Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. Born Elizabeth Grant, Lana Del Rey adopted her performance pseudonym by merging the names of actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey car. Del Rey began learning the guitar as a teenager, and this ultimately inspired her decision to pursue music. She graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in 2008.

Del Rey first became known to audiences via YouTube in 2011 after uploading her self-made music video “Video Games.” The video soon went viral and landed the singer a record deal with Stranger Records. She went on to release the song as her debut single. Her major-label debut album, Born to Die (2012), made the No. 2 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remains one of her most successful releases to date. Her album Paradise was released later that year and earned the singer her first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Some of her most popular projects include Ultraviolence (2014), Lust for Life (2017), and Blue Banisters (2021). The singer has ruled the charts with hit singles such as “Summertime Sadness” and “Off to the Races,” often favoring a retro, alt-pop sound. She has also contributed to a number of movie soundtracks, including 2013’s The Great Gatsby and 2019’s Charlie’s Angels.

Del Rey dated Scottish singer Barrie-James O’Neill from 2011 to 2014. In September 2024, she wed Jeremy Dufrene.