Summertime Sadness
"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]
Not to be confused with Seasonal affective disorder."Summertime Sadness"
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[edit]
"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[edit]
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".
Live performances[edit]
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]