As the coronavirus pandemic rages on and the fate of the free world hangs in the balance, Lana Del Rey has revealed that she is preparing a special gift for us, just in time for Christmas. Broadcasting live on Instagram from a Denny’s (taste!), the auteur behind 2019’s stellar Norman Fucking Rockwell! announced that she would be releasing an album of “American standards and classics” later this year, to come before the long-anticipated Chemtrails Over the Country Club.
“I have so many things to say to you,” Lana told her fans mysteriously, musing that she should perhaps be making a proper, more formal announcement, but deciding to press on with the news regardless.
“Chemtrails Over the Country Club, right? “Sixteen week delay on the vinyl process,” she explains. “Because I can’t get the record plants to open until March 5.” The album, which was originally set to come out in September 2020, had already been pushed by a few months due to COVID-related delays.
Now, instead of either of the previously projected release dates (we were looking at an arrival on either 10 December or January), Chemtrails definitely won’t be reaching us until spring 2021 at the earliest. Curse you, Miss Rona!
But all hope is not lost. “In the meantime, I’m going to give you a digital record of American standards and classics for Christmas,” she offered, sipping her coffee. “So there’s that.” A covers album by the queen of melancholic Americana you say? There may be hope for this year yet.