The legendary Lana Del Rey is back with her first release of 2024 in “Tough,” a collaboration with Quavo of Migos. Some might say this comes as a surprise that a singer like Lana would be collaborating with a rapper but really, it’s not surprising at all. Lana Del Rey has always been the bad girl who fools around with rappers - she’s a maverick in the category, having invented her own style and image as well as releasing collaborations with artists outside of her genre like A$AP Rocky and The Weeknd. 

“Tough” is a perfect summer anthem and Lana and Quavo harmonize astonishingly well together. Quavo’s rapping adds unbeatable swagger on the song’s chorus, which is infused with deep south backroads lyricism: “Tough like the scuff on a pair of old leather boots / Like the blue-collar, red-dirt attitude / Like a .38 made out of brass / Tough like the stuff in your grandpa's glass /  Life's gonna do what it does / Sure as the good Lord's up above / I'm cut like a diamond shinin' in the rough.”  

Teasing the release of her upcoming country-inspired album Lasso, this song’s ambience is a call back to her early career, being obsessed with the American dream and embracing that concept with an introspective yet cynical take on the effects it has on our culture. 

The accompanying music video for the track opens with an American flag with Lana’s face on it and shows romantic scenes of Lana and Quavo as well as them shooting guns in a country landscape. It’s a creative embodiment of Lana’s new country era for her upcoming album, balancing genres like the masterful and iconic artist that she is and always has been.

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