It seems like everybody is dabbling in country music these days. Next up is Lana Del Rey’s new song “Tough,” featuring rapper Quavo. The record is a key step in her exploration of country-inspired music.
The acoustic guitar-driven track, enhanced by a thick trap-style beat, features Del Rey singing, “Tough like the scuff on a pair of old leather boots / Like the blue-collar, red-dirt attitude / Like a .38 made out of brass / Tough like the stuff in your grandpa’s glass.”
“Tough” is co-produced by Grammy 2021 Producer of the Year Andrew Watt, known for his work with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and Ozzy Osborne, and pop favorite Cirkut, who has collaborated with Charli XCX, Kesha, and Kim Petras. The song blends country influences with Del Rey’s previous hip-hop collaborations, such as “Lust for Life” with The Weeknd, “Groupie Love” with A$AP Rocky, and “Summer Bummer” with Playboi Carti.
Here’s where the collab allows “Tough” to stand out. The Wyatt Spain Winfrey-directed music video juxtaposes traditional country imagery with urban pop elements.
In the video, Quavo is seen holding a shotgun, while Del Rey carries a guitar. They slow dance together while singing, followed by Del Rey playing her guitar on a rural cottage porch. Guns and guitars. That’s about as country as it gets.
Get this, despite the country inspiration of “Tough,” it is not expected to be included on “Lasso,” Del Rey’s 10th studio album, announced in January and set for release in September.
At the Billboard Power 100 Party 2024 pre-Grammy event in Los Angeles on January 31, where she honored her longtime producer Jack Antonoff, Del Rey commented, “If you can’t already tell by our award winners and our performers, the music business is going country. We’re going country. It’s happening. That’s why Jack has followed me to Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Mississippi, over the last four years.”
The post Quavo Collabs with Lana Del Rey in Country Crossover ‘Tough’ first appeared on The Source.
The post Quavo Collabs with Lana Del Rey in Country Crossover ‘Tough’ appeared first on The Source.