Brow Beat

Did You See This? Lana Del Rey’s “Hunger Games”

Still of Holly Laurent impersonating Lana Del Rey in the video for “Hunger Games.”

Is this the most zeitgeisty video in the world this week? Holly Laurent, a performer with the famed Chicago improv troupe Second City, has rewritten Lana Dey Rey’s “Video Games” with lyrics sung from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games. Lana Del Rey is easily the most debated artist of the moment—she rode controversy, not to mention her own voice and songwriting, all the way to the #2 spot on Billboard’s album chart—while the Hunger Games franchise is experiencing a surge of enthusiasm on the strength of a Super Bowl spot and heavy anticipation for the film adaptation’s March 24 release. Throw in some bleached-out footage reminiscent of Instagram, and you have something like our pop cultural moment in 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Of course the music video still wouldn’t be worth watching if it weren’t any good. But Laurent nails Del Rey’s mumbly drawl and comes up with lyrics that feel true to both the singer and the books: “Teens should be at the mall,” she croons, before describing a certain North American country as “fake but true.” Isn’t that just like Lana Del Rey? These days, aren’t we all?


Previously:
Will the Hunger Games Movie Win Over the Uninitiated?