Lana Del Rey has shared a new spoken word piece from her forthcoming poetry collection behind the iron gates – insights from an institution. It’s called “patent leather do-over,” and you can hear it below.
The piece begins with Del Rey invoking Sylvia Plath, nodding to her book The Bell Jar. Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell! collaborator Jack Antonoff composed the music that accompanies the poem.
Earlier this week, Del Rey announced in an Instagram post that her next album will be out on September 5. In addition to behind the iron gates – insights from an institution, she has another spoken word album called Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass on the way.
Del Rey’s Instagram post about the new record prompted social media backlash. Many saw the post’s introductory lines as inflammatory: “Now that Doja Cat, Ariana, Camila, Cardi B, Kehlani and Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé have had number ones with songs about being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc. – can I please go back to singing about being embodied, feeling beautiful by being in love even if the relationship is not perfect, or dancing for money – or whatever I want – without being crucified or saying that I’m glamorizing abuse??????” She has since further explained her initial post in subsequent social media posts and comments.