Lana Del Rey’s first album — released under her real name Lizzy Grant — was available on iTunes for only two months before it was mysteriously yoinked from existence. Though it’s easy to assume Del Rey (and perhaps Interscope) wanted to distance herself from her Lizzy Grant past, it appears that’s not the case. “I’m re-releasing it, maybe in late summer,” the “Million Dollar Man” singer revealed to BBC.
The album, Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant, cost only $10,000 to create, and featured production duties from David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor). It had a digital release in January 2010, only to be taken off iTunes two months later.
“People act like it’s so shrouded in mystery, the ‘forgotten terrible album,’” said Del Ray. “But if you look on YouTube, all 13 tracks are available with millions of views, so it’s not like no one’s hear them. We were all proud of it. It’s pretty good.”
“I had signed to an independent label but they couldn’t fund the release of it,” she continued. She was able to buy the rights back to the album, and will give it a proper release.
If you haven’t heard the singer’s pre-Born To Die songs, we’ve provided two tracks for you below. The biggest difference between her singing and songwriting as Lizzy Grant versus that of Lana Del Rey? Lizzy Grant manages to stay in her mid-alto range, which is where her voice sounds the most confident; Lana, by comparison, sings in her head voice with a baby coo soprano that she can’t quite pull off.
And while these two tunes have a bluesy, dirty elegance to them, most of Born To Die seems to be reaching for epic and too often comes up short.