"My baby used to dance underneath my architecture" - Lana Del Rey

Joe writes: Sometimes, rarely, I feel the need to listen to an album all the way through just to see what the artist is going to say next. I remember doing that with Eminem's debut album and also did it most of the way through Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life. There are 16 tracks on the album which is a shame - she could have made the year's best nine track album, and avoided any danger of slipping into self-parody. But even across 16 tracks she's still a cut above her contemporaries.

13 Beaches is my favourite track on the album:



My favourite Lana song since Video Games isn't on the album, seemingly because it was leaked. I love the lyric to Best American Record. Here's a cover from someone who sounds a lot like Lana:

Emile Haynie feat. Lana Del Rey - Wait For Life

Joe writes: Magic

Zane Lowe is playing Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez

Joe writes: It's a choice of Lana Del Rey who is being interviewed. It sounds amazing on Radio 1 (as it does everywhere else one might hear it). Bob Dylan is so great he even inspires other artists' finest work.



Also here is Lana Del Rey's second best track National Anthem:

the tracks of the year 2011

Joe writes: My tracks of the year are:

5. Price Tag - Jessie J (the album came out last year but the single was this year)

4. Jar Of Hearts - Christina Perri

3. Video Games - Lana Del Ray

2. We Found Love - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

1. Someone Like You - Adele

My personal favourites are Video Games, Jar Of Hearts, and You Don't Know How Lucky You Are by Keaton Henson (when I first blogged about this, I wasn't involved with it and didn't imagine I could be, but I am now). I also love Foster The People's Pumped Up Kicks but I first blogged about that in May 2010 so it's not a 2011 track to me. Earthquakes by Labrinth feat. Tinie Tempah is the most exciting production of the year.

I had a conversation earlier this year about what a hit is nowadays, because some of the biggest UK artists don't really have anything you'd describe as a hit. Price Tag is a hit song in the old-fashioned sense.

We Found Love is the best Calvin Harris track and it's competing with Umbrella as the biggest and best Rihanna track. It seems Calvin wrote the topline as well as the backing track - he is a proper talent.

Previously I've only blogged a dance remix of Someone Like You so here's the original:

Lana Del Ray - Video Games

Joe writes: Been listening to this a lot and Fearne Cotton has just played it on Radio 1