Gods & Monsters (song)
| "Gods & Monsters" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Lana Del Rey from the album Paradise | |
| Released | November 9, 2012 |
| Length | 3:57 |
| Label | |
| Writer |
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| Producer |
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"Gods & Monsters" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey from her third extended play Paradise and the reissue of her debut album Born to Die, Born to Die: The Paradise Edition. Gods & Monsters was released on November 9, 2012, with the rest of the Paradise EP.
Jessica Lange covered the song on the popular television show, American Horror Story: Freak Show. Lange's cover was released to digital outlets on October 22, 2014.[1]
Usage in media
Along with "Body Electric" and "Bel Air", "Gods & Monsters" was featured in Lana Del Rey's short film, Tropico. Following the film's release, an EP of the same name that featured the three songs featured in the film, was released onto the iTunes store on December 6, 2013.
Critical reception
Gods & Monsters received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Idolator reviewer, Carl Williot said that "on paper, parts of “Gods And Monsters” could be a trashy outtake from Rihanna‘s “S&M”: “I was an angel / Looking to get fucked hard…Fuck yeah, give it to me / This is heaven, what I truly want.” But the lines are delivered with such sultry numbness that it could be some grand statement on sex and detachment, whether or not that was Lana’s intention."[2] Slant Magazine said that nothing on Paradise except "Burning Desire" and "Gods & Monsters" was as good as the songs on Born to Die. The "Slant" reviewer went on to call the song "snappy [and] mesmerizing languorousness"[3]
Commercial performance
Due to the popularity of Paradise, Gods & Monsters, along with several other songs, had ended up charting in multiple territories during 2012. The song ended up becoming a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number #39 due to its usage in an advert for "EastEnders" and its 'Who Killed Lucy?' Storyline. It also peaked at number #15 on the U.S. Rock Songs Chart. Gods & Monsters had gained popularity again in 2014, after it had been covered by Jessica Lange on American Horror Story: Freak Show.
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Paradise.[4]
- Performance
- Lana Del Rey – primary artist
- Instruments
- Dan Heath – horns
- Tim Larcombe – keyboard, guitar, drums
- Technical
- John Davis – mastering
- Emile Haynie – additional production
- Dan Heath – string arrangements
- Tim Larcombe – production
- Robert Orton – mixing
Charts
| Chart (2012–14) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[5] | 91 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6] | 39 |
| US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[7] | 15 |
Jessica Lange version
| "Gods & Monsters" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Jessica Lange | ||||
| Released | October 22, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Length | 3:55 | |||
| Label | 20th Century Fox | |||
| Writer(s) |
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| Jessica Lange singles chronology | ||||
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In 2014, American actress Jessica Lange covered Lana Del Rey's "Gods & Monsters" for the American Horror Story: Freak Show episode "Edward Mordrake (Part 1)". The cover was released as a single on October 22, 2014.
Promotion
Prior to the cover being released, the news that Lange would be covering Lana Del Rey was given much attention from the media.
Critical reception
The cover has received positive reviews from music critics and fans of American Horror Story and Lana Del Rey. Spin.com praised the song but criticized the show for censoring some of the most explicit lyrics in the song.[8] The Huffington Post called Lange's cover a "spooky rendition" of the song, but later went on to say it was the highlight of the episode.[9] BuzzFeed said that Jessica Lange had "slayed" the song.[10]
References
- ↑ American Horror Story Cast, The; Lange, Jessica (October 22, 2014). "Gods and Monsters". iTunes. Apple. itunes.apple.com. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.idolator.com/7264232/lana-del-rey-paradise-review
- ↑ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/lana-del-rey-paradise
- ↑ Paradise (booklet). London, United Kingdom; Santa Monica, California: Polydor Records, Interscope Records. 2012.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Lana Del Rey – Cola" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100/27 April 2014 - 03 May 2014". UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Lana Del Rey - Chart History - Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.spin.com/articles/lana-del-rey-jessica-lange-american-horror-story-freak-show-cover-gods-and-monsters/
- ↑ "Watch Jessica Lange Sing Lana Del Rey On 'AHS: Freak Show'". Huffington Post. October 23, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.buzzfeed.com/jaimieetkin/jessica-lange-slayed-singing-lana-del-reys-gods-and-monsters#.dsOaEkBd2
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