Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire will soon bring The Great Gatsby to the big screen this May, but our attention will be focused on the soundtrack featuring the talents of artists such as Beyoncé, Florence and the Machine, Gotye and Fergie. After taking the Internet by storm with the release of her songs “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans”, Lana Del Rey captivated audiences with her haunting vocals and heartfelt songwriting. For her original contribution to the upcoming film’s soundtrack, Del Rey gives us “Young and Beautiful“, a somber love song which seems to be a perfect fit for the artist and the film.
Though not a vast departure from what the artist created for her debut album, Born To Die, and its follow up project, “Young and Beautiful” still does a great job showcasing Del Rey’s dominate cinematic sound and vulnerable vocals while singing of the uncertainty she feels when thinking of her lover still staying by her side when the beauty and youth are both long gone. The soft instrumentals and soaring performance by Del Rey allow the new track to come as a perfect choice for a movie soundtrack.
Since appearing on the music scene in early 2011, a not-so-well received Saturday Night Live performance and the release of numerous singles and music videos such as the touching “Summertime Sadness” and “Ride“, Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” could be the song that gives her a larger, much deserved, American audience. Released to contemporary hit radio today, the bittersweet single only makes us want to continue to love Lana Del Rey even when she is no longer young and beautiful. Which will never happen.