I recently had an email discussion with one of my favorite AfterEllen readers regarding the origins of Lana Del Rey (née Lizzy Wright) and my self-imposed restrictions when it comes to checking out her previous music. As much as I would like to say I am not a judgmental person, I know that I would be full of shit – particularly when it comes to music. So, I refuse to seek out the music she put out under her previous name because I don’t want it to ruin the way I feel about what she is putting out now. In other words, Lizzy Wright is dead to me and Lana Del Rey is a new artist on the rise whose lyrics are sometimes totally shit but whose voice and choruses have a tight grip on my ears and, most times, heartstrings.

Her latest video release is a placeholder for the actual music video “Born to Die”, and is the title track to her upcoming album “debut”. My eyes can’t stare at one thing for too long without getting bored so 30 seconds into topless Lana being held by a tatted dude in front of a waving American flag, I let my eyes leave the page but continued listening. It’s no “Blue Jeans“, but it will definitely do the trick and I hope some of the pitchfork-wielding internet users will be able to see past her collagen-enhanced lips and name change and just pay attention to the music she is putting out.

I challenge anyone to a duel who can listen to this live performance and tell me she isn’t extremely talented.

Props to Stereogum for their great video/LDR-haters write-up.