History of Lana Del Rey in Timeline
Lana Del Rey, born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, is an influential American singer-songwriter celebrated for her cinematic music exploring themes of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, often referencing Americana. Her vintage Hollywood aesthetic is visually represented in her music videos. Recognized with numerous awards including MTV and Brit Awards, she has also been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety lauded her as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century. Rolling Stone acknowledged her as one of the "Greatest Singers of All Time", and Rolling Stone UK hailed her as the "Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st century".
1962: Film adaptation of Lolita
In 1962, a film adaptation of the book Lolita was released, later inspiring Lana Del Rey.
June 21, 1985: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant Born
On June 21, 1985, Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, was born. She would later become a famous American singer-songwriter known for her exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia.
1997: Film adaptation of Lolita
In 1997, another film adaptation of the book Lolita was released, later inspiring Lana Del Rey.
2003: Sobriety
In 2003, Lana Del Rey became sober and has remained so ever since.
2004: Enrollment at Fordham University
In the fall of 2004, at age 19, Lana Del Rey enrolled at Fordham University in The Bronx, New York City, where she majored in philosophy.
2005: Move to New York City
In 2005, Lana Del Rey moved to New York City to begin her music career.
2005: Registration of Extended Play
In the spring of 2005, while still in college, Lana Del Rey registered a seven-track extended play with the United States Copyright Office; the application title was Rock Me Stable with another title, Young Like Me, also listed.
2006: Recording Acoustic Album
Between 2005 and 2006, Lana Del Rey recorded an acoustic album, Sirens, under the May Jailer project.
2006: Meeting Van Wilson
In 2006, at her first public performance for the Williamsburg Live Songwriting Competition, Lana Del Rey met Van Wilson, an A&R representative for 5 Points Records.
2007: Recording Contract with 5 Points Records
In 2007, while a senior at Fordham, Lana Del Rey submitted a demo tape of acoustic tracks, No Kung Fu, to 5 Points, which offered her a recording contract for $10,000.
2008: Graduation from Fordham and Release of Kill Kill EP
In 2008, Lana Del Rey graduated from Fordham with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. After graduating, she released a three-track EP, Kill Kill, as Lizzy Grant.
2008: Performed as Lizzy Grant
In 2008, Lana Del Rey performed as Lizzy Grant and posted music videos on YouTube.
2009: Worked with Tony Simon
In 2009, Tony Simon, a producer, worked with Lana Del Rey.
January 2010: Release of Self-Titled Debut Album
In January 2010, Lana Del Rey's self-titled debut album was released under the name Lana Del Ray. Her father helped with the marketing of the album, which was briefly available for purchase on iTunes.
April 2010: Rights to 2010 Debut Album Bought Back
In April 2010, Lana Del Rey bought back the rights to her 2010 debut album.
April 2010: Withdrawal of Debut Album
In April 2010, Lana Del Rey's self-titled debut album was withdrawn from iTunes. It was speculated that Del Rey bought the rights back from 5 Points to prevent future distribution.
September 1, 2010: Featured in Mando Diao's MTV Unplugged Concert
On September 1, 2010, Lana Del Rey was featured by Mando Diao in its MTV Unplugged concert at Union Film-Studios in Berlin.
2010: Self-Titled Debut Studio Album
In 2010, Lana Del Rey released her self-titled debut studio album.
October 2011: Q Award for 'Next Big Thing'
In October 2011, Lana Del Rey earned a Q award for "Next Big Thing" for the song "Video Games".
2011: Breakthrough with "Video Games"
In 2011, Lana Del Rey's breakthrough came with the viral success of her single "Video Games". Following this, she signed a recording contract with Polydor and Interscope.
January 14, 2012: Saturday Night Live Performance and Criticism
On January 14, 2012, Lana Del Rey performed two songs on Saturday Night Live, which received a negative response from critics and the public, who deemed the performance uneven and vocally shaky.
January 31, 2012: Worldwide Release of Born to Die
On January 31, 2012, Lana Del Rey's album Born to Die was released worldwide to commercial success, charting at number one in 11 countries and debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 album chart.
September 2012: Unveiling of F-Type for Jaguar and Recording "Burning Desire"
In September 2012, Lana Del Rey unveiled the F-Type for Jaguar at the Paris Motor Show and later recorded the song "Burning Desire", which appeared in a promotional short film for the vehicle.
