6 Things You Need To Know About Lana Del Rey’s New Album ‘Norman F***ing Rockwell’

1. The album artwork features Jack Nicholson’s grandson, Duke Nicholson

Here’s Duke! The striking album artwork for ‘Norman F***ing Rockwell’ features none other than Jack Nicholson’s grandson, Duke Nicholson.

The artwork was photographed by Lana’s sister Chuck Grant who shot her two previous album covers, ‘Honeymoon’ and ‘Lust For Life’. It continues the vintage Americana aesthetic we know and adore Lana for, but gives it a pop art twist worthy of Roy Lichenstein.

As Lana holds onto Duke and reaches towards the camera, in the shadow of the American flag and a burning beach in the distance, you can’t help but wonder where that boat is destined.

2. It has a 14-song tracklist featuring all three singles

As part of yesterday’s big announcement, Lana shared the 14-song tracklist for ‘Norman F***ing Rockwell’. There’s some song names you’ll recognise as all of the three singles Lana has released since 2018 are included:‘Mariners Apartment Complex’, ‘Venice B***’, and ‘hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it”

If like us you’ve been glued to Lana’s Instagram, you’ll also notice that some of the songs Lana has shared snippets of in the past year also make an appearance, including the title track, ‘Happiness Is A Butterfly’ and ‘Bartender’. That’s not all as ‘How To Disappear’, a song Lana performed at an Apple special event last October with Jack Antonoff, has also made the cut.

3. Jack Antoff is one of the album’s producers

It’s no secret that producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff was once again working with Lana on the album as the pair shared shots together as far back as August last year, including this cute one of them twining in some palm trees.

In case you’ve been shut in a cupboard or just know him as Lena’s ex, Jack is renowned for his pop Midus touch having previously worked with Lana on ‘Lust For Life’ and racking up production credits with St Vincent, Lorde and most recently on Taylor Swift’s latest track, ‘The Archer’.

The album is also produced by Lana Del Rey’s longtime collaborator Rick Nowells, sound engineer Laura Sisk who’s previously worked with Taylor Swift, Lorde and Pink, and Zach Dawes who is best known as the bassist for The Last Shadow Puppets.

4. It’s named after one of America’s best loved artists

Lana has never been an artist to tow the line and her sixth album marks a point in a career where she’s refreshingly shown conventional song and album titles the middle finger. ‘Norman F***ing Rockwell’ is her most outrageous album title yet, but for the less cultured of us out there who is the man behind that name?

Norman Rockwell was a American painter renowned for quaint and humorous depictions of mid-century America. His latter work took on more of a serious tone as his paintings in 1960s and 1970s, such as The Problems We All Live With, championed the civil rights movement and free speech. As a lover of all things Americana, it’s no wonder he found his way into Lana’s work.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Beats 1 last year, Lana explained why she chose the name:  “The title track is called ‘Norman F—ing Rockwell’ and it’s kind of about this guy who is such a genius artist, he thinks he’s the sh– and he knows it and he won’t shut up talking about it..I just like the title track so much that I was like OK, I definitely want the record to also be called that.”

5. It includes that cover of Sublime’s ‘Doin’ Time’

Earlier this year Lana got us ready for the summer early and dropped a super chilled out cover of Sublime’s ‘Doin’ Time’. The track was originally featured on the ska punk band’s 1996 self-titled album and was rerecorded by Lana for an upcoming documentary about the band.

Luckily for us the track has also made it onto Norman F***ing Rockwell, so we can relive those hazy late night summer vibes from when she performed the track at Latitude 2019.

However, one track missing from the album is her as yet to be released collaboration with Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus for the new Charlie’s Angels Movie.

6. It has a ‘Laurel Canyon sound’

When Lana debuted ‘Mariner’s Apartment Complex‘ on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show last September, she gave us a clue as to what the album might sound like. When asked what the ‘creative path’ she’d chosen to take with the album, she said: “it was in the vein of a Laurel Canyon sound, it’s transformed a little bit as there’s some surf elements to it, it’s not really surfy like Dick Dale, but just a lot of electric guitar. Maybe a little Red Hot Chilli Pepper influence in there”.

Laurel Canyon was famous for being home to great songwriters like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds and The Doors. With track titles on ‘Norman F***ing Rockwell’ including the Neil Young namesake ‘Cinnamon Girl’, the straight up ‘California’ and bohemian beach town ode ‘Venice B**ch’ – we cannot wait to hit the West Coast once again with Lana.

Latitude Festival returns to the glorious grounds of Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk on 16th-19th July 2020. Tickets on sale now at early bird prices for a limited time only!