Lana Del Rey’s “Young & Beautiful” Video: Review Revue

Bianca Gracie | May 10, 2013 12:54 pm

Lana Del Rey‘s new video for “Young & Beautiful,” taken from The Great Gatsby soundtrack (the film hits theaters today), shows the singer in her typical melancholic fashion — only this time, she’s accompanied by an orchestra reminiscent of the 1940 classic Fantasia. In “Young & Beautiful,” Del Rey embodies her “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” persona with perfectly coiffed hair and diamond hoop earrings (plus teardrops to match) as she serves up some seriously brooding glances at the camera. Known for her vintage filters (which can either be overdone or brilliant — depending how you look at it), Del Rey uses it to her advantage to highlight the clip’s art deco inspiration.

See if the critics liked the singer’s throwback vibe after the jump. :: Our friends at SPIN said the clip was just average, saying: “The visuals for ‘Young and Beautiful,’ Del Rey’s contribution to The Great Gatsby soundtrack, are elegantly conceived, but succeed only as much as the music does.”

:: Pitchfork also agrees: “It’s a comparatively simple affair for LDR, who sings in the middle of a vast orchestra. Comparatively simple.”

:: Complex sees nothing wrong with the visuals, calling them “phenomenal”: “We’ve never been disappointed with any of Lana’s videos — from “National Anthem” to the short film “Ride” — she tends to find the perfect visuals for her music.”

:: The singer loves to play up the classic film era, and our friends at Stereogum approve: “Del Rey’s video for the slow-swelling ‘Young & Beautiful’ is a gorgeously photographed thing, with LDR dressed up in striking Jazz Age iconography and a shadowy orchestra supplying the atmosphere. It doesn’t exactly fit with the movie that it ties in with, but the whole thing is shot like an Italian horror movie from the ’70s, and that’s a good thing.”

:: Direct Lyrics is tired of the Instagram-filter effect: “Bet everything would’ve looked even more epic in crystal-clear HD. But, whatever. Her ‘gorgeousness’ is ridiculous, though.”

:: Refinery29 continued the “gorgeous” adjective trend and applauded the simplicity of the video: “…it lets you focus more on the lyrics and the lovely vocals.”

:: Finally, The Kollection found the new direction refreshing: “The visual appears to be less of a Lana advertisement and more of a respectful vision of the track’s meaning.”

What did you think of Lana Del Rey’s video? Let us know in the comments below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!