Ultraviolence
by Lana Del Rey
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 2264 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,028 out of 2264
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 2264
  3. Negative: 184 out of 2264
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  1. AA2
    Jun 17, 2014
    10
    This album is one of those albums that are/must be considered a masterpiece (like Madonna's Like A Prayer). It's like a fairytale. Lana takes us to a different time. The songs are emotional and beautifully composed with dark tunes -- "Lana Del Rey style". They are actual poems by Lana Del Rey turned into songs. Her voice is seductive and sad at the same time. Something about this albumThis album is one of those albums that are/must be considered a masterpiece (like Madonna's Like A Prayer). It's like a fairytale. Lana takes us to a different time. The songs are emotional and beautifully composed with dark tunes -- "Lana Del Rey style". They are actual poems by Lana Del Rey turned into songs. Her voice is seductive and sad at the same time. Something about this album makes you feel like waking up after a good dream. During he day you'll ask yourself "was I dreaming or was it reality".… Expand
  2. lucas24
    Sep 19, 2014
    10
    Um dos melhores albums de 2014. Suave e agressivo ao mesmo tempo, Lana abusa de sua brilhante criatividade criando mais uma maravilha para os ouvidos.
  3. traviol
    Mar 7, 2015
    10
    Seriously, this is one of the best albums she has ever recorded. The dark theme with a west coast sense suit each other perfectly. Her voice makes it sound more richer. This album could be considered as the best album of 2014 and a masterpiece. It exactly shows us who she really is. Great work.
  4. paypalkia
    Jul 22, 2014
    10
    I can't believe how perfect this album is. Lana Del Rey, you are my goddess, and Ultraviolence has changed my life forever. From the booming sounds in the background of Cruel World, to the heartbreaking vocals of Pretty When You Cry, to the beautiful shade of F*cked My Way Up To The Top, to the remastered beauty of Black Beauty, and to the odd shine of Florida Kilos, this album has won myI can't believe how perfect this album is. Lana Del Rey, you are my goddess, and Ultraviolence has changed my life forever. From the booming sounds in the background of Cruel World, to the heartbreaking vocals of Pretty When You Cry, to the beautiful shade of F*cked My Way Up To The Top, to the remastered beauty of Black Beauty, and to the odd shine of Florida Kilos, this album has won my heart. A perfectly cohesive album that screams it's title. It's dark, depressing, beautiful, and perfectly crafted. Sure, she may have lost some fans by throwing away the hip-hop beats of Born to Die, but that was never her true passion. She has gained and found her true fans in those who support this music. A hazy, smoky, old feel brought on by raw drums, guitars, bass, and slight distortion. Her voice brings all the instruments to life, it seems, and brings the viewers to life into an adventure made by her. A sad adventure, but a beautifully told adventure by the greatest storyteller "pop" music has today: Lana Del Rey. She may not be played on the radio, but she is quite the pop star. A popular star that doesn't have radio play, or even wants/needs it, because her music speaks louder than the radio's overdose of "it gets better" songs. She writes not to influence, but to release. She writes not for us, but for herself. Her devotion to this truly brings out the beauty of her music. Not everyone will like it, but that's okay, as long as she's happy doing what she's doing. Lana Del Rey has perfected her craft, created a dark masterpiece, and I can't wait to see what she will do next. For now, I'll be playing this endlessly.… Expand
  5. valgreen
    Feb 5, 2015
    10
    Can't find the right words to describe this album because it's so **** good. It's amazing, really. You feel like floating in the sky in each song. Just so good. THIS should be nominated to the Grammys, and even winning. Sad that it isn't. But still, the best alternative album of 2014.
  6. Scraper
    May 27, 2016
    10
    It's an undeniably soulful throwback with echoing bravado that transcends any of boring bullsh it you read in the newspaper today. A perfect ten from a naturally born skeptic.
  7. diofelicciano
    Dec 16, 2014
    8
    If this album could be described in only two words, I would describe as "depressingly amazing". Lana's sophomore album is denser than its predecessor, deeper too. You can feel her pain and desires just like you were on her skin. And that's great!
    "West Coast", "Cruel World", "Brooklyn Baby", "Florida Kilos" , "Sad Girl" and the title-track are the best moments.
  8. jotaeseche
    Jul 29, 2014
    8
    If the first Lana's try was a mixture of genres, styles and movements, this second strike appears more realistic, more steady, more mature. Which of them is better? I think it's up to the listener. What's objective now is the ability the artist has to re-invent herself and keep on moving while still being the same. Admirable.
  9. OsianLewisBlog
    Aug 23, 2014
    7
    http://osianlewis.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/lana-del-rey-ultraviolence-review.html

    Read my Review 'Lana Del Rey 'Ultraviolence Review: The Emotional Landscape of a Tortured Soul.'