September 2012: Release of "Blue Velvet" Cover for H&M Campaign
In late September 2012, Lana Del Rey's music video for her cover of "Blue Velvet" was released as a promotional single for the H&M 2012 autumn campaign, which she also modeled for in print advertising.
October 10, 2012: Premiere of "Ride" Music Video and Controversy
On October 10, 2012, Lana Del Rey premiered the music video for "Ride" at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California. Some critics panned the video for being allegedly pro-prostitution and antifeminist.
November 12, 2012: Release of Paradise EP
On November 12, 2012, Lana Del Rey's Paradise EP was released as a standalone release, as well as Born to Die: The Paradise Edition.
2012: Release of 'Born to Die'
In 2012, Lana Del Rey achieved critical and commercial success with her second album, 'Born to Die', which featured the hit song 'Summertime Sadness'.
2012: Inspiration for Born to Die
In 2012, Lana Del Rey cited the soundtrack to American Beauty as a partial inspiration for her album Born to Die.
2012: Song Included on Born to Die
In 2012, Lana Del Rey included her song titled Lolita as a bonus track on some editions of her album Born to Die.
2012: Release of "Born to Die" and "National Anthem" Music Videos
In 2012, Lana Del Rey released high-budget music videos for "Born to Die" and "National Anthem".
2012: Cited Musical Influences
In 2012, Lana Del Rey told BBC radio presenter Jo Whiley that she liked "the masters of every genre" including Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley.
2012: Leak of Acoustic Album Sirens
In mid-2012, the acoustic album Sirens, recorded between 2005 and 2006 under the May Jailer project, leaked on the internet.
February 2013: Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist
In February 2013, Lana Del Rey won the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist.
May 2013: Release of "Young and Beautiful"
In May 2013, Del Rey released "Young and Beautiful" for The Great Gatsby soundtrack, which peaked at 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
June 2013: Filming of Tropico
In June 2013, Del Rey filmed Tropico, a musical short film paired to tracks from Paradise, directed by Anthony Mandler.
July 2, 2013: Summertime Sadness Remix Sent to Radio
On July 2, 2013, a Cedric Gervais remix of Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness" was sent to radio. The song proved to be a commercial success, surpassing "Young and Beautiful" by reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming her first American top ten hit.
November 2013: "Say Yes to Heaven" written and recorded
In November 2013, Lana Del Rey wrote and recorded "Say Yes to Heaven", planning to include it in Ultraviolence, before cutting it.
December 4, 2013: Tropico Film Screening
On December 4, 2013, Del Rey screened the film Tropico at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.
2013: Release of "Young and Beautiful" Music Video
In 2013, Lana Del Rey released the high-budget music video for "Young and Beautiful".
2013: Release of Tropico and "Young and Beautiful"
In 2013, Lana Del Rey wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed musical short Tropico and released "Young and Beautiful" for the romantic drama The Great Gatsby, which was highly praised and received Grammy Award and Critics' Choice Award nominations.
January 26, 2014: Release of "Once Upon a Dream" Cover
On January 26, 2014, Del Rey released a cover of "Once Upon a Dream" for the film Maleficent.
June 13, 2014: Ultraviolence Album Release
On June 13, 2014, Del Rey's album Ultraviolence was released and debuted at number one in 12 countries.
2014: Review by Roy Train for The Hollywood Reporter
In 2014 Roy Train's review for The Hollywood Reporter noted 'a distance in her bonhomie, obvious even from my perch at the opposite end of the stage high above the fray, the chill still palpable'
2014: DigDeep was founded
In 2014, George McGraw founded DigDeep, a Los-Angeles-based non-profit organization, which provides electric-pumped water for some of the most remote families and communities of Navajo Nation. Later, Lana Del Rey donated to them.
2014: Split from Barrie-James O'Neill
In 2014, Lana Del Rey and Scottish singer Barrie-James O'Neill split after three years together.
2014: Recording "Once Upon a Dream" and "Big Eyes"
In 2014, Lana Del Rey recorded "Once Upon a Dream" for the dark fantasy adventure film Maleficent and the titular theme song for the biopic Big Eyes, which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
2014: Release of 'Ultraviolence'
In 2014, Lana Del Rey released her third album, 'Ultraviolence', which featured more guitar-driven instrumentation and debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in the U.S.
2014: Stated Feminism Uninteresting
In 2014, Lana Del Rey stated that feminism was not an interesting concept to her and that she was more interested in SpaceX and Tesla.
