Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass explained

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
Author:Lana Del Rey
Language:English
Release Number:1
Genre:Poetry
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Pub Date:September 29, 2020[1]
Published:2020
Pages:128

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass is the debut book by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. A poetry collection featuring over 19 original poems, 10 haikus and photography,[2] including "13 longer poems" and several short pieces, the collection is Del Rey's first published work and was released by Simon & Schuster on September 29, 2020.[1]

In December 2019, Del Rey announced that she would be releasing a spoken word album to accompany the book, also featuring music by American producer Jack Antonoff, which was set to be released in January 2020. Following a delay due to personal problems, the album was ultimately released on July 28, 2020 through Interscope/Polydor.[3] The cover artwork, a painting of an orange tree by artist Erika Lee Sears, was released in April 2020.[4] The final release dates for the book were announced on July 9, 2020, with the album being released on July 28, 2020, and the hardcover book to follow on September 29, 2020.[2] Half of the proceeds from the book will go to the Navajo Water Project.[5]

Background and development

Since her musical beginnings, Del Rey has expressed how she has been inspired by poetry, with Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg being instrumental to her songwriting.[6] [7] Del Rey has written several poems which she has used as spoken monologues in her music videos and short films, the most notable being the lengthier, melancholic pieces featured Ride (2012) and Tropico (2013), in the latter of which she also recited poems from Whitman's Leaves of Grass.

In 2018, Del Rey announced her intention to release a book of poetry. She explained how, following some writer's block while beginning work on Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) in 2017,[8] she had begun writing poetry.[9]

Shortly afterwards, Del Rey revealed she would be binding the book herself and be selling copies for as little as a dollar.[10] When asked why the book would be so inexpensive, Del Rey replied "because my thoughts are priceless."[11] [12] However, Del Rey's original plans changed when Simon & Schuster acquired the rights and published the book regularly and at a standard price.[13]

During her promotional cycle of Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Del Rey described the book as consisting of "thirteen long poems",[14] though she has teased shorter pieces on social media since, including "Never to Heaven",[15] "Happy", and "Quiet Waiter-Blue Forever", among other pieces.

Del Rey explained her process for writing poetry turned out to be notably different from her process for writing music. She said:

The title itself is from a line in one of Del Rey's favourite poems she has written. The full line being:

Release

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass was released on September 29, 2020, as a 128 page hardcover book.[16] On October 3, 2020, Del Rey hosted a surprise reading and signing of the book at a Barnes & Noble store in Los Angeles. The event was met with controversy due to Del Rey's decision to wear a mesh mask and take pictures in close proximity to her fans during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[17] [18] The event got eventually shut down for not following health regulations.[19] Del Rey responded to the criticism, saying that the mask had a plastic layer sewn into it.[20]

The release saw success, with the book landing at number 4 of the New York Times bestseller list.[21]

Spoken word album

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
Type:studio
Longtype:(audiobook)
Artist:Lana Del Rey
Cover:LanaDelRay_VioletAlbum.jpg
Recorded:2019–2020
Genre:Spoken word
Length:38:50
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Prev Year:2019
Next Title:Chemtrails over the Country Club
Next Year:2021

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass was also released as Del Rey's first spoken word album. It was released through Interscope and Polydor on July 28, 2020, two months before the release of the book. Del Rey selected 14 of the 30 poems that appear in the book to record. In an Instagram livestream Del Rey originally announced the album's release date as January 4, 2020[22] She expressed her desire to have 50 percent of the profits benefit charities supporting Native American land constancy and protecting indigenous rights in the United States. She added that the album would cost "about a dollar" and that the charities would rotate every couple of years.[23] However the album has never been sold for $1.

Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass was released exclusively in physical formats, CD and vinyl record. The album's only single, "LA Who Am I to Love You", was released on the same day as the album and was made available on all platforms, including a limited time streaming release.

Aside from Del Rey's own voice, the album features instrumental production from frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, with whom Del Rey first worked on Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) and later on both Chemtrails over the Country Club (2021) and Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (2023).

Commercial performance

The album peaked at number 19 on Billboard US Top Album Sales chart and number 3 on the US Vinyl Albums chart.

Charts

Chart performance for Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
Chart (2020)Peak
position
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[24] 59
US Tastemakers (Billboard)[25] 21
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[26] 19
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[27] 3