    7.5/10
  10. nasosli
    Dec 27, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lana takes it in an different level. Am I the only that thinks that Lana del Rey is the QUEEN IF ALTERNATIVE. Amazing. New sounds and......amazing. Congrats!!!!!!!… Expand
  11. Adson
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    Live this fantasy! Del Rey used her total emotion in this album. "West Coast" is psychedelic and made me fly. The choices of singles was awesome and in my fav's top 5, I have: 1 - West Coast, 2 - Ultraviolence, 3 Shades of Cool, 4 - Pretty When You Cry and 5 - Money Power Glory.
  12. NathanCabello
    Dec 16, 2014
    7
    Worst album of Lana, this really causes me sleep, the songs appear to be identical and are too few who are saved, I hope it improves a lot in the next album.
    Highlights: Florida Kilos and Ultraviolence
    Lows: Sad Girl and Black Beauty
  13. MCRR
    Jan 25, 2015
    7
    A moody, sultry, sexy, luscious offering from Del Rey. The album is a touch somber, but in a 'oh-so-good' way. The dark and seductive vibe just pulls you right in. One can try and resist, but the sheer magnetism of Del Rey's beautiful charms is simply irresistible.
  14. ramonmarquezine
    Sep 18, 2015
    10
    Ultraviolence is by far the personal life of Lana expressed in lyrics. Great sound, genius lyrics and incredible instrumentals (the guitar solo was so perfect in "Shades Of Cool"). Now, with the ''Honeymoon'', Lana keeps your essence!
  15. adhamhany
    Aug 7, 2014
    9
    This is, to a degree, a different kind of music than what we heard in her last studio album. Here, it's more diverse, though most of them create the same atmosphere. The vocals are quite enchanting, thanks in no small part to Lana's voice, which is just as beautiful, sad, and eerie as it has always been.

    While these things contribute to making this the great album that it is, the lyrics    This is, to a degree, a different kind of music than what we heard in her last studio album. Here, it's more diverse, though most of them create the same atmosphere. The vocals are quite enchanting, thanks in no small part to Lana's voice, which is just as beautiful, sad, and eerie as it has always been.

    While these things contribute to making this the great album that it is, the lyrics are what truly elevate it. Full of melancholy, reflection, and nostalgia. An album about broken people, love, happiness, the America of decades ago, and the women who inhabited it.

    Perhaps my only problem with this album is how it - sometimes - felt repetitive.

    Deciding what my favorite tracks in this album are is a bit meaningless. There's too many of them. Besides, the album is best experienced as a whole. Also, try to get the deluxe edition; it has four bonus tracks, two of which are pretty great, and the other two are still worth it.

    I liked Born to Die when i heard it a year or two ago, and became very excited for her career and what she might have in store for us. With Dan Auerbach as producer, this album exceeded it's predecessor in more ways than one. I'm still as excited as i previously was, and i hope she gets to create more wonderful work.    … Expand
  16. Rumblefish
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    I was a big fan of the first album "Born to Die" but Ultraviolence tops it. There is a uniqueness to what Lana Del Rey is producing. Her voice, phrasing and general sound are all individual. She sounds incredibly organic and authentic (an irony considering she has been labelled as "manufactured"). The subject matter of the songs themselves are interesting and engaging. It's not oftenI was a big fan of the first album "Born to Die" but Ultraviolence tops it. There is a uniqueness to what Lana Del Rey is producing. Her voice, phrasing and general sound are all individual. She sounds incredibly organic and authentic (an irony considering she has been labelled as "manufactured"). The subject matter of the songs themselves are interesting and engaging. It's not often that a collection of songs (as in the first album) written purely from a woman's perspective, can be so enticing as to draw the ear of a male audience, but Del Rey achieves this - no-one is safe from the allure of her voice!

    This second album is well-paced, reminiscent and even more damaged than the first. There is a sadness pervading through the songs, a rueful resignation or poor choices made and lives taking unfavourable paths. There's also a dignity and a defiance. A heroic trashiness if you will.

