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It’s no secret that Lana Del Rey has gained a lot of notoriety lately… and not the good kind. From her physical image overhaul, which many seemed to delight in poking fun at, to her lackluster performance on “Saturday Night Live”, which I actually defended – (a) it’s not a crime for a new performer to be a little nervous, and (b) I have seen much, much worse come out of Studio 8H.

 

Amongst all the hubbub, we seemed to have forgotten that Lana is a legitimate artist. Thank goodness her latest music video has brought us all back to our senses.

 

“National Anthem” opens with Lana recreating Marilyn Monroe’s breathy birthday ode to President/lovah John F. Kennedy. From there, Lana jumps into the designer shoes JFK’s other leading lady, his wife Jackie. For the next several minutes, Lana channels Mrs. Kennedy, the style icon and picture of poise in her day. Rapper and director A$AP Rocky is her JFK, and together they weave a tale not of political intrigue but of family. At no point in this video do we see any signs of American flags, press conferences, State dinners, etc. Just a couple in love. By the time the inevitable conclusion rolls around – that climactic day in Dallas – we’re not so much witnessing a presidential assassination as we are a woman seeing the man she loves shot right before her eyes. Amid the glitz and glamour of the “Camelot”-era White House, it’s easy to forget the people that were involved… specifically, a woman deeply devoted to her husband. It’s beautiful portrait of love and loyalty, even in the face of tremendous difficulties. Knowing what we know now, it could not have been easy being married to ol’ Jack, but for better or worse, Jackie stood by her man, til the very (tragic) end.

 

Check out “National Anthem” below:

 

 

 

 

- Katie Marzullo, YH Staff Editor

katie@younghollywood.com