Summertime_Sadness

Summertime Sadness

Summertime Sadness

2012 single by Lana Del Rey


"Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, Born to Die (2012). The pop ballad was released on June 22, 2012, by Interscope Records as the fourth single of the album. In the spring of 2013, "Summertime Sadness" reached number one in Poland, Ukraine and Armenia. Charting across Europe, the single reached the top 10 in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Trap and house remixes of "Summertime Sadness" helped Del Rey break into the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. That chart is where Del Rey's song became a modest hit and marked her first foray into the chart. On the accompanied Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, the single gave Del Rey her first US number-one single in August 2013.[1] In September 2021, the song was ranked number 456 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2]

Quick Facts Single by Lana Del Rey, from the album Born to Die ...

In the summer of 2013, a remixed version of the track by Cedric Gervais was released to American contemporary hit radio and helped the single become a sleeper hit,[3] debuting at 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the highest-charting solo single of her career in the U.S. with a peak of 6. Switzerland and Austria gave "Summertime Sadness" a Gold certification; it reached platinum status in Germany and became a top 40 year-end hit. The record also reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It joined BBC Radio 1's and BBC Radio 2's playlists. Gervais' remixed version won a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical.

The song's accompanying music video depicts Del Rey and actress Jaime King as a couple. As the storyline progresses, both characters commit suicide by jumping from perilous heights. Cinematography was handled primarily by King's husband, Kyle Newman. The video gained success on video-hosting website YouTube, and circulated through social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. In general, critics lauded the artistry of the single's music video, comparing it to photo-sharing site Instagram. The musical arrangement was composed by Del Rey's long-time collaborators Emile Haynie and Rick Nowels, with Nowels and Del Rey writing the lyrics.

Lyrical composition and themes

"Summertime Sadness" was released as a digital download on June 22, 2012, in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.[5][6][7] Written by Lana Del Rey and her long-time collaborator, Rick Nowels, the record was produced by Nowels and Emile Haynie. "Summertime Sadness" is a pop and trip hop ballad.[8][9][10] It is written in the key of C♯ minor with a tempo of 125 beats per minute. Del Rey's vocals range from the note of C♯3 and C♯5.[11] Various club remixes of the song were created, including one by Ryan Hemsworth. Spin said Hemsworth's trap remix, "teases us with a little stoney dubwise bubble, and then dunks the entire thing into a glistening pool of purple promethazine goo. The only sharp sounds come from the barrage of skittering beats, plus some space lasers and the like."[12] "Summertime Sadness"'s Adam Freeland remix employed house beats and strong synthesizers that creates a "dazzling dance floor production."[13]

The song's video focuses on a lesbian couple reminiscing on positive moments before both commit suicide.[14][15][16] Pop Dust writer Nate Jones compared the introductory lyrics, "I got my red dress on tonight / Dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight" to "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen, affirming that the song's inherent somberness was building to its gloomy denouement by first displaying positive memories the song's lovers experienced.[16] The following two stanzas of: "Got my hair up real big beauty queen style / High heels off, I'm feeling alive" and "Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere / Nothing scares me anymore" building on the same lyrical imagery.[16] Lyrically, the song reaches a sadder conclusion with the chorus, "Kiss me hard before you go / Summertime sadness / I just wanted you to know / That, baby, you're the best."[16] The darkest portion of the song's story swells at the beginning of the second verse: "I'm feelin' electric tonight / Cruising down the coast goin' 'bout 99 / Got my bad baby by my heavenly side / I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight."[16] As a whole, "Summertime Sadness" follows a typical pop song structure: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, with the chorus circulating several times before the song's end.[16]

Critical reception

In his track-by-track review for Billboard magazine, Andrew Hampp wrote about "Summertime Sadness" that "the pouty title alone drew giggles at Del Rey's Bowery gig, but the song itself proves to be one of the more durable tracks here even if its lyrics start to get redundant ('Kiss me hard before you go... That baby you're the best')".[17] Los Angeles Times named it among the best tracks on the album along with "Video Games" and "Dark Paradise".[18] The song is also referenced in the Chainsmokers' hit single "#Selfie".

Music video

The role of Lana Del Rey's friend in the music video is played by Jaime King, whose husband, Kyle Newman directed the video.

