tastemakers". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  29. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History - Top Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  30. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History - Vinyl Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
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