An 'Ultraviolent' Hit to Feminism Today

Lana Del Rey, well known for her unique dream pop musical style, has been noted by critics to make listeners feel as if they are traveling back in time. Specifically, she is heavily influenced by the 1950s and 1960s Americana scene, which has helped her gain distinction from other pop and indie rock artists. In her song “Ultraviolence,” she not only makes the listener travel back in time with her musical style, but also makes the listener regress socially with the message she sends lyrically.

Del Rey broke out onto the music scene in 2011 with the release of her music video for single “Video Games,” which led her to subsequently sign with Interscope Records. Following her signing with the major label, she released her highly successful albums Born to Die, Paradise and Ultraviolence. In the title track for her third studio album Ultraviolence, Del Rey sings about a woman who is satisfied in an abusive relationship.

The song opens with a dramatic violin tune, followed by Del Rey’s husky, moody voice beginning the song’s lyrics. The song has an overall tragic but romantic tone—not unlike her usual melancholic feel.

Lyrically, there are many phrases that leads the listener to believe that the woman is not only tolerant of this relationship but is very happy. Del Rey sings “he hit me and it felt like a kiss,” which notes how she feels that violence is an expression of love. Because of this, Del Rey outright asks for her male partner to be violent with the lyric “give me all of that ultraviolence.” Later in the song she sings “'cause I'm your jazz singer/and you're my cult leader,” explicitly referring to how the man in the relationship decides her every move, and completely dominates her in all aspects. Cult leaders require ultimate obedience and submission from their subjects, and when within a romantic relationship, can be a sign of toxicity.

Towards the end of the song and following its climax, Del Rey sings “he hurt me but it felt like true love/Jim taught me that/loving him was never enough.” Del Rey is astutely aware of the fact that he is hurting her and that her love will never be enough, but she chooses to continue to support and submit to him. This is an indication of the male domination of women.

This song is clearly expressive of a society where women are not seen as empowered or as equal to men. If this song had been released after to the most recent wave of feminism—including the “#MeToo” movement, it may not have been as popular, as tolerance for violence against women is at a possible all time low in the United States.

In her song “Ultraviolence,” Lana Del Rey not only romanticizes a clearly abusive and toxic relationship, but she reinforces anti-feminist ideals that women cannot be independent without men, and in addition, must always be submissive. This song is not only representative of primitive societal ideals but is an ultraviolent hit to feminism today.