Format Digital download Length 5:42 | Genre Blues rock Label Interscope | |
Released May 26, 2014 (2014-05-26) Writer(s) Lana Del Rey
Rick Nowels | ||
"Shades of Cool" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey, taken from her third studio album, Ultraviolence (2014). It was written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, and produced by Dan Auerbach. The song was released on May 26, 2014 by Interscope Records as the second single from Ultraviolence. Lyrically, the single talks about an "unfixable" man.
Contents
"Shades of Cool" received general acclaim from music critics, who praised its musical style. A few of whom opined that the track would be appropriate for a James Bond film. Commercially, the single peaking at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top-40 of a few record charts, including Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. A music video for "Shades of Cool" was directed by Jake Nava and was described as a film noir visual.
Composition
"Shades of Cool" was written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, and produced by Dan Auerbach. Composed in the key of D minor, the song runs at a moderate slow tempo of 46 beats per minute. It was described as a waltz instrumented by "slow-burn" bassline, guitar, and string instruments; the track features a guitar solo delivered by Auerbach. Del Rey's vocals span from A3 to B5. Her "operatic" soprano vocals blending with "trademark wailing vibrato" create a ghostly atmosphere on "Shades of Cool". Chris Coplan from Consequence of Sound described the song as "a slow and slightly gloomy ballad." Meanwhile, "Shades of Cool" was characterized as a "seeping, atmospheric" ballad that contrasts the more "pop-savvy swaggering 'West Coast'" by Billboard's Colin Stutz. On the single, Del Rey sings about an "unfixable" man: "But you are unfixable / I can’t break through your world / ‘Cause you live in shades of cool / Your heart is unbreakable."
Reception
"Shades of Cool" received positive reviews from music critics. Coplan of Consequence of Sound complimented the song for its "grace and sophistication". Saran Shetty of Slate called "Shades of Cool" "a beautiful, brooding return to form [for Del Rey]", and opined that the single would "fit perfectly" in a James Bond theme track. Likewise, Rolling Stone's Calyn Ganz wrote that the track "would be perfect for a James Bond film directed by Quentin Tarantino." Lathan Ryan from PopMatters positively compared Del Rey's vocals on "Shades of Cool" to those of Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, observing that "Del Rey has never sounded better".
The single peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It managed to enter the top 40 of a few record charts: Belgian Wallonia (number 40), France (number 37), Hungary (number 19), and Spain (number 31). The single peaked at number three on the Greece Digital Songs, a chart operated by Billboard magazine.
Music video
The music video for "Shades of Cool" was directed by Jake Nava and was released on June 17, 2014. The video features tattoo artist Mark Mahoney, who also appeared in the music video for "West Coast", as Del Rey's love interest. Filmed in Los Angeles, California, the clip is a "romantic" film noir visual depicting the streets of Los Angeles at night, a 1970s-themed neighborhood, and a pool. In the video, Del Rey dances for her love interest in "flowing" dresses. An alternative version of the visual for "Shades of Cool", which was also directed by Nava, was released in July 2014. This version, in which Del Rey is seen dead, was described as "darker" than the original video.
Track listing
- "Shades of Cool" – 5:42
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ultraviolence.