The music video for "Summertime Sadness" was filmed in April 2012 in Santa Clarita, California.[19] It was directed by Kyle Newman and Spencer Susser.[20] Newman's wife, actress Jaime King, stars along with Del Rey in the video,[21] which tells the sad story of two women, who both end their own lives.[15] King said about the video that, "It's about not being able to live without the one you love, friend or lover it doesn't matter, that's whatever you want it to be."[22] Actor Alex Pettyfer reportedly also helped out on set as a production assistant.[15]

The radio edit of the video was released on July 20, 2012, in Germany on ClipFish.[23] The same day, the video with the album version of the song was released on Lana Del Rey's YouTube channel.[24] That week, Del Rey gained 69,000 new followers on both Facebook and Twitter.

Synopsis

The music video opens with a woman saying, "Remember, I'll always love you, bye". After the phone call, Del Rey sings the opening lyrics and jumps off the cliff.[19] The next scenes tell the story of two women (played by Del Rey and Jaime King) who have become suicidal.

In the next scene, the forlorn King seeks out the nearest bridge in the city and then stands on its ledge in a tear-stricken state. The next scenes depict a statue of Jesus Christ, Del Rey looking into the distance and a phone smashing into pieces as it hits the floor, hinting at Del Rey's realization that her girlfriend has killed herself. Feeling at fault for her lover's death, Del Rey spreads her arms wide mimicking the statue of Jesus Christ and jumps off the cliff.

The last scenes show both women in happier times, Del Rey turns to see King and smiles; both women are seen pouting and glancing seductively over their shoulders towards one another. As the women embrace, the smoke in the atmosphere gathers and they disappear. It's shown, after both suicides, that a haunting image of Del Rey (presumably her ghost) is seen walking down a long road towards the camera.

Reception

The video received generally favorable reviews from critics. Crystal Bell, a blogger for Huffington Post, called the video an "ode to Instagram," and compared it to Del Rey's previous videos.[15] Carrie Battan of Pitchfork Media wrote, that "it's certainly no seven-minute re-enactment of the life of the Kennedy family, but it still offers the trademark LDR touch. Instagram-like footage, very forlorn faces, possible suicide attempts, and a very special guest."[25] Jenna Hally Rubenstein, of MTV's Buzzworthy blog, considers that the coral-smoked scenes are Del Rey in the afterlife, post-suicide, saying it may be unlikely as "the clip closes with an image of Lana and her ghost walking alone down an empty road." Further, she said, "Sad, sad times, y'all. But then again what else did you expect from a Lana video? Sunshine, glitter and ice cream cones? Probably not."[26] Brennan Carley of Billboard noted that "keeping the buzz alive while sticking with sepia-tones and a healthy dose of melodramatics, Lana Del Rey probes a crumbling relationship in the music video [...] the video traces the women's relationship with spliced together film bits – much like the effects used in her earlier efforts – and foggy scenes of the stars pouting and glancing seductively over their shoulders."[19] Spin magazine writer Marc Hogan found that the video recalled Del Rey's breakout video for "Video Games". He added, that "more provocative, though, is the hint of romance-gone-sour between Del Rey and the character played by actress Jaime King. Because this is a Lana Del Rey video, it's not spoiling anything to say there's a Thelma and Louise-like twist."[27] Entertainment website Spinner called the visual "weird. It's beautifully shot, sepia-soaked and melodramatic. The singer's bestie, played by the very lovely actress Jamie King, is also pretty sad about summer ending."[28] Tyler Monroe, writing for AUX, called the video "indistinguishable nothingness", adding "I don't think Lana Del Rey is even trying anymore."[29]

Live performances

In 2012, Del Rey performed "Summertime Sadness" at the Irving Plaza, along with "Million Dollar Man", while drenched in purple lights.[30] New York Times writer Bradley Sterns described Del Rey's vocal style during the Irving Plaza performance as "lounge singer crooning".[30] Along with "Million Dollar Man" and "Summertime Sadness", Del Rey also sang "Video Games", "Born to Die", "Lolita", and "Without You".[30]

Miley Cyrus covered the song for BBC Radio1's Live Lounge.[31]

Charts

More information Chart (2012–2014), Peak position ...

Certifications

‹See Tfd›

More information Region, Certification ...

Cedric Gervais remix

Quick Facts (remix), Released ...

