After Years Of Homages To Elvis, Lana Del Rey Isn't A Part Of "Priscilla," And The Fans Are Not Happy
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I have bad news. Lana Del Rey isn't featured on the soundtrack for the new movie Priscilla.
In an interview with E! News, the film's director, Sofia Coppola, noted she "got a lot of requisitions about how [Lana] could be part of the movie" based on the life of Priscilla Presley, and she explained why it didn't happen.
The news that 38-year-old Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, one of my favorite tragically romantic singers, was so close to being a part of a film by one of my favorite tragically romantic directors breaks my heart — and I'm not alone. The fans are perturbed.
Let me explain why Lana was perfect for Priscilla. First, let's talk about how Lana's entire persona feels like an homage to Priscilla's lifelong career.
The "Summertime Sadness" singer is known for her cinematic and melancholic music and a vintage Hollywood aesthetic straight out of the '60s.
Her voice is made for soundtracks. I'm still processing my emotions from listening to the otherworldly song "Young and Beautiful" from Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby or her haunting rendition of "Once Upon a Dream" for Maleficent.
Honestly, no shade to Cailee Spaeny (who played Priscilla in the film), but Lana could've been a fair option for the role. In 2013, Lana wrote and starred in her own short film, Tropico, which included an Elvis impersonator.
The film included a fake Jesus, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne as God, so you have to check it out for yourself.
If becoming Priscilla wasn't in the cards for Lana, she certainly referenced the King of Rock 'n' Roll in her music. In "Body Electric" from her third EP, Paradise, she literally says, "Elvis is my daddy," so her presence made sense somewhere in the film's atmosphere.
In her song "Million Dollar Man," she references the famous "One for the money and two for the show" line from the beginning of his hit version of "Blue Suede Shoes."
In 2008, she had a song called "Elvis" for the documentary The King, including the lyrics, "Elvis, where are you when I need you most?"
The connection is almost too obvious.
Now, let's examine why Sofia Coppola's aesthetic is perfect for Lana's music. Sofia first impressed us with her directorial debut of the controversial novel The Virgin Suicides, a book that feels like it lives on Lana's bedside table.
In 2006, the 52-year-old filmmaker blessed us with the award-winning fashions of the 2006 new wave/post-punk Marie Antoinette. And the Academy Award-winning Lost in Translation felt like a Lana music video.
And to top it all off, the actual Priscilla Presley recently confirmed that she is, in fact, a Lana Del Rey fan.
In the E! News interview, Sofia claimed that she hoped Lana could at least do a song for the film, but "it didn't work out with the timing." The pressure was so heavy that the director claimed she even invited Lana to the film's premiere but said she couldn't make it.
Lana's entire music catalog and wardrobe was the perfect setup to be featured on a soundtrack for Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, and we, the fandom, have feelings about it.
I'm not the only one upset about the perfect music collaboration that never was:
So she has time for a waffle house shift, random collabs, but not for one song for the movie?
— Rahul Kushwah (@kannykrush) November 3, 2023
Lana Del Rey denying to write a song for the Priscilla Presley movie should be considered a hate crime
— The Cult Of Del Rey (@CinamonSluh) November 3, 2023
Considering Lana’s entire persona is basically Priscilla, this is disappointing
— Faith (@fxvkingfaith) November 3, 2023
Lana immunizing herself against commercial success is my roman empire
— K | hump then fall era (@keybrackson) November 4, 2023
sofia coppola asked lana to record a song for the priscilla movie but "it didn't work out in time" the reason better not be bc lana was pretending to be a waitress in some backwoods diner pic.twitter.com/kzGwD3HnCe
— fab (@fabbgrat) November 3, 2023
the way she would’ve fit perfectly and maybe got an oscar… she fumbled the bag
— Madboy (@takecarehours) November 3, 2023
I feel like Lana would’ve made a fire song for the movie
— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) November 3, 2023
Although I'm bummed — not too much on Lana. It's a missed opportunity, but her music is still fire.
