Lana Del Rey covers George Gershwin's 1935 aria "Summertime"

I'll take cultural appropriation for $1000, ghost of Alex.

R1 Gershwin, who wrote the song, was Jewish—obviously he was inspired by black soul music when writing it. Not sure if it qualifies as "cultural appropriation" though, especially Del Rey's covering of it a century later.

What’s next, Swanee River?!?

Abomination

Entirely a product of studio production

She’s gotten even more fat

Those poor black back up singers, who have 10 times the voice that this white cunt does

This made Leontyne Price puke. Barbara Hendricks puked, too.

Is Strange Fruit on the B side?

If Lana is going to get excoriated for cultural appropriation over stuff like this, then people like Jack White should also be getting raked over the coals. He built his career covering old blues songs written by southern black men, and that influence is all over his music—you can especially hear it in The White Stripes's earlier releases. And yet, I've never heard a single person point this out or scream "cultural appropriation!"

The problem with making cultural appropriation claims is that it's not always cut-and-dry where admiration/homage ends and "appropriation" begins. I genuinely believe people like Jack White (and even Lana, to a lesser extent) are true admirers of the music. I suppose Lana having three black backup singers could read as tone-deaf in the current climate, although she'd get the same flak (possibly more) if she'd had three white singers performing with her. It's a losing game either way.

what the fuck is this shit?

I don't know her music. I know she dated a Republican cop and got shit for it.

Before reading R1 post, I had the absolute same reaction - cultural appropriation, and yes, those poor back up singer as mentioned by R4.

So if you don't think this is cultural appropriation, then you're probably okay with this song being played at Trump's next birthday...

Can someone please clarify what precisely makes this "cultural appropriation"? Is it the mere fact that the backup singers are black? This song was written by a white man.

All songs by sung by white singers are cultural appropriation of other races r11

Ray Charles and the Young Caucasians!

Fantasia's rendition of "Summertime" was what won her the "Idol" crown.

[quote]Fantasia's rendition of "Summertime" was what won her the "Idol" crown.

Fantasia couldn't spell "rendition."

Lana is a well-known racist and now she covers a song written about slavery???

R16 how is she a "well-known racist"? Lol

Where is the cultural appropriation? Please explain.

As far as her interpretation of the song goes, all I can say is "Bless her heart".

In the final analysis, Little Miss Grant is what America deserves right now.

In this song, Doris Day demonstrates the opposite of cultural appropriation.

In this song, Eminem demonstrates cultural appropriation.

R20 Uh...could you explain further?

That was trash. I feel bad for the back up singers too. Using black skin to seem...more authentic?

EVERYONE HATES LANA.

I actually like it.....it works with her xanax voice

It had some moments where it was fine. There’s too much nasal tone, or whatever the technical term for that mosquito-droning is.

The video... the less said, the better.

Whats with the covid disclaimer? Also she is a fat pony now. I agree, those poor paid friends and trade musicians. Lana can manage some interesting tricks on record, but its mostly 1-trick pony tricks.

I believe in cultural celebration not cultural appropriation. People who busy themselves with accusations of the latter are miserable twats who need to get laid.

Fight me.

R28, "appropriation" does exist. You want the perfect example? Middle Eastern food that's been around for generations trying to be claimed by Israelis.

God, I hate this so much. I *adore* this song. Lana's version lacks the soul, pain and raw emotion of its predecessors. Ella is rolling in her grave.

[quote] If Lana is going to get excoriated for cultural appropriation over stuff like this, then people like Jack White should also be getting raked over the coals. He built his career covering old blues songs written by southern black men, and that influence is all over his music—you can especially hear it in The White Stripes's earlier releases. And yet, I've never heard a single person point this out or scream "cultural appropriation!"

Maybe that explains why I never liked The White Stripes. Their music had a feeling of "been there, done that". I never got the hype about them. I like Lana more than I like The White Stripes.

R29 You know that many Israli’s are Mizarhi, Arab Jews, right? That food is as much theirs as it is any Muslim Arab.

At her soul, she seems like a "Karen" trying to suppress it.

Oh girl, no. Shouldn't her voice, at the very least, have gotten a little deeper and richer with all that weight gain? I agree that Lana's thin wailing is an abomination with respect to this song.

She's so annoying and so mildly talented

awful, really awful

R32? You know that I know that which is why I didn't say "Jewish." I said "Israeli." In fact one of my best friend is an Iraqi Jew. I said "ISRAELI." Don't think I didn't know exactly what I was saying. It's Israelis -including Ashkenazi Jews- who are trying to claim it as "Israeli" which is bullshit. It is preposterous how even the food gets the revisionist treatment from them and their even stupider defenders.

friends*

A bit of a tangent, but did she always look like Ivanka Trump?

No, they looked different pre surgery. Facial reconstructions create a sameness.

The “cultural appropriation” accusation is ridiculous. It’s a lovely rendition. DL would hate this song being sung by anyone under 75.

The short-haired guitarist in the video, Blake Lee, has been with her since she started out. He's a great player, and he's cute as hell.

Stuff your cultural appropriation, R1.

What is this "cultural appropriation" crap?

She's singing a song, and she does it quite well.

I'm pretty sure the girl "playing" the washboard in the video is Lana's hipster photographer sister, Caroline—she does most of Lana's photographs and album art.

It's terrible. She's terrible. But anyone who thinks this is cultural appropriation is nuts or joking, unless they're saying Gershwin did the appropriating, not Lana Del Rey. And it's not about slavery.

How can it be cultural appropriation when the song was written by a white man?

r47 TWO (possibly three) white men. It has lyrics, you know.

R37 fuck off you deranged anti semite.