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Lana Del Rey · S5 E3
Cherry
A$AP Rocky, the relationship, and the songs it inspired
2012. A$AP Rocky tells Complex magazine he has a crush on a singer he found online. By 2017, that crush has turned into three songs on Lust for Life, a public relationship, and one of the rawest breakup tracks of Lana Del Rey's career.
"L$D" (A$AP Rocky, 2015). Rocky's most psychedelic, cinematic music video, and the clearest window into why he and Lana were drawn to each other. The dreamy, saturated visuals could sit inside any Lana Del Rey project without anyone blinking. Two artists who see the world through the same hazy filter.
The Crush That Became Collaborations
A$AP Rocky appears on two Lust for Life tracks: the hazy devotion of "Groupie Love" and the party-fog of "Summer Bummer." But it's "Cherry," a track where Rocky doesn't appear at all, that tells the real story. Lana wrote it about jealousy and heartbreak so raw that fans immediately connected it to their relationship.
Sources
The Fader
Pitchfork
NME
TAP TO REVEAL: How many unreleased Lana and Rocky tracks exist?
“I first had a crush on her from seeing her on the internet. I fell in love with her voice the first time I heard it. I think it was 'Blue Jeans.'”
— A$AP Rocky on Lana Del Rey, Complex, 2012
L$D, A$AP Rocky (2015)
Rocky's most left-field single strips away the hard-hitting beats he's known for and replaces them with swirling psychedelic guitars, Tame Impala-influenced synths, and a vocal that's more sung than rapped. The production by Jim Jonsin and FNZ creates a sound world that's closer to Lana's Honeymoon than to anything on Rocky's previous work. Listen for how the mix drowns Rocky's voice in reverb until it becomes another texture, not a centerpiece. This is the song that proves these two artists were always destined to find each other.
Sources
Pitchfork
Rolling Stone
Cherry
"Cherry" is the Lust for Life track that sounds nothing like the rest of the album. Where everything else reaches outward, "Cherry" turns inward: a jealous, aching confession over acoustic guitar and strings. Lana's voice cracks in places she'd normally smooth over. It's the sound of someone too hurt to perform.
Sources
Pitchfork
The Guardian
Lana x Rocky
Groupie Love ft. A$AP Rocky, Lana Del Rey
From Lust for Life (2017). If "Cherry" is the pain of loving Rocky, "Groupie Love" is the sweetness. The two trade verses over a hazy, romantic production, and Rocky's delivery is softer than anything he'd put on his own albums. For three and a half minutes, the relationship sounds like it's working perfectly.
Groupie Love ft. A$AP Rocky, Lana Del Rey (2017)
"I'm a groupie, I'm a groupie for you" Lana sings, flipping the word from something dismissive into something devotional. The lyrics treat fandom and love as the same feeling, which is exactly how Lana's own fans experience her music.
How many songs does A$AP Rocky appear on across Lana's entire discography?
The relationships and collaborations filled Lust for Life with warmth. But Lana is also watching the news, and she's scared. Next: a song written at Coachella about nuclear war, and the moment Lana Del Rey gets political for the first time.
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