Ultraviolence (song)

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This article is about the Lana Del Rey song. For other songs with this title, see Ultraviolence.
"Ultraviolence"
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Ultraviolence
ReleasedJune 4, 2014 (2014-06-04)
RecordedEasy Eye Sound (Nashville)
GenreRock[1]
Length4:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Daniel Heath
Producer(s)Dan Auerbach
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Shades of Cool"
(2014) 		"Ultraviolence"
(2014) 		"Brooklyn Baby"
(2014)
Music video
"Ultraviolence" on YouTube

"Ultraviolence" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey for her third studio album, of the same name (2014). It was co-written by Del Rey, and Daniel Heath, and produced by Dan Auerbach. The song was released on June 4, 2014, by Polydor and Interscope Records, as the third single from Ultraviolence. A music video, directed by Francesco Carrozzini, was released on July 30, 2014.

Composition[edit]

"Ultraviolence"
A sample of the chorus on the rock ballad "Ultraviolence", where Del Rey sings about her abusive relationship with reference to The Crystals' "He Hit Me (and It Felt like a Kiss)" (1962)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

According to Brenna Ehrlich of MTV News, "Ultraviolence" tells the story of a "typical Lana Del Rey romantic relationship: broken, failed and painful".[2] In the line "I can hear sirens sirens, he hit me and it felt like a kiss," Del Rey references the 1962 The Crystals song "He Hit Me (and It Felt like a Kiss)", and, according to Harriet Gibson of The Guardian, "appear[s] to romanticise brutality".[3] Molly Lambert of Grantland noted that the song is about a "difficult man" named Jim. Lambert hypothesized that "Jim" might be a reference to cult leader Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre, due to the line "you're my cult leader."[4] Aimee Ferrier of Far Out said fans often assume Jim "represents a figure akin to Jim Jones."[5]

Kevin Rutherford of Radio.com remarked that "Ultraviolence" maintained the theme of songs previously released from the album, it "ups the lilting, low-tempo, strings-heavy form" Del Rey had established in her earlier work.[6] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described "Ultraviolence" as a "laconic, string-laden torch song".[7] A writer for the Music Times commented that the "violins, lightly thumping drums and Del Rey's angelic singing" gave the song a "church-y" feel, pointing out that the track presented her "title sound".[8]

Critical reception[edit]

She exalts a violent man on the title track, referencing the Crystals' 'He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)'. It's harder still to listen knowing that Del Rey claims these situations are all true-to-life. 85% of domestic violence victims return to their abusers, submission is an ancient peccadillo, and there's no accounting for taste. But she conjures them with surface-level sadness worn like a shade of eyeshadow, which swiftly wears thin if you have no time for one-dimensional cads.

– NME on Ultraviolence[9]

Nolan Feeney of Time criticized the song for its glorification of domestic violence, mentioning Lorde's comment on Del Rey's music, "This sort of shirt-tugging, desperate, don't leave me stuff. That's not a good thing for young girls, even young people, to hear." However, Feeney also stated that Del Rey would "likely" not endorse the "screwed-up tales of vice and luxury" her character, Lana Del Rey, sings about.[10] While noting that Del Rey did not offer a positive or negative opinion on domestic violence, Harley Brown of Spin said that the lyrics to the song could generate controversy, especially since Del Rey dismissed feminism in an interview with The Fader, saying, "For me, the issue of feminism is just not an interesting concept. I'm more interested in, you know, SpaceX and Tesla, what's going to happen with our intergalactic possibilities. Whenever people bring up feminism, I'm like, god. I'm just not really that interested."[11][12] By the end of 2014, NME named "Ultraviolence" the 32nd best song of the year.[13]

Music video[edit]

A music video, shot entirely on an iPhone on the 8mm Vintage Camera app, was released on July 30, 2014 by Noisey (Vice). It was directed by Francesco Carrozzini and filmed on July 3 in Portofino, Italy. In the video, Del Rey can be seen wearing a white wedding dress with a veil and a bouquet of flowers in her hands, wandering around an outside setting and later entering a church (Cappella di San Sebastiano).[14][15]

Live performances[edit]

Del Rey premiered "Ultraviolence" as part of her set at the PNE Forum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on May 25, 2014.[16]

Track listings[edit]

  • Digital download[17]
  1. "Ultraviolence" – 4:41
  • Digital download (Hook N Sling Remix)[18]
  1. "Ultraviolence" (Hook N Sling Remix) – 5:29

Credits[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ultraviolence.[19]

Performance credits

  • Lana Del Rey – vocals, background vocals
  • Alfreda McCrary Lee – background vocals
  • Ann McCrary – background vocals
  • Regina McCrary – background vocals

