Lana Del Rey has become the new icon of TikTok and Gen Z

It was 2012 when, somewhat by chance, we started hearing about Lana del Rey. The languid gaze, the backcombed hair, the 60s diva look and then her voice, melancholy and bewitching, with her great ability to make you feel at one with the music. For those who weren’t too small to remember, we are talking about his explosive debut with the album Born to diea title that still sounds like a declaration of intent and above all describes a lot of his character. Then came the big world hits – reading aloud Young & Beautiful And Once upon a dream (both soundtracks of blockbuster films) – followed by the publication of great works, equally good, but remained on the sly. Changing fashions, tastes, sounds or who knows what else, but Del Ray seemed to have started on a downward spiral which would lead her to be remembered only by some of her most ardent fans. At least until some time ago when she, after being repudiated by the Millennials, the generation that had made her famous, was welcomed with open arms by the younger generation, the so-called Gen Z, who placed her back on the altar of pop queens.

As often happens in these cases, the tool that started this process was TikTok: this is where, video after video, Lana Del Rey started to be listened to and appreciated again. There are TikToks that meticulously analyze his aesthetics so as to be able to replicate it in their daily lives, then those that show reactions every time one of his songs is listened to and still others who, however, show their own change of style after discovering his music. Not counting the filters: the most popular one tells you which verse by Lana Del Rey describes you the most. And, once you discover this world, it’s easy to come across videos that perfectly represent how much the singer is loved by the new generation: just a few days ago, in an unknown location in the UK, a Del Rey themed party was organized in which only his music was played. Thousands and thousands of likes and just as many comments that sound more or less the same: «Please also in my city» or «Where and when can it be done here too?».

The interpreter of Summertime Sadness it seems to be experiencing, therefore, its second rebirth. His music is popular again and even music critics have begun to appreciate his sonorities and stylistic peculiarities again. What I like about Lana Del Rey – and it’s perhaps what new fans love most – is that she’s always been true to herself; that she hasn’t changed to make herself more palatable to a wider audience and who is not afraid to appear melancholic and visceral with his music, becoming the perfect soundtrack for those who have an approach to life that is very far from that toxic and even cloying optimism which, however, reigns supreme on social media and beyond. Lana Del Ray has never given up on her identity, patiently waiting to be understood and appreciated, believing in her abilities and value and, in a time when many of us are constantly searching for ourselves, there is no example improve.