2014: Increased Confidence in Live Performances
Journalists noted that by 2014, Lana Del Rey's live performances had increased in confidence.
May 2015: The Endless Summer Tour
In May 2015, Del Rey embarked on The Endless Summer Tour, featuring Courtney Love and Grimes as opening acts.
August 28, 2015: Release of Beauty Behind the Madness
On August 28, 2015, Del Rey co-wrote and provided vocals on the track "Prisoner" from the Weeknd's Beauty Behind the Madness.
September 18, 2015: Honeymoon Album Release
On September 18, 2015, Del Rey's fourth studio album, Honeymoon, was released to acclaim from music critics.
November 2015: Breakup with Francesco Carrozzini
In November 2015, Del Rey and photographer Francesco Carrozzini broke up after more than a year of dating.
November 2015: Trailblazer Award and MTV Europe Music Award
In November 2015, Del Rey received the Trailblazer Award at the Billboard Women in Music ceremony and won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Alternative.
2015: Release of Honeymoon
In 2015, Lana Del Rey released her fourth album, Honeymoon, which saw a return to the stylistic traditions of her earlier releases.
February 9, 2016: "Freak" Music Video Premiere
On February 9, 2016, Del Rey premiered a music video for the song "Freak" from Honeymoon at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
August 15, 2016: "Say Yes to Heaven" leaked
On August 15, 2016, parts of Lana Del Rey's song, "Say Yes to Heaven" were leaked on Spotify.
July 21, 2017: Lust for Life Album Release
On July 21, 2017, Del Rey's fifth studio album, Lust for Life, was released.
September 2017: Concert Review in The New York Times
In September 2017, a concert review published in The New York Times noted that Lana Del Rey performed casually, singing and smiling with ease.
September 27, 2017: Announcement of LA to the Moon Tour
On September 27, 2017, Del Rey announced the LA to the Moon Tour with Jhené Aiko and Kali Uchis to promote Lust for Life.
2017: Clarification of View on Feminism
In 2017, Lana Del Rey further clarified her updated view on feminism in an interview with Pitchfork.
2017: Originally crossed paths with Holly Macve
In 2017, Lana Del Rey originally crossed paths with Holly Macve.
2017: Release of Lust for Life
In 2017, Lana Del Rey released her fifth album, Lust for Life, which continued the stylistic traditions of her earlier work.
2017: Interview about Born to Die
In 2017, Lana Del Rey stated in an interview that she didn't edit herself on Born to Die and that a lot of it was just the way it was.
January 2018: Lawsuit with Radiohead Announced
In January 2018, Del Rey announced that she was in a lawsuit with British rock band Radiohead over alleged similarities between their song "Creep" and her song "Get Free".
January 2018: Start of LA to the Moon Tour
In January 2018, Del Rey's LA to the Moon Tour officially began in North America.
September 2018: Announcement of Norman Fucking Rockwell!
In September 2018, Del Rey announced her upcoming album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
2018: Critical of Kanye West
In 2018, Lana Del Rey was critical of Kanye West for his support of former President Trump.
2018: Broadway Musical and Alice in Wonderland Soundtrack
In early 2018, Del Rey announced that she had been approached to write a Broadway musical and would be contributing to the soundtrack of a new adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
2018: Guest Vocalist Appearances
Throughout 2018, Del Rey appeared as a guest vocalist on several tracks by other musicians.
July 28, 2019: Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting
On July 28, 2019, the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting took place, which was supported by Lana Del Rey.
August 6, 2019: Hollywood Walk of Fame Presentation and "Looking for America" Release
On August 6, 2019, Del Rey presented Guillermo del Toro with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and released "Looking for America" in response to mass shootings.
August 30, 2019: Norman Fucking Rockwell! Album Release
On August 30, 2019, Del Rey's sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, was released to widespread critical acclaim.
November 2019: Face of Gucci's Guilty Fragrances
In November 2019, Del Rey was announced as the face of Gucci's Guilty fragrances and appeared in advertisements.
2019: "Born to Die" Amongst the 100 Songs That Defined the 2010s
In 2019, Billboard included "Born to Die" amongst the 100 songs that defined the 2010s, adding that it marked "a sonic shift that completely changed the pop landscape".
2019: "Hallucinogenics" Live Performance
In 2019, Del Rey and Matt Maeson performed the song "Hallucinogenics" together live.
