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Chemtrails over the Country Club (song)

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"Chemtrails over the Country Club"
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Chemtrails over the Country Club
ReleasedJanuary 11, 2021 (2021-01-11)
Length4:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Jack Antonoff
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Let Me Love You like a Woman"
(2020) 		"Chemtrails over the Country Club"
(2021) 		"White Dress"
(2021)
Music video
"Chemtrails over the Country Club" on YouTube

"Chemtrails over the Country Club" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on January 11, 2021, by Interscope Records and Polydor Records as the title track and second single from her seventh studio album of the same name.[1][2][3] The song was written and produced by Del Rey and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff.[4][5][6]

In a September 2020 interview with Interview magazine, Del Rey stated she chose "Chemtrails over the Country Club" as the title track of the album because the lyrics pertain to her "stunning girlfriends" and "beautiful siblings" ("who so much of the album is about"), also mentioning "wanting so much to be normal and realizing that when you have an overactive, eccentric mind, a record like Chemtrails is just what you're going to get."[4][5][7]

Background

[edit]

On August 31, 2019, the release day of her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Del Rey announced she had already begun work on another album. On May 25, 2020, she announced in an Instagram post that the album would be titled Chemtrails over the Country Club.[8][9] The album was initially scheduled to be released on September 5, 2020,[8] but she later revealed that the release had been postponed to March 19, 2021,[10] largely due to vinyl production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][12]

On September 1, 2020, Del Rey posted a video on Instagram of her on set filming a music video. In the video, she announced that the music video would be for the title track and second single from the album, "Chemtrails over the Country Club", and stated another song she had been working on, "Let Me Love You like a Woman", would be released as the lead single from the album, before "Chemtrails over the Country Club" would be released.[13][14][15] ("Let Me Love You Like a Woman" was released on October 16, 2020.) On December 22, Del Rey posted a video on social media featuring scenes from the music video and announced that "Chemtrails over the Country Club" and its accompanying music video would be released on January 11, 2021, the same day the album would become available for pre-order.[2][16][17]

Critical reception

[edit]

"Chemtrails over the Country Club" received generally favorable reviews. In a review for NME, Rhian Daly described the song as "swooning" and "beautiful".[2] In two articles covering the song for Vulture, Justin Curto described the song as "one of [Del Rey's] classic dreamy love songs" and "more interesting than the middle-of-the-road lead single 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman'" but not "any more substantive", noting how Del Rey "sways and lilts through the delicate rhythm, eventually finding her way toward a glitchy bridge" but suggesting that lyrically she is "only speaking for herself" and "doesn't have much profound to say".[5][10] Tom Curtis-Horsfall of GigList opined that "Where Norman Fucking Rockwell! sounded like a dying bugle call for the American Dream, 'Chemtrails over the Country Club' feels like Del Rey now wants to desperately clutch on to that forgotten world of innocence, suburbia, and naivety".[18]

In a review of Chemtrails over the Country Club for Pitchfork, assigning the album a rating of 7.5 out of 10, Mina Takavoli described the song as "a ballad drawn directly from the Lana Del Rey vein, all honey sun, moneyed smiles, the pleasure of living lavishly." Takavoli commented on the title of the song and its subversive lyrical themes, stating "whether meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a joke, or not one at all" ("whether or not she actually believes in covert geoengineering is entirely irrelevant"), "the title's flawless alignment with the mood and mien of that moment—the conspiracy-mindedness, the radiant gloom, the fragility, and the suggestion of the type of person associated with the words 'country club'—was an act of poetry. It was remarkable to hear the bard of white American malaise suggest which delusion was gripping the nation."[19]

Music video

[edit]

The music video for "Chemtrails over the Country Club" was released on YouTube alongside the song on January 11, 2021.[1][16][20] It was directed by American film production duo BRTHR.[21][22] In a review of Chemtrails over the Country Club for Pitchfork, Mina Takavoli described the music video as "Lana in a diamanté mesh mask, looking a little like Hedy Lamarr in low fidelity, glancing sweetly from the driver’s seat of a mid-century Mercedes-Benz Cabriolet", while "chemtrails dart overhead in crosshatch as Lana stares up with widened eyes."[19]

The music video, which utilizes a visual style and setting reminiscent of 1960s Americana, begins, as Claire Shaffer of Rolling Stone describes, as "a stereotypical Lana Del Rey video", cutting between scenes of Del Rey driving a red 1930s Mercedes-Benz 500K convertible (actually a replica made by Heritage Motors in 1990),[23] lounging with friends at a country club pool with "chemtrails" in the sky above them, putting on jewelry.[2][20][24] Around halfway through the music video, the song, as Justin Curto of Vulture describes, fades into "a glitchy bridge",[5] the video's aspect ratio changes, and the video quickly cuts between scenes of lemons being squeezed or bitten and Del Rey driving her car into a tornado,[2] concluding at a scene depicting Del Rey and her friends, in a forest at night, as werewolves.[5][20][24] Del Rey, her friends, and a wolf stand beside the car shown in the beginning of music video, which is engulfed in flames.[24] The song begins to fade back in, as the video cuts between scenes of Del Rey in the shower, taking off her jewelry and washing blood off of herself, while a dead bird lies near her foot.[25] The music video ends in a scene showing her friends, still presented as werewolves, going back to their homes and getting into bed.