In January 2013, a remix by Cedric Gervais was commissioned for the record label Universal Germany. However, the remix was initially turned down by Interscope and Polydor Records, Lana Del Rey's record labels in America and the UK, respectively,[84] but was released on Spinnin' Records. In the spring of 2013, the remix quickly surged to number one on Beatport, resulting in several radio programmers and DJs, such as Pete Tong, working the song into their radio station's rotation. BBC Radio 1 added the remix to its playlist, helping it to gain popularity around the world. Several Sirius XM radio stations began playing it, and Interscope decided to push at Top 40 radio in the United States. After positive feedback, Interscope agreed to release the remix.[85]

Background

Hesitant to accept requests for remixes from other artists, Gervais immediately consented to assist Del Rey with remixing "Summertime Sadness".[3] He said, "Lana Del Rey came in. I didn't even ask how much money [...] I wasn't thinking if it was going to be a hit or not, I just love and respect the artist that she is."[3] Satisfied with the finished product, Del Rey's team commissioned Gervais to produce a mix version of "Young and Beautiful".[3]

The decision to release the new version of "Summertime Sadness" on the DJ's primary label, Spinnin' Records, was made by Cedric's manager Luke Allen (Red Light Management) to expand the song's audience to Gervais' EDM fanbase. Allen grew and built the record from grassroots, but it wasn't until he invited Interscope A&R John Ehmann to a performance at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas that the major label came on board after Ehmann heard 60,000 people singing along to the song. Months later, the house and Eurodance track was a sleeper hit, peaking at number 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.[86][87] "In every country I'm going to, I hear my remix on the radio," the DJ commented on the song's success. "I started a long time ago in the business with the passion of being a DJ and all of the sudden I make a track like this I get even more excited and motivated."[3] Becoming the most successful work of his career at the time, "Summertime Sadness" unlocked a plethora of opportunities for Gervais, including a contract for the release of a full-length album that features many high-profile dance singers, Rick Nowels (co-writer of "Summertime Sadness"'s lyrics) assisting him.[3]

Music video

Gervais' interpretation of "Summertime Sadness" received a video treatment.[86] The majority of the video includes the same footage of the original version produced by Kyle Newman.[86] Sam Lansky of Idolator described the remake as being "...stitched together with familiar glitchy footage of Lana in her conventional Tumblrwave style."[86] Expanding, he said: "the euphoric house production contrasts with the melancholy aesthetic in that way that feels quintessentially Lana and, well, if nothing else, the track is straight fire."[86] Further, Lansky remarked on the audio, stating: "The gloomy cut has received a proper single treatment" from Cedric Gervais who metamorphosed "Lana"s lachrymose original into a dancefloor stomper".[86]

Charts

More information Chart (2013), Peak position ...

Certifications

More information Region, Certification ...

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Credits for "Summertime Sadness" taken from Born to Die album liner.[134]

Release history

More information Country, Date ...

