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Dark Paradise

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This article is about the Lana Del Rey single. For the Bates Motel episode, see Bates Motel (season 5).
"Dark Paradise"
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Born to Die
ReleasedMarch 1, 2013 (2013-03-01)
GenreTrip hop[1]
Length
  • 4:03 (album version)
  • 3:52 (radio version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Emile Haynie
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Ride"
(2012) 		"Dark Paradise"
(2013) 		"Young and Beautiful"
(2013)
Licensed audio
"Dark Paradise" on YouTube

"Dark Paradise" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey for her second studio album, Born to Die (2012). It was written by Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels, while production was handled by Emile Haynie. Nowels and Devrim Karaoglu produced the radio mix of the song. The song was released on March 1, 2013, by Universal and Vertigo Records, as the sixth and final single from Born to Die.

The song received mainly mixed reviews from critics, many criticizing her melodramatic performance, also with the repetition of production and lyrical content. However, many believed the attraction of the criticism proved it as a highlight. Noticeably less successful than other singles from the album, "Dark Paradise" managed to gain some commercial success in Central Europe, becoming a top five hit on Polish airplay.

Background and release

[edit]

In an interview in June 2012, Del Rey said she would not release the song as a single but did plan to release a music video in September 2012.[2] However, no music video was released, and on January 29, 2013, an official radio edit of "Dark Paradise" was serviced to German radio stations. On the same day, it was announced that the song would serve as the fifth single in Austria and Germany, and the sixth single in Switzerland.[3] It was released as a digital download in the three countries on March 1, 2013.

Lyrics and composition

[edit]

Billboard said about the song's lyrics: "Del Rey once again declares her undying love for her bad-boy lover," adding that the song's melody "recalls late-'80s Madonna".[4]

Critical reception

[edit]

The song garnered mixed reviews from critics. Most critical reviews came from the melodramatic tone of the song, along with the lyrical content and repetitive production. Billboard gave the song a negative review, saying that "fatigue sets in" when this song comes up on the album, and that the song "would be a subpar ballad for Del Rey" even if she had never released "Blue Jeans" or "Video Games".[4] Jaime Gill from BBC Music used the song as an example as why Born to Die isn't perfect, saying that "it slumps slightly towards the end, and the glossy trip-hop production grows wearying on lesser [G]othic melodramas like 'Dark Paradise'."[1] David Edwards from Drowned in Sound said along with "Carmen" that they weren't the best tracks on the album, saying, "The dreary fallen angel whimsy of 'Carmen' sums up precisely the unfocused drift that critics often use to malign her and on songs such as 'Dark Paradise', the caricature extends beyond our empathy."[5]

On the other hand, many critics believed that the criticism towards the song attracted it as a standout towards the album. Los Angeles Times named it among the best tracks on the album along with "Video Games" and "Summertime Sadness".[6] MuuMuse highlighted the album as a standout, saying "Yet beneath the song's gothic exterior lies an deeply romantic sentiment, suggesting that love trumps all circumstances—even death [...]"[7]

Rolling Stone magazine ranked it 46th in their list of 50 best Lana Del Rey songs, and said although it was the album's weakest single, the song was a "Tumblr-era earworm".[8] Similarly, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian said the melodies of "Dark Paradise" effortlessly "sweep the listener along with them."[9] Billboard said the melodies were reminiscent of Madonna's sound in the late 1980s and called the song a "subpar ballad".[10]

Track listings

[edit]

All tracks are written by Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels

CD single and digital download[11][12]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Dark Paradise" (radio mix)
  • Nowels
  • Devrim Karaoglu
3:52
2."Dark Paradise"Emile Haynie4:04
Total length:7:56

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Born to Die and Dark Paradise.[13][14]

Performance
Instruments
  • Emile Haynie – drums, keyboard
  • Devrim Karaoglu – additional synthesizer, orchestral drums
  • Rick Nowels – guitar
  • Dean Reid – pads
  • Patrick Warren – chamberlain strings
Technical and production
  • John Davis – mastering
  • Chris Galland – mixing assistant
  • Larry Gold – string arrangement, conductor
  • Emile Haynie – production (album version)
  • Devrim Karaoglu – production (radio mix)
  • Erik Madrid – mixing assistant
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Rick Nowels – co-production (album version); production (radio mix)
  • Steve Tirpak – string assistant

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 42
Germany (GfK)[16] 45
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[17] 5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 48

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[19] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[21] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Country Date Format(s) Label
Austria[22] March 1, 2013
  • CD single
  • digital download
Germany[11][23]
Switzerland[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b BBC – Music – Review of Lana Del Rey – Born to Die
  2. ^ Cotton, Fearne. "Lana Del Rey — Interview with Fearne Cotton on Radio 1 (June 21st 2012)". Radio 1. SoundCloud. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  3. ^ Lana Del Rey choisit "Dark Paradise" comme nouvel extrait de l'album "Born to Die"
  4. ^ a b OutBrain (25 January 2012). "Lana Del Rey's 'Born To Die': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Born to Die – The Paradise Edition / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound". Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  6. ^ Roberts, Randall (27 January 2012). "Album review: Lana Del Rey's 'Born to Die'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  7. ^ Lana Del Rey: Born To Die (Album Review) | MuuMuse
  8. ^ Georgi, Maya (22 March 2023). "The 50 Best Lana Del Rey Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  9. ^ Petridis, Alexis (27 January 2012). "Lana Del Rey: Born to Die – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Lana Del Rey's 'Born To Die': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Dark Paradise (2-Track)". Amazon.de. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  12. ^ "Dark Paradise". Amazon.de. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  13. ^ Born to Die (booklet). Lana Del Rey. London, England; Santa Monica, California: Polydor Records, Interscope Records. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Dark Paradise (Media notes). London, United Kingdom; Santa Monica, California: Polydor Records, Interscope Records. 2013.
  15. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Dark Paradise" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  16. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Dark Paradise" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  17. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  18. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Dark Paradise". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  19. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  20. ^ "British single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Dark Paradise". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  21. ^ "American single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Dark Paradise". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Dark Paradise (2013)". 7digital Austria. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014.
  23. ^ "Dark Paradise (2013)". 7digital Germany. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014.
  24. ^ "Dark Paradise (2013)". 7digital Switzerland. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014.
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