Lana Del Rey covers a 98-year-old standard

Lana Del Rey took over “Blue Skies » by Irving Berlin for the soundtrack of « The New Look “.

Lana Del Rey resumes “ Blue Skies ”, a 98-year-old standard by songwriter Irving Berlin.

While Ella Fitzgerald made her voice quiver with a little hope during her performance and Willie Nelson launched into country funk with his, Lana Del Rey seems restrained and distant, as if the blue sky were that of a distant horizon. In the second verse, she sounds like a gust has propelled her into the atmosphere. This emotion works, since it is able to give the song a unique depth. The best moment of the recording is when she harmonizes with herself, like in the Andrews Sisters’ version. But like the sadness of summer, it doesn’t last, and the whole sound sublimates in the last minute.

The singer recorded this song for the soundtrack of the new Apple TV+ fashion series, The New Look, which stars Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior and Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel. Del Rey’s friend and collaborator Jack Antonoff produced the soundtrack, which includes similar classics made modern by Florence Welch, The 1975, Nick Cave and Antonoff’s band Bleachers.

After working on “ Blue Skies » with Del Rey, Antonoff (who won the Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical) should consider going further in this direction. But that will have to wait, since Del Rey recently confirmed that she and Antonoff are planning a country music album, Lasso.