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lana Del Rey's "eclectic and honest" new album is out this month . . July 8, 2020 . June 9, 2020 . D'Souza, Shaad . July 9, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200709180842/https://www.thefader.com/2020/07/08/lana-del-rey-eclectic-honest-album-release-date-violet-poetry-2020/ . live .
  2. Web site: Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass. 28 July 2020. Lanadelrey.com. October 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201025171825/https://lanadelrey.com/violet-bent-backwards-over-the-grass/. live.
  3. Web site: Sinha. Charu. 2020-04-11. Lana Del Rey Shares Details of Audiobook, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass. 2021-02-17. Vulture. en-us. March 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210309041537/https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/lana-del-rey-shares-details-of-poetry-audiobook.html. live.
  4. Lana Del Rey Shares Artwork for Violet Spoken Word Album. Billboard. 11 April 2020. April 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200411192015/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9356536/lana-del-rey-shares-artwork-for-violet-spoken-word-poetry-album. live.
  5. Web site: @lanadelrey . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CCZI_wNpfGK . December 24, 2021 . registration. Instagram . 28 July 2020.
  6. Web site: Lana Del Rey hates personal critics . . October 5, 2012 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927134425/http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/309071-lana-del-rey-hates-personal-critics/ . September 27, 2013 .
  7. Web site: Moore . Alex . Here's Lana Del Rey's new Walt Whitman-referencing track, 'The Body Electric' . Death and Taxes . October 5, 2012 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130927122419/http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/184151/heres-lana-del-reys-new-walt-whitman-referencing-track-the-body-electric/ . September 27, 2013 .
  8. See Lana Del Rey Perform 'Mariners Apartment Complex' for First Time. Ilana. Kaplan. . March 24, 2019. January 4, 2020. March 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190324154946/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lana-del-rey-mariners-apartment-complex-live-new-orleans-812549/. live.
  9. Web site: Lana Del Rey's new album 'Norman Fucking Rockwell!' – everything we know so far. . August 22, 2019. January 4, 2020. September 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180914194141/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/lana-del-reys-new-album-everything-know-far-2379108. live.
  10. Web site: Lana Del Rey is set to sell her new poetry book for $1. DIY. March 7, 2019 . January 4, 2020. March 7, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190307180301/http://diymag.com/2019/03/07/lana-del-rey-is-set-to-sell-her-new-poetry-book-for-1. live.
  11. Web site: Lana Del Rey says her new album is coming "in two months". The FADER. June 22, 2019 . January 4, 2020. June 25, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190625223032/https://www.thefader.com/2019/06/24/lana-del-rey-norman-fucking-rockwell-release-august-2019. live.
  12. Web site: Lana Del Rey says she'll sell her new book of poetry for $1. The FADER. March 5, 2019 . January 4, 2020. March 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190308072614/https://www.thefader.com/2019/03/06/lana-del-rey-poetry-book-violent-bent-backwards-norman-fucking-rockwell. live.
  13. Web site: Lana Del Rey Gave Us a Preview Of Her New Poetry Book. Ramzi. Lilah. Vogue. September 25, 2020. January 15, 2021. March 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220324000437/https://www.vogue.com/article/lana-del-rey-poetry-violet-bent-over-the-grass. live.
  14. Web site: Lana Del Rey's First Book of Poetry Is Forthcoming, and Expectations Are Mixed. June 19, 2019. January 4, 2020. April 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164034/https://studybreaks.com/culture/reads/lana-del-rey-violet-vent-backwards-over-the-grass/. live.
  15. Web site: Lana Del Rey Releases New Poem. April 12, 2019. PAPER. January 4, 2020. April 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164042/https://www.papermag.com/lana-del-rey-poem-2634482035.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1?rebelltitem=1. live.
  16. Web site: Noble . Barnes & . Violet Bent Backwards Over the GrassHardcover . 2022-04-22 . Barnes & Noble . en . March 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220324055917/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/violet-bent-backwards-over-the-grass-lana-del-rey/1137313911 . live .
  17. Web site: 2020-10-03 . Lana Del Rey Held A Surprise Book Signing At Barnes & Noble Last Night . 2022-04-22 . Stereogum . en . April 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220422113113/https://www.stereogum.com/2101099/lana-del-rey-held-a-surprise-book-signing-at-barnes-noble-last-night/news/ . live .
  18. Web site: Schild . Darcy . Lana Del Rey sparked backlash from fans as she appeared to wear a mesh face mask at a public book signing in LA . 2022-04-22 . Insider . October 2, 2020 . en-US . August 28, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220828140101/https://www.insider.com/lana-del-rey-mesh-face-mask-criticism-book-signing-2020-10 . live .
  19. Web site: 2020-10-07 . Lana Del Rey Stirs Controversy By Wearing Faux Mask . 2022-04-22 . What's Trending . en-US . April 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210420094721/https://whatstrending.com/lana-del-rey-wears-faux-mask-covid/ . live .
  20. Web site: Dazed . 2020-11-18 . Lana Del Rey addresses backlash for wearing a mesh mask at a book signing . 2022-04-22 . Dazed . en . April 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220422113111/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/51122/1/lana-del-rey-addresses-backlash-for-wearing-a-mesh-mask-at-a-book-signing . live .
  21. News: Combined Print & E-Book Fiction - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 18, 2020 - The New York Times . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-04-22 . 0362-4331 . April 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220422113423/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2020/10/18/combined-print-and-e-book-fiction/ . live .
  22. Web site: Lana Del Rey Announces New Spoken Word Album In 2020. December 26, 2019. January 4, 2020. April 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200424164106/https://dankanator.com/37251/lana-del-rey-announces-new-spoken-word-album-2020/. live.
  23. Web site: Music | Lana Del Rey makes spoken-word album as 'reparation' to Native Americans. Christi. Carras. Los Angeles Times. The Columbus Dispatch. January 4, 2020. March 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200317162523/https://www.dispatch.com/entertainment/20191223/music--lana-del-rey-makes-spoken-word-album-as-reparation-to-native-americans. live.
  24. Web site: Top 100 Albumes – Semana 41: del 2.10.2020 al 8.10.2020. Productores de Música de España. es. October 15, 2020. October 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201027145235/http://www.promusicae.es/listas/semana/4464-%C3%81lbumes-semana-41-2020. live.
  25. Lana Del Rey Chart History - Tastemakers. Billboard. October 26, 2020. November 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118012843/https://www.billboard.com/artist/lana-del-rey/chart-history/tas/. live.
  26. Lana Del Rey Chart History - Top Album Sales. Billboard. October 26, 2020. October 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201021233927/https://www.billboard.com/music/lana-del-rey/chart-history/TSL. live.
  27. Lana Del Rey Chart History - Vinyl Albums. Billboard. October 26, 2020. May 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220501143726/https://www.billboard.com/artist/lana-del-rey/chart-history/vnl/. live.

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