Let Me Love You like a Woman explained

Let Me Love You like a Woman
Cover:Lana Del Rey - Let Me Love You Like a Woman artwork.png
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Lana Del Rey
Album:Chemtrails over the Country Club
Studio:
Label:
Producer:Jack Antonoff
Prev Title:Hallucinogenics
Prev Year:2020
Next Title:Chemtrails over the Country Club
Next Year:2021

"Let Me Love You like a Woman" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on October 16, 2020, by Interscope Records and Polydor Records as the lead single from Del Rey's seventh studio album, Chemtrails over the Country Club.[1] [2] [3] The song was recorded at both Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles and Electric Lady Studios in New York City[4] and was written by Del Rey and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, who produced the song.[5]

Background

On September 1, 2020, Del Rey posted a video on Instagram of her on set filming the music video for "Chemtrails over the Country Club", the title track and second single from her seventh studio album, Chemtrails over the Country Club. In the video, she revealed that before releasing "Chemtrails over the Country Club", she would be releasing another song she had been working on, "Let Me Love You like a Woman", adding that the album would be released "soon" after the song was.[6]

"Let Me Love You like a Woman" was released on October 16, 2020. A day prior to its release, Del Rey stated on social media that the song would be released as the lead single from Chemtrails over the Country Club. Shortly after, it was revealed that the release of Chemtrails over the Country Club (initially scheduled to be released on September 5, 2020)[7] had been postponed to March 19, 2021, largely due to vinyl production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

On December 14, 2020, a pre-recorded performance of "Let Me Love You like a Woman" aired on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, marking Del Rey's first television performance in nine years, since her 2012 live performance on Saturday Night Live.[9] A few days later, Del Rey performed the song alongside a cover of "Silent Night" with Jack Antonoff at the Ally Coalition Talent Show.[10] [11]

On March 28, 2023, an early demo of the song known as "Pink Champagne" leaked online. It is an outtake from Del Rey's third studio album, Ultraviolence.

Critical reception

"Let Me Love You like a Woman" received generally favorable reviews, with many critics complimenting the songwriting but suggesting that the production was too similar to that of her previous work.

In a review for NME, Rhian Daly dubbed the song "a swooning ode to starting anew", praising the "gently swooning guitar licks bending over piano chords and brushed drums". In contrast, Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork stated that the song "does not foretell a new direction" for Del Rey's music, opining that the melody "will be familiar to anyone who knows just her biggest hits" and that "the production feels like an extended coda" to the ballads of Del Rey's previous album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019). Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times suggested that the song's lyrical themes reflect Del Rey's own comments about femininity, "specifically that 'delicate' women 'get their own stories and voices taken away from them by stronger women'".

In a Rolling Stone review of Del Rey's pre-recorded performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jon Blistein described the dive bar setting as "dingy" but complimented other aspects of it, stating that the performance of the song "had a strong and compelling aesthetic", "like all things Del Rey does".

Music video

The music video for "Let Me Love You like a Woman" was released on YouTube alongside the song on October 16, 2020. The music video was filmed and created by Del Rey,[12] using a cell phone, and features footage of Del Rey with her family and friends, interchanged with footage of her performing while touring (including footage of her performing with folk musician Joan Baez) and her singing the song while alone in her car.[13] [14]

Charts

Chart (2020–2021)Peak
position
Global 200 (Billboard)[15] 142
Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[16] 45
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 60
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[18] 9
US Hot Alternative Songs (Billboard)[19] 11

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
VariousOctober 16, 2020
RussiaOctober 24, 2020Contemporary hit radioUniversal[20]
United StatesNovember 23, 2020Adult alternative radioInterscope[21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sodomsky. Sam. October 16, 2020. Lana Del Rey - "Let Me Love You Like a Woman" - Review. March 7, 2021. Pitchfork.
  2. Blistein. Jon. December 15, 2020. Lana Del Rey Delivers Delicate 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman' on 'Fallon'. March 7, 2021. Rolling Stone. en-US.
  3. Web site: Daly. Rhian. October 16, 2020. Lana Del Rey's new song 'Let Me Love You Like A Woman' – reviewed!. March 7, 2021. NME. en-GB.
  4. Web site: Stavropoulos. Laura. 2020-10-16. Lana Del Rey Returns With 'Let Me Love You Like A Woman'. 2021-03-07. uDiscover Music. en-US.
  5. Web site: Wood. Mikael. October 16, 2020. Nooo! Lana Del Rey threatens to leave L.A. on new single. March 7, 2020. Los Angeles Times. en-US.
  6. Spanos . Brittany . Brittany Spanos . Legaspi . Althea . October 16, 2020 . Lana Del Rey Returns With Tender New Song 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman' . March 7, 2021. Rolling Stone. en-US.
  7. Web site: Konstantinos. Pappis. December 15, 2020. Watch Lana Del Rey Perform 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman' on 'Fallon'. March 7, 2021. Our Culture Mag. en-GB.
  8. Web site: Renshaw. David. December 15, 2020. Watch Lana Del Rey perform "Let Me Love You Like A Woman" on Fallon. March 7, 2021. The Fader. en.
  9. Web site: Sanchez. Gabrielle. 2020-12-15. Lana Del Rey Returns for Her First Television Performance in 9 Years. 2021-01-12. Vulture. en-us.
  10. Web site: Hatfield. Amanda. December 15, 2020. Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, Lana Del Rey & more playing virtual Ally Coalition Talent Show. March 7, 2021. BrooklynVegan. en.
  11. Web site: Turman. Katherine. December 22, 2020. Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and Lana Del Rey Perform Covers for Jack Antonoff's Charity. March 7, 2021. Spin.
  12. Web site: Aniftos. Rania. October 16, 2020. Lana Del Rey Unveils 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman': Watch Her 'Homemade' Video. March 7, 2021. Billboard. en.
  13. Web site: Mahadevan. Tara. October 16, 2020. Lana Del Rey Shares New Song and Video "Let Me Love You Like a Woman". March 7, 2021. Complex. en.
  14. Web site: Woods. Tala. Lana Del Rey - Let Me Love You Like A Woman. March 7, 2021. Story of Song. en-US.
  15. Lana Del Rey Chart History - Global 200. Billboard. October 28, 2020.
  16. Canadian Digital Song Sales Chart. 2020-10-27. Billboard.
  17. Web site: IRMA – Irish Charts. Irish Recorded Music Association. October 23, 2020.
  18. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. October 26, 2020. October 23, 2020.
  19. Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Alternative Songs). 2021-08-24. Billboard.
  20. Web site: Lana del Rey — Let Me Love You Like a Woman. Tophit.
  21. Web site: Triple A Future Releases. https://web.archive.org/web/20201123183227/https://www.allaccess.com/triple-a/future-releases. November 23, 2020. November 13, 2020. All Access Music Group.