National Anthem (song)

"National Anthem"
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Born to Die
Released	July 6, 2012 (2012-07-06)
Format	Digital download, picture disc
Genre	Trip hop, alternative hip hop
Length	3:51
Label	Interscope
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey, Justin Parker, The Nexus
Producer(s)	Emile Haynie, Jeff Bhasker, David Sneddon, James Bauer-Mein
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Summertime Sadness" (2012) "National Anthem" (2012) "Blue Velvet" (2012)

"National Anthem" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey for her second studio album, Born to Die (2012). It was released as a single on July 6, 2012, through Interscope Records. The song serves as the album's fifth single. The music video for the song premiered on June 27, 2012. It is directed by Anthony Mandler. It depicts Del Rey as Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy and ASAP Rocky as John F. Kennedy.^[1] It centers around the theme of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. Critical commentary accompanied the song and video. Positive reviews noted the song's critical evaluation of lavish lifestyles, saying it fit together with the lyrical structure of the entire album.

Composition

In the chorus, Del Rey half-sings, half-raps the line, "Tell me I’m your national anthem/ Red! White! Blue!"^[2] At the close of the recording is a multi-layered narrative treatment.^[2] The introduction features a sample of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as performed by Marilyn Monroe.^[2] Unlike the other songs on Born to Die, Del Rey employs an alternative rapping technique, hip hop beat and heavy basslines, similar to that of "Off to the Races"^[3] and "Diet Mountain Dew".^[4] Pitchfork said the rapping technique was almost "chatting".^[4]

Critical reception

	"National Anthem" A 22-second sample of the song's chorus, features Del Rey incorporating a Jessica Rabbit persona over a "lush-strings-meet-hard-beats" background.[5]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Vocally, NME observed that Del Rey sings like a "perfect mannequin" on "National Anthem", criticizing the track for baldly revisiting the beat-driven chorus of "Born to Die". Further, NME praised certain elements of the track, saying: "As she sings of a relationship of a well-heeled man and a blank canvas woman, she invokes not only the dreamland of the monied classes (The Hamptons) and their could-be motto 'Money is the anthem of success' but also invokes the spectre of Vietnam with a reference to 'The Queen Of Saigon'."^[2] Digital Spy called the running theme of Born to Die, "demonic Stepford moll", to which "National Anthem" fit into.^[6] The track was praised for having a: "laconic, anaesthetised vocal that conjures up images of her swigging from a bottle of Hendricks. There's a deep sadness underneath the sweeping string section and gangster hip-hop beats, but it's the chorus's fleeting glimpse of euphoria that'll keep you coming back."^[6]

Music video

The music video for "National Anthem" was directed by Anthony Mandler in May 2012.^[7] It premiered on June 27, 2012.^[8] Mandler stated the concept was Del Rey's and that she was "really interested in exploring this loss of innocence, this idea that what you think you're experiencing is maybe not what it's always going to be. Because when you say 'Kennedy,' that immediately evokes something, just like when I say 'It's a Romeo and Juliet story.' So I think using that power, that pedigree of the story is a really fascinating place to show the loss of something, the breakdown of something."^[1]

It begins with Del Rey as Marilyn Monroe in a re-enactment of Monroe's 1962 performance of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President". The rest of the video depicts Del Rey as Jacqueline Kennedy and ASAP Rocky as John F. Kennedy in re-enactments of home videos.^[9] The video ends with a re-enactment of the infamous Zapruder film showing Kennedy's assassination and Del Rey reading a dialogue as Onassis concerning her and Kennedy's relationship.

Mandler described the video as being seen "through [Onassis'] eyes, seeing this kind of castle crumble in the moment, and that shot where she's coming up out of the car, and the pain in her eyes, that destruction, it's like the whole castle is crumbling around her."^[1] Del Rey cited the video as "definitely the most beautiful thing" she's ever done.^[10] Del Rey wrote the treatment for herself and ASAP Rocky saying "he'd be really perfect to star in it."^[10]

Track listing

Digital EP^[11]

1. "National Anthem" – 3:50
2. "National Anthem" (Fred Falke Remix Edit) – 3:46
3. "National Anthem" (Tensnake Remix) – 3:43
4. "National Anthem" (Afterlife Remix) – 3:48

Picture Vinyl^[12]

1. "National Anthem" – 3:50
2. "National Anthem" (Breton Labs Remix) – 5:23

Credits and personnel

• Lana Del Rey – vocals, songwriter
• The Nexus – songwriter, vocal producer
• Justin Parker – songwriter
• Emile Haynie – producer, drums, keyboards
• Jeff Bhasker – additional production, additional keyboards, guitar
• James Bauer-Mein, David Sneddon, Emilie Bauer-Mein – backing vocals
• Larry Gold, Dan Heath – string arrangement, conductor
• Steve Tirpak – string assistance
• Manny Marroquin – audio mixing
• Erik Madrid, Chris Galland – audio mixing assistance

Credits adapted from Born to Die liner notes.^[13]

Chart performance

Awards

Release history

References