References

  1. "Billboard Top 40 Update (August 5, 2013)" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 5, 2013.[dead link]
  2. "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. McCarthy, Zel. "Cedric Gervais Talks 'Summertime Sadness' Remix Smash, Linking with Lana Del Rey and Blowing Up". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  4. Hamper, Andrew (January 25, 2012). "Lana Del Rey's 'Born To Die': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  5. Denney, Alex (February 3, 2012). "Lana Del Rey – 'Born To Die'". NME. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  6. Lambe, Stacy (May 23, 2013). "The 10 Best Remixes Of Lana Del Rey". VH1. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  7. "Lana Del Rey lança novo remix de 'Summertime Sadness'". Billboard Brasil (in Portuguese). March 7, 2013. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013.
  8. Del Rey, Lana (March 26, 2012). "Lana Del Rey "Summertime Sadness" Sheet Music - Download & Print". musicnotes.com.
  9. Martins, Chris (March 7, 2013). "Ryan Hemsworth Takes Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness' to the Trap". SPIN. Buzz Media. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  10. Stern, Brad (February 19, 2013). "Kylie Minogue, Janet Jackson + Lana Del Rey: 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  11. Viera, Bené (July 20, 2012). "A Tale Of Two Friends Committing Suicide Is The Reason For Lana Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness"". VH1. Archived from the original on September 3, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  12. Jones, Nate (July 19, 2013). "Lana Del Rey "Summertime Sadness" Lyrics Meaning: Cruel, Cruel Summer". Pop Dust. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  13. Hampp, Andrew (January 25, 2012). "Lana Del Rey's 'Born To Die': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  14. Carley, Brennan (July 20, 2012). "Lana Del Rey Mourns a Lost Love in 'Summertime Sadness' Video". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  15. Breihan, Tom (July 20, 2012). "Lana Del Rey – "Summertime Sadness" Video (Feat. Jaime King)". Stereogum. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  16. King, Jaime. "Jaime King's Twitter Status". Twitter. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  17. "LANA DEL REY - SUMMERTIME SADNESS VIDEO". Clipfish. Retrieved July 20, 2012 Archived July 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  18. Battan, Carrie (July 20, 2012). "Video: Lana Del Rey: "Summertime Sadness"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  19. Rubenstein, Jenna Hally. "New Video: Lana Del Rey, 'Summertime Sadness'". MTV Buzzworthy. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  20. Hogan, Marc (July 20, 2012). "Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness' Video Is Quite Melancholy". Spin. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  21. "Lana Del Rey, 'Summertime Sadness' -- VIDEO". Spinner. July 20, 2012. Archived from the original on January 10, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  22. Stern, Bradley (June 11, 2012). "Life, Death and Lana Del Rey: Live at Irving Plaza (June 8, 2012)". MuuMuse. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  23. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  24. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  25. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  26. "15.10.2012-21.10.2012 – IFPI at bamp-br.org" (in Bulgarian). Bulgarian Association of Music Producers. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  27. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201310 into search. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  28. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201433 into search. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  29. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  30. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  31. "Greece Digital Songs: Aug 3, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  32. "Lana Del Rey Chart History". RÚV. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  33. "Media Forest Week 39, 2012". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  34. "FIMI Chart Top 100" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  35. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  36. "Russia Airplay Chart for 2013-08-26." TopHit. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  37. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201429 into search. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  38. "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2013-05-20." TopHit. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  39. "IFPI Charts". ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  40. "IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 22nd April 2024 | Week 16 of 52". IMIcharts. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  41. "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 14.04.2023–20.04.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  42. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2012". austriancharts.at. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  43. "Jahrescharts 2012". Media control GfK. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  44. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2012 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  45. "Rapports Annuels 2013". Ultratop. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  46. "MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 – radios 2013" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  47. "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart 2013" (in Russian). TopHit. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  48. "Årslista Singlar – År 2013" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  49. "Top Radio Hits Ukraine Annual Chart 2013" (in Russian). TopHit. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  50. "Rapports Annuels 2014". Ultratop. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  51. "FIMI – Classifiche Annuali 2014 "TOP OF THE MUSIC" FIMI-GfK: un anno di musica italiana" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  52. "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart 2014" (in Russian). TopHit. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  53. "Årslista Singlar – År 2014" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  54. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved January 16, 2015. Type Lana Del Rey in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Summertime Sadness in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  55. "Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  56. "Årslista Singlar, 2014" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  57. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Summertime Sadness')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  58. Ugwu, Reggie (September 15, 2013). "Go Behind Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime' Surge". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  59. Coomes, Eric (October 11, 2013). "Cedric Gervais on hitting the Billboard Top 10 and his latest Lana Del Rey collab[oration]". Beatport, LLC. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  60. Breihan, Tom (April 3, 2014). "Lana Del Rey – "Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight"". Stereogum. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  61. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing: 23 September 2013 – Issue #1230" (PDF). Australian Web Archive. Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  62. "Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  63. "MAHASZ: Archívum › Kereső – előadó/cím szerint" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  64. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201336 into search. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  65. "2013 Annual ARIA Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  66. "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  67. "Top de l'année Top Singles 2013" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  68. "Dance Top 100 - 2013". Mahasz. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  69. "The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles Of 2013". Official Charts Company. January 1, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  70. "Best of 2013 – Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  71. "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  72. "Pop Songs – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  73. "Top de l'année Top Singles 2014" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  74. "Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  75. "Dutch single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved February 25, 2019. Enter Summertime Sadness in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2013 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  76. Grein, Paul (January 2, 2014). "Can You Believe Don't Stop Believin' Loses Spot as Best-Selling Rock Song?". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  77. "Summertime Sadness (2-Track)". Amazon.de. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  78. "Summertime Sadness (Remixes) – EP von Lana Del Rey". Germany: iTunes Store. January 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  79. "Summertime Sadness (Asadinho Remixes) (2013)". 7digital.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  80. "Summertime Sadness (2014)". 7digital.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  81. Born to Die (album liner). Lana Del Rey. Interscope. 2012. p. 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Summertime_Sadness, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.