    This is an outstanding collection of tracks, never pandering to the radio crowd. When one looks at the other female icons of the day (GaGa, Beyonce, Shakira, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, etc) and the shallowness and vacuity of what they produce, it becomes clearer that Lana Del Rey is the only one flying the flag for true female artists these days. She deserves all the credit in the world for this and for the affecting experience of listening to her music.    … Expand
  17. jrodfilms
    Sep 7, 2014
    7
    a dark album that stays consistent with its theme. the title track and lead single 'west coast' and definitely favorite tracks. however, i did find the later part of the album to be filler. brooklyn baby sounds a bit like summertime sadness.
  18. TVKing
    Aug 3, 2014
    10
    One of her best albums, with charming compositions and more use of her own genre without going to a rap base but a kind of indie dreampop one, using the escense of a shading background of shattered memories and a the feeling of she's giving her own nature to the listener.
  19. KCOTAKU
    Aug 10, 2014
    10
    If I could score this album a 12 I would, I do have to say 1st of all I am a huge fan of Del Rey's other albums Born To Die & Paradise. Ultraviolence is unlike something I have ever heard before, it's nostalgic sounding but yet it feels so fresh. Every tack is unique in it's own way. In my opinion Ultraviolence is 100% the album of the year. I love every tack off the album but these are myIf I could score this album a 12 I would, I do have to say 1st of all I am a huge fan of Del Rey's other albums Born To Die & Paradise. Ultraviolence is unlike something I have ever heard before, it's nostalgic sounding but yet it feels so fresh. Every tack is unique in it's own way. In my opinion Ultraviolence is 100% the album of the year. I love every tack off the album but these are my four favorites: Old Money, Money Power, Glory, Black Beauty & Brooklyn Baby.… Expand
  20. foucauldian
    Aug 22, 2014
    10
    It is a masterpiece, something to be hailed and beatified in the musical halls of time. 'FMWUTTT' and 'Brooklyn Baby' have godly production. The themes and lyrics expressed with in this album evince the sheer power and talent Lana Del Rey has.
  21. PinkFriday
    Sep 6, 2014
    8
    Não admiro muito esse estilo de música, mas com Lana é diferente. Ultraviolence é um álbum brilhante, principalmente na parte da letras, que são bem profundas. Apesar de algumas músicas serem muito grandes e algumas faixas cheguem a dar um pouco de sono, Lana mostra que não é só mais uma, e está na indústria musical para ficar.
  22. leandroblows
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    A melhor viagem do universo, ser levado da costa oeste até o Brooklyn em um Chevy Malibu pra depois ser tragado para um lugar ainda mais obscuro e belo, a alma da Lana. O melhor disco de 2014 sem dúvida, valeu a pena acabar com minhas unhas de tanto esperar.
  23. framaz72
    Sep 27, 2014
    8
    Ultraviolence is, again, a musical chef-d'oeuvre. Lana has grown out of her pop sonorities to a more jazzy rock sound. She has kept the slowed, melancholic type that is her musical identity. Ultraviolence is about friends, love, drugs, loneliness, drugs again, money and fame. Lana has taken a risk when changing her style but we can still hear and feel her soul crying and praying for someUltraviolence is, again, a musical chef-d'oeuvre. Lana has grown out of her pop sonorities to a more jazzy rock sound. She has kept the slowed, melancholic type that is her musical identity. Ultraviolence is about friends, love, drugs, loneliness, drugs again, money and fame. Lana has taken a risk when changing her style but we can still hear and feel her soul crying and praying for some kind of release. Much darker than Born to Die, Ultraviolence contains a re-adaptation of the unreleased song Methamphetamines, Old Money as well as the final version of Black Beauty, the demo having leaked months before. Florida Kilos is part of the highlights of the album, final track of the deluxe edition it is the only cheerful/dancing songon the album. Guns and Roses and Money, Power, Glory seem not worked enough, but the album in his whole is a must-have jewel.… Expand
  24. Blakebcb123
    Jun 11, 2015
    10
    THIS is music. Beautiful. Claps for Dan Auerbach.

