Lana Del Rey: Queen of the Soundtrack

Photograph by Mat Hayward

Last week, critically acclaimed musician Lana Del Rey became the latest artist to release a cover song for Jack Antonoff’s soundtrack for The New Look, a biographical drama series following the rise of fashion designer Christian Dior. 

Lana’s addition to the soundtrack follows previously released tracks from Florence + the Machine and The 1975, and sees Lana’s offering of Blue Skies (originally released by Irving Berlin in 1926) put her signature spin on a classic. 

With another song for visual media under her belt, we look back at some of Lana’s best original tracks and covers for film and television.

Young and Beautiful
The Great Gatsby (2013) 

The first and undoubtedly the most recognisable of Lana’s soundtrack work came in 2013 for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, when Lana’s track Young and Beautiful appeared on the soundtrack for the film. Originally penned for her own record, the track was instead used as a “kick-off” single for the film, and went on to enjoy critical success and a Grammy nomination.

Watercolor Eyes
Euphoria (2022) 

Dreamy and melancholic, Lana lent her signature sound to the soundtrack of the second series of HBO’s Euphoria in early 2022. Written with Canadian songwriter Nasi Atweh, the track was noted by Sleek Magazine as “the perfect match for the rich, coming of age storylines Euphoria follows”.

Big Eyes / I Can Fly
Big Eyes (2014)

For Tim Burton’s biographical drama film Big Eyes, Lana contributed two tracks written with frequent collaborators Dan Heath and Rick Nowels. The title track went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song, and was shortlisted for the Academy Awards. I Can Fly was used as an outro to the film, and both tracks highlight Lana’s skill for creating music that effortlessly evokes a cinematic quality.

Don’t Call Me Angel 
Charlie's Angels (2019)

In 2019, Lana joined forces with pop royalty Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus to collaborate on a song for the soundtrack of the third instalment of the Charlie's Angels film series. Despite lukewarm reviews from critics (much like the film itself), the track was a commercial success and became one of Lana’s best-selling songs of all time.

Some Things Last a Long Time
Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston? (2015)

Taking nearly eight years to develop, musician and visual artist Daniel Johnston’s short documentary film Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston? was one of his final projects before his death in 2019. Funded through a Kickstarter campaign (which Lana donated to), the film lists Lana as an executive producer. Lana contributed further, recording a cover of Johnston’s track Some Things Last a Long Time that appeared on the film’s soundtrack, which Rolling Stone later called a “subdued, aching take”.

Once Upon a Dream
Maleficent (2014)

Hand-picked by Angelina Jolie herself for the Maleficent soundtrack, Lana re-imagined the 1959 track Once Upon a Dream in a hauntingly beautiful cover. Described by Complex as having “a sombre and sinister feel compared to the original”, the track remains one of Lana’s best-loved covers to date, racking up 140 million streams to date on Spotify alone.

Season of the Witch
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

Produced with long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff, Lana covered Season of the Witch for André Øvredal’s horror film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Originally released by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan in 1966, the cover came to be after Guillermo del Toro (who co-wrote and co-produced the film) said he knew Lana could “use her alchemy” to transform the song.  

Life is Beautiful
The Age of Adaline (2015)

An honourable mention to Life is Beautiful, a lush ballad recorded during a studio session that was later reworked for Lee Toland Krieger’s The Age of Adaline. Although the track appears in the trailer for the romantic fantasy starring Blake Lively, the song never received an official release or appeared on the soundtrack. Versions of the full track have since leaked in full, but it’s unlikely fans will ever get to hear the final mix officially.

The New Look is currently streaming on Apple TV+.