Since its release, the music video has accumulated over 33 million views on YouTube.

Personnel

[edit]
Jack Antonoff co-wrote, co-produced and played various instruments on the track.

Credits adapted from Tidal.[26]

  • Lana Del Rey – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Jack Antonoff – songwriter, producer, 12-string acoustic guitar, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, Mellotron, piano, mixer
  • Daniel Heath – strings
  • Evan Smith – horn
  • Laura Sisk – engineer, mixer
  • John Rooney – assistant recording engineer
  • Jon Sher – assistant recording engineer
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Chemtrails over the Country Club"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[27] 5
Global 200 (Billboard)[28] 154
Greece (IFPI)[29] 10
Hungary (Single Top 40)[30] 21
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 44
Lithuania (AGATA)[32] 8
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[33] 17
Portugal (AFP)[34] 130
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[35] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 94
UK Singles (OCC)[37] 58
US Hot Alternative Songs (Billboard)[38] 15
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[39] 15

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications and sales for "Chemtrails over the Country Club"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[41] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[42] Platinum 50,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[43] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various January 11, 2021
[45]
Italy January 22, 2021 Contemporary hit radio Universal [46]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Minsker, Evan (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Shares Video for New Song "Chemtrails Over the Country Club"". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Daly, Rhian (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey shares beautiful new song 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club'". NME. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Reveals Cover, Tracklist for 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Who is Lana Del Rey?". Interview. September 8, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Curto, Justin (January 11, 2021). "Moving Past That Cover, Lana Drops 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club,' the Song". Vulture. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  6. ^ Haresnape, Kate (January 14, 2021). "Lana Del Rey reveals new album 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club' details". God Is In The TV. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Matozzo, Marissa (September 9, 2020). "Where Is Lana Del Rey's 'Chemtrails?'". Paper. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Moore, Sam (May 26, 2020). "Lana Del Rey announces 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club' as her new album title". NME. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Deville, Chris (May 25, 2020). "Lana Del Rey Talks FKA Twigs, Marianne Williamson, & New Album 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club' In Latest Self-Defense". Stereogum. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Curto, Justin (January 15, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Is Only Speaking for Herself Now". Vulture. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Mamo, Heran (November 4, 2020). "Lana Del Rey Pushes Back 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club,' Promises Another Album by Christmas". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (November 4, 2020). "Lana Del Rey delays new album, curses out fan who implies she voted for Trump". The Fader. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  13. ^ Helman, Peter (September 1, 2020). "Lana Del Rey Gives Update On New Album Chemtrails Over The Country Club". Stereogum. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Lana Del Rey Shares Update on New Album 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club'". Spin. September 1, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  15. ^ Waite, Thom (October 15, 2020). "Lana Del Rey releases new song, 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman'". Dazed. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Aniftos, Rania (December 22, 2020). "Lana Del Rey Announces 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club' Video Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  17. ^ Darville, Jordan (December 22, 2020). "Lana Del Rey shares new trailer for Chemtrails Over The Country Club". The Fader. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  18. ^ Curtis-Horsfall, Tom (January 28, 2021). "In Review: Lana Del Rey - 'Chemtrails over the Country Club'". GigList. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Takavoli, Mina (March 19, 2021). "Lana Del Rey: Chemtrails Over the Country Club". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c Shaffer, Claire (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Drops Animalistic Music Video for 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  21. ^ "Lana Del Rey - "Chemtrails Over The Country Club"". BRTHR. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  22. ^ Rettig, James (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey - "Chemtrails Over The Country Club"". Stereogum. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  23. ^ Munzenrieder, Kyle (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey's New Video Addresses Her Controversies With Aesthetics". W Magazine. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  24. ^ a b c Mamo, Heran (January 11, 2021). "Lana Del Rey Indulges in Whimsically Wicked Transformation in 'Chemtrails Over the Country Club' Video". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  25. ^ Ngo, Andrew (January 25, 2021). "Despite controversy, Lana Del Rey's latest music video breaks through with mystique and flair". The Accolade. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  26. ^ "Lana Del Rey / Chemtrails over the Country Club / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  27. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  28. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History - Global 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  29. ^ "IFPI Charts — Digital Singles Chart (International) — Week 2/2021". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  30. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  32. ^ "2021 3-os SAVAITĖS (sausio 15-21 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. January 22, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  33. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  34. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  35. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 3". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  36. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  37. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  38. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  39. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  40. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  41. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails over the Country Club" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  42. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 31, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Chemtrails over the Country Club in the search box.
  43. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails over the Country Club". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  44. ^ "British single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails over the Country Club". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  45. ^ https://open.spotify.com/album/5p5cFBRERDfiNJlfABACP0
    https://www.deezer.com/en/album/198978482 Archived January 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
  46. ^ "LANA DEL REY "Chemtrails over the Country Club" | (Radio Date: 22/01/2021)".
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