Song of the Week: Lana Del Rey Casts Her Spell with the Melancholic “Watercolor Eyes”
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Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Lana Del Rey’s cut from the Euphoria soundtrack captures all the glitter and drama of the hit television show.
HBO’s Euphoria is a lot of things — trendy, absurd, moving, disturbing, a cinematography dream — but, above all, it is the moment. In an era often dominated by binge-watching, it’s a rarity to see people dutifully tune into new episodes of a show on a weekly basis for fear of missing out on the social conversation. Season 2 of the addiction drama seems just as strong (if not stronger) on that front. Sunday evening trending topics have been stacked with conversations around Maddy’s looks, Cassie’s antics, Nate’s villainy, and Zendaya supremacy.
If there’s one thing Euphoria really loves, it’s a dreamy, perfectly-lit sequence. Somehow, it doesn’t really get old to see these troubled characters draped in just the right mix of blues, reds, and purples, backed by a perfect needledrop. Lana Del Rey‘s latest, a classically moody track entitled “Watercolor Eyes,” is a perfect fit for a show centered on sex, drugs, and theatrics. If there’s one thing Lana understands, it’s melodrama. It’s baked into her. She can’t help herself.
While “Watercolor Eyes” would fit right into any project from Miss Del Rey, it arrives with the announcement of the Euphoria Season 2 soundtrack. Labrinth’s viral Season 1 collection was exceptional, and the star power involved with the chaotic queen that is Lana Del Rey promises plenty of drama both on the screen and in the music.
“Young love don’t always last forever,” she laments on “Watercolor Eyes.” Who are you talking about here, Lana? Jules and Rue? You and John F. Kennedy? Either way, we’re happy.
— Mary Siroky
Contributing Editor
Honorable Mentions:
Griff, Sigrid – “Head On Fire”
Fresh off being named one of our 15 Rising Artists to Watch in 2022, UK artist Griff has joined forces with pop singer Sigrid for “Head on Fire,” and the resulting jam strikes the delicate balance between universal and personal. Both singers describe an agitation from a relationship, and rather than be bogged down by the negativity, they unite together to form an energetic and passionate project. As the drums pound and their harmonies soar, you get the sense that this is their collective attempt to shake out these feelings and reclaim their power. And when each vocalist hits their high, they’re both untouchable. — Paolo Ragusa
Purple Disco Machine, Sophie And The Giants – “In The Dark”
Purple Disco Machine’s new track with Sophie and the Giants “In The Dark” beckons you to the dancefloor like no other. With a mix that calls to mind Bloghouse, ’80s disco, and Madonna’s 2006 album Confessions On The Dancefloor, “In The Dark” is a cathartic banger, dripping in sweat and oozing with class. Sophie’s exuberant vocal performance is diva worthy, and the song’s signature synth bassline is a pure shot of serotonin. If you’re looking for a dance track with notes of every era of disco, “In The Dark” is a perfect place to start. — P.R.
Conan Gray – “Jigsaw”
Young love and desire have always been a confounding puzzle in much of Conan Gray’s music, but he’s the one broken into pieces on his latest single “Jigsaw.” “All I did just to make you happy/ Still you don’t even fuckin’ love me/ Jigsaw, jigsaw/ Killing parts of me to fit you/ Clear as shit I was not the issue/ And if I made you like me/ Would I even like myself?/ Pointing out my flaws doesn’t help,” he groans in a moment of clarity on the bridge before being overwhelmed once again by the rock-tinged anthem’s roaring chorus. — Glenn Rowley
Lilyisthatyou – “Purity”
Beneath the “be aggressive, be, be aggressive!” pep of a cheerleader chant, Lilyisthatyou has a message for all the fuckboys out there: “Sex is a weapon, I’m not your possession.” On her latest single, the rising star eschews winking subtlety in favor of an unabashed, unapologetic embrace of her own sexuality. While Britney was cooing “oh, baby, baby, how was I supposed to know?” in a Catholic schoolgirl uniform 24 years ago, the pop star otherwise known as Lily Davies knows precisely what she’s doing today, and she’s calling all the shots. — G.R.
Teddy Swims – “Love For A Minute”
As the title of his new single would suggest, Teddy Swims was in love… but not for long. The tattooed crooner lets his dynamic voice shine on the highlight from his latest EP, Tough Love. “Oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’/ It felt like love for a minute/ Then, you fucked up, yeah you did it/ I’ll never fool myself again/ Why did I end up fallin’ for you?” he sings on the kiss-off of a chorus that’s sure to get stuck in the head of every ex-lover and new fan. — G.R.
Lizzy McAlpine – “all my ghosts”
Lizzy McAlpine is haunted on “All My Ghosts.” While her new relationship is thriving on free Slurpees and the glow of fluorescent lighting, the singer-songwriter can’t shake the feeling her ghosts are hiding just around the next corner. Meanwhile, the track’s sweet, cinematic music video adds another chapter to McAlpine’s short film in the making, following earlier entries “erase me” and “doomsday.” — G.R.
Papooz – “Hell of a Woman”
Artists sometimes like to try on throwback aesthetics like thrift store sweaters — Papooz, a duo out of Paris, instead feel like they were born into it. Their latest, “Hell of a Woman,” is a warm and vaguely psychedelic track that wears the 1970s sound with ease. Something likable about Papooz is their insistence that their strain of indie-folk-rock doesn’t have to be stuffy. They instead seem so inviting, so joyful, that it’s hard not to want to join their two-person party. — M.S.
LÉON – “Wishful Thinking”
Swedish singer LÉON has a knack for crafting tracks that feel like they’re falling into a daydream. “Wishful Thinking,” an easy, balletic mid-tempo, is the latest in her repertoire to pull off that feat. Overall, LÉON offers songs that are perfect for playlists titled things like “morning coffee” or “lazy afternoon,” and “Wishful Thinking” (which has arrived with her EP of the same name) is no exception. “Here’s to the end, and to new beginnings,” she says on the chorus, a simple but concise premise for a golden and glittering song. — M.S.
Proper. – “Milk and Honey”
Brooklyn indie rock band Proper. exploded onto the scene with 2019’s I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better, an album full of punky spirit that nodded to their emo forebears. On “Milk and Honey,” a single from the band’s forthcoming album The Great American Novel, Proper. mellow things out a bit, offering an apt introduction to their “queer, Black Holden Caulfield-type” protagonist.
Inspired by vocalist/guitarist Erik Garlington’s experience growing up in America’s Bible Belt, “Milk and Honey” references his disillusionment with the orthodox path his parents outlined for him. The song’s lyrics reckon with the bittersweet feeling of wanting to do right by your family, while knowing there’s more for you out there: “But why settle for just milk and honey when there’s caviar, avocadoes, and clotted cream?” –– Abby Jones
Top Songs Playlist:
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Song of the Week: Lana Del Rey Casts Her Spell with the Melancholic “Watercolor Eyes”
Mary Siroky and Consequence Staff
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