Lana Del Rey has opened up about the criticism that she received early in her career.
The musician, who has released multiple chart-topping albums throughout her career, has looked back on the harsh criticism she received early on in her career.
Lana, born Elizabeth Grant, released her debut album, Born to Die, in 2012. The album was slammed by critics, many of whom accused her of being inauthentic and out of touch.
"I think in one week, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Post and New York magazine agreed that it was the most ridiculous act that had ever come out," Lana recalled in a new interview with Harper's Bazaar.
"It was 100 percent authentic," she added of her debut album. "It's just that where I was at the time was malleable in my own life - easy to, like, acquiesce ... I kept rereading the idea of somebody who was feigning vulnerability. (But) perhaps what they saw was what was vulnerable."
Despite the criticism, Born to Die became the fifth-highest-selling album in the world in 2012.
The Young and Beautiful singer stated that she moved past the harsh comments and continued to release music. She earned her first No.1 on the Billboard 200 with her 2014 album Ultraviolence.
"That may have been just pure 'Let's try and make this work!' energy," Lana shared. "I'm sure my intuition in my everyday life was still pretty strong. But with the career, I think it was like 'Let's just try and see if we can make this work' instead of having it come to a brutal end."
"It's almost like they were wrong," the Summertime Sadness singer continued of her critics. "That's all. They just got it all wrong. That's all."
Lana has been nominated for five Grammy awards ahead of the 2024 ceremony, including Best Album and Best Song.