2019: Spoken Word Album Announcement
In 2019, Del Rey announced a spoken word album, leading to the release of Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass.
2019: Chemtrails over the Country Club Announcement
In 2019, Del Rey announced the upcoming release of Chemtrails over the Country Club, originally titled White Hot Forever.
2019: "Don't Call Me Angel" Collaboration and Christmas Show Appearance
In 2019, Del Rey collaborated on "Don't Call Me Angel" with Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus and appeared in The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show.
2019: Met Jeremy Dufrene
In 2019, Del Rey took a tour with Jeremy Dufrene, a tour boat captain in Des Allemands, Louisiana.
2019: Collaboration on "Don't Call Me Angel"
In 2019, Lana Del Rey recorded the collaboration "Don't Call Me Angel" for the action comedy Charlie's Angels.
2019: Release and Grammy Nomination for Norman Fucking Rockwell!
In 2019, Lana Del Rey released her critically acclaimed sixth album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, which explored soft rock, was nominated for Album of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, and was named one of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" by Rolling Stone.
May 2020: Announcement of "Behind the Iron Gates"
In May 2020, Del Rey announced a second book, Behind the Iron Gates – Insights from the Institution.
May 2020: Criticism for Instagram Post
In May 2020, Lana Del Rey attracted criticism for an Instagram post defending herself against accusations of glamorizing abuse.
September 2020: "Hallucinogenics" Remix
In September 2020, Del Rey was featured on a remix of Matt Maeson's 2019 song "Hallucinogenics".
October 2020: Donation to DigDeep
In October 2020, Lana Del Rey donated $350,000 from the sales of her book Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass to DigDeep.
October 16, 2020: "Let Me Love You like a Woman" Release
On October 16, 2020, Del Rey released "Let Me Love You like a Woman" as a single from Chemtrails over the Country Club.
November 2020: Announcement of American Standards and Classics Record
In November 2020, Del Rey announced that she would release a digital record composed of "American standards and classics" on Christmas Day.
November 2020: Postponement of "White Hot Forever"
In November 2020, Del Rey postponed the release of the album White Hot Forever (later renamed Chemtrails over the Country Club).
November 2020: Cover of "On Eagles' Wings"
In November 2020, Lana Del Rey honored Joe Biden's election as President of the United States by covering "On Eagles' Wings".
December 2020: Engagement to Clayton Johnson
In December 2020, it was reported that Del Rey was engaged to musician Clayton Johnson.
2020: Publication of Poetry Collection
In 2020, Lana Del Rey published the poetry and photography collection Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass.
2020: Support for Third Wave of Feminism
In 2020, Lana Del Rey voiced her support for a third wave of feminism.
January 11, 2021: "Chemtrails over the Country Club" Release
On January 11, 2021, Del Rey released the title track "Chemtrails over the Country Club" as a single.
January 2021: Commentary on Donald Trump
In January 2021, Lana Del Rey incited commentary for stating Donald Trump "[didn't] know that he's inciting a riot".
March 2021: "Behind the Iron Gates" Delayed
In March 2021, Del Rey's book Behind the Iron Gates – Insights from the Institution was originally planned to be released.
March 19, 2021: Chemtrails over the Country Club Album Release
On March 19, 2021, Del Rey released her seventh studio album, Chemtrails over the Country Club, to critical acclaim.
September 8, 2021: "Arcadia" Release and Music Video
On September 8, 2021, Del Rey released the single "Arcadia" and its accompanying music video.
October 7, 2021: "Arcadia" Alternate Music Video Release
On October 7, 2021, an alternate music video for the track "Arcadia" was released.
October 20, 2021: "Blue Banisters" Music Video Release
On October 20, 2021, a music video for the track "Blue Banisters" was released.
October 22, 2021: Blue Banisters Album Release
On October 22, 2021, Del Rey's eighth studio album, Blue Banisters, was released.
2021: Release of Chemtrails over the Country Club and Blue Banisters
In 2021, Lana Del Rey released her next studio albums, Chemtrails over the Country Club and Blue Banisters, exploring Americana.
January 21, 2022: "Watercolor Eyes" Premiere
On January 21, 2022, Del Rey premiered a song titled "Watercolor Eyes" on an episode of Euphoria.
October 19, 2022: Laptop and Manuscript Theft
On October 19, 2022, Del Rey revealed that her car was burgled "a few months" prior, and her laptop and a manuscript of her upcoming poetry book were stolen.
