Yesterday we got to see a sneak preview of Lana Del Rey‘s new music video for her single National Anthem wherein she portrays Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy and Rakim A$AP Rocky Mayers portrays John F. Kennedy. Today, we get to see the video in full. LDR released the full 7+ minute music video/mini-film today for our viewing pleasure … check it out below.
Right off the bat, I have to say that Lana Del Rey‘s Marilyn Monroe isn’t very good … but fortunately her Jackie Kennedy is much better. Unsurprisingly, LDR‘s video for National Anthem looks like it was filmed in the 1960′s thru a Hipstamatic camera lens but, in this context, the effect works very well. I like the marriage of imagery with the tone and lyrics of the song. Altho LDR has been beating the vintagey home movies thing to death in all of her videos, this one really resonates with me. I like the casting of A$AP Rocky as JFK and I really do like the song. It seems to me that this vintage video feel is a theme that Lana Del Rey is going to explore for some time now but I really hope she is able to break out of this stylistic box. For now, it works for her. I didn’t expect that I would like this music video as much as I do, to be honest. What do y’all think? Are you impressed?
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I’m totally obsessed with this video. I agree that eventually her vintage aesthetic will start to get old (ba-dum-cha!), but it fits so perfectly with her voice that she should milk it as long as she can.
This is such a great summer song and such a beautiful video. And the little mulatto babies…so ridiculously adorable.
Mulatto? Really? I don’t know about other people but that term always struck me as derogatory. Being mixed myself, I don’t think anyone wants to be associated with what people used to call the descendants of slave masters and their slaves.
while i love the look of the video, the marilyn monroe and the jackie 0/jfk thing is totally played out!!! how many more times do we need to see this? hasn’t every female star done their take already? yawn. and you’re right, trent, she’s not very good as marilyn.
also, i just think they should cut off the beginning and the end of the video. it’s so forced and cheesy. the middle section with the footage of them as a family is really cool. a$ap rocky is cute and they make a good couple.
with all that being said, the lyrics to the song make me cringe. ugh. “Money is the reason, we exist. Everybody knows it, it’s a fact. Kiss, kiss.” LOL. Come on!! Just awful.
have to admit i rolled my eyes when i heard about the concept of this video, but upon seeing it i actually am very impressed. it works a lot better with the song (which is probably my favorite on the album) that i expected and I think her jackie is quite good. visually it’s gorgeous and i think it’s also poignant at times– the casting of A$AP Rocky does it a lot of favors in my book.
WHAT THE HELL is going on with her face though?! it looks more and more distorted every time i see her.
The marilyn part was just so prom looking and half her face is covered with hair. And that poor lion/bear rug makes her come across a bit vacant and ignorant to me. Other than that, she must have been told her whole life she looks like jackie O and so she played on that and I guess the theme blends well with most of the storyline, and I can appreciate how it was integrated throughout except the above mentioned.
I am loving this more than I probably should. Ohmygod A$AP saves all! And I love her cheesy kiss-kiss lyrics. There’s something very fun, matter-of-fact, hip-hop about it all.
The Marilyn bit seems out of place, but I can’t complain. I love this video/song. And whose idea was it to have the dice games going on up in The White House? Lmao, love it!