    Best Tracks: "Cruel World" "Ultraviolence" "Shades of Cool" "Old Money" "Black Beauty"
    Worst Track: "Guns N Roses"
  25. theBEAT
    Oct 13, 2014
    9
    Lana Del Rey's sophomore album Ultraviolence guides the listener through a dark path of 60's/70's americana in tragic LDR fashion exploring the sexy yet mysterious allure of the pop chanteuse. A violently cinematic listen.
    BEST TRACKS: Cruel World, Brooklyn Baby, West Coast, Money Power Glory
  26. koothrappali
    Sep 15, 2015
    10
    Esse é o melhor e mais bem feito trabalho da Lana. Aquele que não te cansa logo na primeira música. Diferente de seu antecessor, o entediante Born To Die, esse álbum vem, de alguma maneira, menos comercial/mainstream e trazendo as melhores músicas de sua carreira. Todas as músicas tem ótimas letras e produções, sem falar em sua bela sonoridade que faz desse álbum único no gênero. Um dosEsse é o melhor e mais bem feito trabalho da Lana. Aquele que não te cansa logo na primeira música. Diferente de seu antecessor, o entediante Born To Die, esse álbum vem, de alguma maneira, menos comercial/mainstream e trazendo as melhores músicas de sua carreira. Todas as músicas tem ótimas letras e produções, sem falar em sua bela sonoridade que faz desse álbum único no gênero. Um dos melhores álbuns rock-alternative de 2014 e com certeza o melhor do ano. As melhores músicas levando em consideração letra e melodia são Cruel World, Shades of Cool, Brooklyn Baby, Old Money, Black Beauty, o MARAVILHOSO cover de The Other Woman e a comercial, mas não menos melhor West Coast.… Expand
  27. LoveMeHarder
    Dec 24, 2014
    9
    Ultraviolence is a very remarkable, cohesive body of work. It may not have the most upbeat and exciting tracks, but it sets a perfect, dark atmosphere. Lana has outdone herself on Ultraviolence, I'd recommend listening to it.
  28. longjetty7
    Jan 12, 2015
    9
    This album is near-perfect, probably my favorite of 2014. The first time I listened to Ultraviolence, I thought it was boring, but the more I listen, the more I like it. The sound is atmospheric and lush, and strangely it sounds both modern and throwback. Including the 3 songs on the Deluxe edition, I love every song except The Other Woman, but that sort of doesn't count because it's aThis album is near-perfect, probably my favorite of 2014. The first time I listened to Ultraviolence, I thought it was boring, but the more I listen, the more I like it. The sound is atmospheric and lush, and strangely it sounds both modern and throwback. Including the 3 songs on the Deluxe edition, I love every song except The Other Woman, but that sort of doesn't count because it's a cover (still fits with her whole persona though). This album is perfect for getting high to, or just kicking back and thinking about the meaning of life.… Expand
  29. Lenis
    May 11, 2015
    9
    It seems like is a very personal material for her, the alternative side is mixed with a very clever production that brings fresh rock sound, it's really great to see her growing up as an artist and bring such a beautiful record she's a poet and this kinda dreamy tracks are magic and belong so well to each other in a very cohesive way.

    Highlights: West Coast, Brooklyn Baby, Ultraviolence    It seems like is a very personal material for her, the alternative side is mixed with a very clever production that brings fresh rock sound, it's really great to see her growing up as an artist and bring such a beautiful record she's a poet and this kinda dreamy tracks are magic and belong so well to each other in a very cohesive way.

    Highlights: West Coast, Brooklyn Baby, Ultraviolence (especial shotout to Flipside)    … Expand
  30. thanospap
    Feb 12, 2015
    9
    This is my first review on an album and I am so happy to do it for Lana Del Rey's "Ultraviolence".
    The title may confuse some of you for the content of the album because the word "ultraviolence" is connected to " A Clockwork Orange" movie by Stanley Kubrick. Well not. This work has nothing to do with this gorgeous movie. It is an album that has to do with painful love, domestic violence,    This is my first review on an album and I am so happy to do it for Lana Del Rey's "Ultraviolence".
    The title may confuse some of you for the content of the album because the word "ultraviolence" is connected to " A Clockwork Orange" movie by Stanley Kubrick. Well not. This work has nothing to do with this gorgeous movie. It is an album that has to do with painful love, domestic violence, fame, rumours and the New York based artist's feelings about the other side of U.S.A.
    Actually, the lyrics' content is not much different from her Lizzy Grant's first album under the persona of Lana Del Rey, Born to Die. But this is not a problem, when the music, the rythms, the style and the atmosphere have become more mysterious and rock far away from some hip-hop and pop songs such as "Diet Mountain Dew" and "Off To The Races", which are amazing, but "mature" enough.
    Most of the songs are making love with the guitars of Dan Auerbach, producer of the album, and Rick Nowels in songs like "Shades of Cool", which contains a great solo playing the role of a bridge with the chaotic vocals by Del Rey.
    "Ultraviolence" begins with "Cruel World" which is a well-chosen introduction of the album, since it creates an atmosphere of melancholia and mystery and then "Ultraviolence" comes making it clear that Lana Del Rey is a complicated soul different from the others. An honest soul.
    In general, the album is a strong proof that Lana is not a girl aiming to be on the top of the charts and that she simply expresses her thoughts via the music with some really poetic lyrics.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed Album of 2014
8
#8 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Sep 9, 2014
    78
    A shake up in the lyric department would be nice to see next time around, but on this outing Lana Del Rey is able to sell it with striking vocal performances and breathtaking compositions.
    Read full review
  2. Mojo
    Aug 20, 2014
    60
    While her David Lynch qualities remain, there's also something of the masochistic Lars Von Trier heroine in the resigned drowse of these songs. [Sep 2014, p.92]
  3. No Ripcord
    Aug 4, 2014
    70
    Underwhelming ending aside, it’s fair to say that Del Rey (and her collaborators) have more than risen to the challenge of keeping her a part of the pop culture conversation, for all the right reasons.
    Read full review
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