October 21, 2022: "Snow on the Beach" Release
On October 21, 2022, Del Rey was featured on "Snow on the Beach" by Taylor Swift, on her album Midnights.
December 7, 2022: Release of "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd"
On December 7, 2022, Lana Del Rey released "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" as the lead single from her ninth studio album of the same name.
2022: Collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Snow on the Beach"
In 2022, Lana Del Rey collaborated with Taylor Swift on "Snow on the Beach" from Swift's tenth studio album Midnights; it debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, marking Del Rey's highest peak on the chart.
2022: NYU Course on Lana Del Rey
In 2022, New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music launched the fall semester course "Topics in Recorded Music: Lana Del Rey", which deals with Del Rey's music.
2022: Manuscript Theft
In 2022, the manuscript of "Behind the Iron Gates" was stolen from Del Rey's car.
January 2023: Interview Cover
In January 2023, Lana Del Rey was photographed by Nadia Lee Cohen and interviewed by Billie Eilish for the cover of Interview's March issue, where she revealed that the album would explore her innermost thoughts.
February 14, 2023: Release of "A&W"
On February 14, 2023, Lana Del Rey released "A&W" as the second single from her album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
March 14, 2023: Release of "The Grants"
On March 14, 2023, Lana Del Rey released "The Grants" as the third single from her album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
March 24, 2023: Release of 'Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd'
On March 24, 2023, Lana Del Rey's album 'Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd' was released.
May 19, 2023: Release of "Say Yes to Heaven"
On May 19, 2023, Lana Del Rey released her popular unreleased song "Say Yes to Heaven" as a single.
May 26, 2023: Release of "Snow on the Beach" remix
On May 26, 2023, Taylor Swift released a remix of "Snow on the Beach", featuring "more" Lana Del Rey, along with the Til Dawn edition of her album Midnights.
July 20, 2023: Spotted at Waffle House
On July 20, 2023, Lana Del Rey was spotted pouring coffee and chatting with customers at a Waffle House in Florence, Alabama, wearing a full employee uniform with her own "Lana" name tag.
October 20, 2023: Feature in Holly Macve's single
On October 20, 2023, Lana Del Rey was featured in Holly Macve's single "Suburban House".
November 10, 2023: Grammy Nominations
On November 10, 2023, Lana Del Rey received 5 nominations for the 2024 Grammy Awards.
2023: Recognition as an Influential Singer-Songwriter
In 2023, Lana Del Rey received recognition from Rolling Stone who placed Del Rey on their list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time".
2023: Release of Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
In 2023, Lana Del Rey's ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, was released, supported by its title track and the critically acclaimed single "A&W".
2023: Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Del Rey at number 175 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Also, Rolling Stone UK named her The Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st century in 2023.
January 31, 2024: Announcement of Country Album
On January 31, 2024, Lana Del Rey announced at Billboard's pre-Grammy event that her next album, which is set to be her first country album, was due to be released in September 2024.
February 3, 2024: 'Born to Die' Milestone on Billboard 200
As of February 3, 2024, Lana Del Rey's 'Born to Die' has spent 520 weeks (10 years) on the Billboard 200, making Del Rey the second woman to reach this milestone.
July 3, 2024: Release of "Tough"
On July 3, 2024, Lana Del Rey's collaboration with American rapper Quavo, "Tough", was released.
September 2024: Initial Expected Release of Country Album
In September 2024, Lana Del Rey's country album was initially expected to be released.
September 26, 2024: Marriage to Jeremy Dufrene
On September 26, 2024, Del Rey married Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana.
November 25, 2024: Announcement of UK and Ireland Tour 2025
On November 25, 2024, Lana Del Rey announced her UK and Ireland Tour 2025.
2024: Face of Skims Valentines Day Collection
In 2024, Lana Del Rey was hired as the face for the Skims Valentines Day Collection.
May 21, 2025: Release Date of 'The Right Person Will Stay'
On May 21, 2025, 'The Right Person Will Stay' is set to be released.
June 23, 2025: Start of UK and Ireland Tour 2025
On June 23, 2025, Lana Del Rey's UK and Ireland Tour 2025 begins.
July 3, 2025: End of UK and Ireland Tour 2025
On July 3, 2025, Lana Del Rey's UK and Ireland Tour 2025 ends, with her performing in multiple locations.
