I’ve been listening to Lana Del Rey since I discovered her through Tumblr, back when Born to Die was first making its way into my life, so Honeymoon has always felt like one of those albums I’ve appreciated more and more as I’ve grown with her music. When I first heard it, I remember thinking it was beautiful, but it didn’t hit me in quite the same immediate way that Born to Die did. Born to Die pulled me in with the drama, the melodies, the larger-than-life production and that whole Tumblr-era Lana aesthetic that I fell in love with. Honeymoon, on the other hand, asks you to slow down. It’s more atmospheric, more intimate and almost deliberately detached. And honestly, that’s what I love about it now. There’s something so cinematic about this album. It feels less like listening to individual songs and more like stepping into Lana’s world for an hour. The strings, the dreamy production and her vocals create this hazy, almost old-Hollywood atmosphere that only Lana can really pull off. Songs like “Honeymoon,” “Terrence Loves You,” “The Blackest Day” and “Swan Song” feel like they’re meant to be experienced rather than simply listened to. “High by the Beach” is still one of my favorites because it gives the album a little more bite, while “Art Deco” has that hypnotic quality that makes it impossible for me to skip. And then there’s “Salvatore,” which is probably one of the most Lana Del Rey songs ever recorded. It’s dramatic, romantic, slightly ridiculous in the best way, and completely committed to its own fantasy. What I appreciate most about Honeymoon now is how cohesive it is. As someone who has followed Lana since Born to Die, I can hear the evolution. She’s still giving us the romance, Americana, doomed relationships and larger-than-life characters that made me fall in love with her music in the first place, but there’s a greater sense of restraint here. She doesn’t always need to explode emotionally. Sometimes she just lets the atmosphere speak for her. I also think this is one of those Lana albums that gets better as you get older. There were songs I didn’t connect with immediately that mean much more to me now simply because I hear them differently. That’s one of the reasons I love having followed Lana’s music for so long: albums can grow with you. Is Honeymoon my favorite Lana album? Probably not. Born to Die will always have that special place because it was my introduction to her and the soundtrack to a very specific time in my life. But Honeymoon has become one of the albums I appreciate most within her catalog. It’s beautiful, melancholic, cinematic and completely unapologetic about what it wants to be. This is Lana Del Rey at her most hypnotic. 🌙