Lana Del Rey went viral on Thursday (July 20) when the singer was spotted by fans at the Waffle House restaurant working a shift in Florence, Alabama.
De Rey, dressed in a blue shirt belonging to her work uniform along with a tag with her name "LANA" clipped on the right side of it, was working at the restaurant serving customers: Preparing coffee, bringing food to customers' tables, and managing transactions at the cash register.
This event immediately captured the attention and emotions of several fans of the "Summertime Sadness" singer, who instantly recognized her and didn't hesitate to approach her to ask for autographs or pose for photos.
A user shared her experience meeting Del Rey and asked her to sign a giant poster of Del Rey's new album cover, "Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd," along with a picture of them together.
In another TikTok video, Del Rey sings "Amazing Grace" along with a customer.
This event is not the first time Lana Del Rey got spotted on the streets of Alabama. Days before, Jordan Suttles, a student at the University of Alabama, shared through a video on TikTok his unexpected moment of meeting the singer in a nail salon. The video Suttles took with his cellphone captures her laughing after noticing she's being recorded.
As random as they were for everyone, these events have been adored by millions of internet users on all social networks, who did not hesitate to flatter the singer.
"[Lana's] so beautiful and humble," a TikTok user wrote.
"[Lana's] a genuine angel with such a sweet soft soul; we're all so lucky to be able to experience her in this lifetime," another TikTok user commented.
Someone else said: "Imagine being a worker there and being introduced to a new coworker, and it's LANA DEL REY?"
Both the fans and she had a great time - and I loved that! Very few world-famous artists will expose themselves in such a casual way in public.
I have never been a fan of Lana Del Rey. The only reason I knew her was because of her famous song "Summertime Sadness" and the song "Young and Beautiful," which was part of the main soundtrack of the movie "The Great Gatsby" in 2013.
But listening to both songs, along with some new ones from her most recent album, has led me to the following conclusion, one that may not be a secret to anyone but says a lot about her.
The lyrics with a letter of poetry with some thorns of reality; some may be felt, while others may stab you in the soul, but because their songs reflect the typical female empowerment of strength and sovereignty, instead from a more casual aspect, something we have all identified with at some point - love, toxic relationships, the agony of a breakup, melancholy, the ups and downs of self-love, among many others.
Harsh Criticism and Decisions
Lana Del Rey has had enough criticism and even discrimination for both her musical artistry and as an individual.
Del Rey has been the target of several accusations against her, such as being accused of racism in 2020 when she used as an example the name of several African American artists in a post defending the double standard of feminism in the music industry.
"The singers I mentioned are my favorite singers," Del Rey responded to this accusation, "so if you want to try and make a bone to pick out of that, like you always do, be my guest."
Her music's lyrics (which strongly emphasize mental health, melancholy, toxic relationships, and other problematic societal issues) can be interpreted in various ways. Still, many people find them offensive, which leads to frequent negative criticism.
Recently, the song "Young and Beautiful" was a target of criticism for being used in trends of ageism. While leading to "superficial" lyrics, according to a user's post on Reddit.
Some time later, Del Rey was again subjected to harassment on social media due to her noticeable weight gain during the COVID-19 quarantine period. Various internet users commented strongly about her weight gain. Internet users posted hurtful and cruel comments about her radical change.
The comments about her weight gain are still making headlines. It's true; her body has changed, that's it. So, what's shocking about someone gaining or losing weight?
Don't we live in a more liberal and outspoken world where respect and acceptance are highly promoted? That 'gold rule' doesn't apply when it comes to superstars.
It's sad to see how a woman could be marginalized so harshly for a change in her body, a natural change every person has or will have at some point in their lives.
Sadly, all the above led her to keep a low profile on social networks, such as closing her social accounts and reopening them temporarily from time to time but keeping them private.
Attitude Worthy of Admiration
Despite facing relentless media scrutiny and harsh criticism, her music and physical appearance, Lana Del Rey maintains a sweet and pleasant attitude. It's a gesture I greatly admire, and it shows how those comments remain just that, words that anger but don't define her as a person.
The real purpose of her visit to Alabama and her work at Waffle House still needs to be discovered, and the questions about her presence there have continued to arise: "Is she a waitress now? Is she shooting a new music video for a song on her new album? How did she get to work there? Why is she in Alabama?" To date, these questions remain unknown.
Even so, how she treats her fans and those who admire and praise her music and trajectory as a singer-songwriter is admirable. Those minutes shared with her will always be admired by those who had the honor of knowing her.
Lana Del Rey is a humble artist who tries to lead a life off-stage as usual for her mental health. The accusations against her have prevented her from staying true to herself and her connection with the public.
Lana is simply Lana, and we all love her for that!
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