Lana Del Rey finally released the second single from her much-anticipated Honeymoon, and as promised, it’s another track that abandons the melodrama of Ultraviolence in favor of the sun-sick, rhythmic reclusiveness of Born to Die and Paradise.
“High by the Beach” is more up-tempo than previous tracks, and between the synths and the bobbing beat that underlays the chorus, it’s also got a poppier vibe than any of her recent work. But perhaps most importantly, Del Rey isn’t putting up with her unworthy lover in this song: “I know you don’t understand/ You could be a bad motherfucker/ But that don’t make you a man,” Del Rey sings, adding later, “Lights camera, action. I’ll do it on my own./ Don’t need your money, money/ to get me what I want.” Now, as the title suggests, all she wants to do is get high by the beach, and it’s hard to resist coming along for the ride.