Instruments

  • Dan Auerbach – electric guitar
  • Collin Dupuis – drum programming
  • Seth Kaufman – electric guitar
  • Leon Michels – piano, mellotron
  • Nick Movshon – bass guitar
  • Russ Pahl – pedal steel guitar
  • Kenny Vaughan – electric guitar
  • Maximilian Weissenfeldt – drums

Technical and production

Charts[edit]

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[20] 34
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[21] 12
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[22] 38
CIS (TopHit)[23] 160
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[24] 59
France (SNEP)[25] 88
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 70

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "Ultraviolence"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[28] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[30] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Country Date Format Label
Australia[31] June 4, 2014 Digital download Interscope
Belgium[32]
Finland[33]
France[34]
Luxembourg[35]
Netherlands[36]
United States[17]
United Kingdom[37] August 18, 2014 Polydor
Italy[38] October 3, 2014 Contemporary hit radio

References[edit]

  1. ^ Copper, Duncan (June 4, 2014). "Lana Del Rey Is Anyone She Wants to Be". The Fader (cover story). Vol. June/July 2014, no. 92. Retrieved February 12, 2015. We could go back to the start, she sings on the title track, but I don't know where we are. Certainly the rock ballad suits her retro preoccupation;
  2. ^ Lana Del Rey's 'Ultraviolence' Will Give You Goosebumps – MTV
  3. ^ Gibsone, Harriet (June 5, 2014). "Listen to Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence". The Guardian. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  4. ^ Molly Lambert (June 6, 2014). "Songs of the Week: Lana Del Rey Gets Culty, Kanye Gets Bubblegummed, and Sheryl Crow Rides Shotgun". Grantland. ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Aimee Ferrier (March 16, 2023). "Who is Lana Del Rey's character 'Jimmy'?". Far Out. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  6. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (June 4, 2014). "Listen to Lana Del Rey's Solemn, Strings-Heavy New Song 'Ultraviolence'". Radio.com. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  7. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (June 4, 2014). "Track Review: Lana Del Rey, "Ultraviolence"". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  8. ^ "REVIEW: Lana Del Rey Drops 'Ultraviolence' Title Track". Music Times. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  9. ^ Snapes, Laura (June 16, 2014). "NME Reviews – Lana Del Rey – 'Ultraviolence'". NME. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  10. ^ Feeney, Nolan (June 4, 2014). "Does Lana Del Rey's New Song Glorify Domestic Violence?". Time. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  11. ^ Brown, Harley (4 June 2014). "Listen to Lana Del Rey's Sweeping, Cinematic 'Ultraviolence'". Spin. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  12. ^ Cooper, Duncan (June 4, 2014). "Cover Story: Lana Del Rey Is Anyone She Wants to Be". The Fader. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  13. ^ "NME's Top 50 Tracks Of 2014". NME. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  14. ^ "Watch Lana Del Rey's New Official Music Video, "Ultraviolence"". Vice. July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  15. ^ Grow, Kory (July 30, 2014). "Lana Del Rey Plays a Bride Without a Groom in 'Ultraviolence' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  16. ^ Frydenlund, Zach (May 27, 2014). "Watch Lana Del Rey Debut "Ultraviolence" at Her Show in Vancouver". Complex. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  17. ^ a b "Ultraviolence – Lana Del Rey (Interscope/Universal)". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  18. ^ "iTunes – Music – Ultraviolence (Hook n Sling Remix)". iTunes Store (US). 15 February 2015. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Ultraviolence (booklet). Lana Del Rey. London, England; Santa Monica, California: Polydor Records, Interscope Records. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  21. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  22. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  23. ^ Lana Del Rey — Ultraviolence. TopHit. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  24. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201425 into search. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
  25. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  26. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  27. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  28. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  29. ^ "British single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  30. ^ "American single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  31. ^ "Ultraviolence – Single". Australia: iTunes Store. Apple Inc. January 2014. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014.
  32. ^ "Ultraviolence – Single". Belgium: iTunes Store. Apple Inc. January 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  33. ^ "Ultraviolence – Single". Finland: iTunes Store. Apple Inc. January 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  34. ^ "Ultraviolence – Single". France: iTunes Store. Apple Inc. January 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  35. ^ "Ultraviolence – Single". Luxembourg: iTunes Store. Apple Inc. January 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  36. ^ "Ultraviolence (2014)" (in Dutch). 7digital Netherlands. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014.
  37. ^ Lane, Daniel (August 18, 2014). "This Week New Releases 18-08-2014". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  38. ^ Aldi, Giorgia. "Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence (Polydor)". Radio Airplay SRL. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.

External links[edit]

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