Sultry singer Lana Del Rey started kicking up a ton of controversy on music blogs before she even had a single out. Here's the thing: she's really good. Here's her latest song, "Born to Die."

I'm sure the cycle is going to start all over again, with various and assorted blogs yelling that her real name is Lizzie Grant and those aren't her real lips and she changed her whole image to sell music. This YouTube release isn't going to help either. It's sort of silly that this is the "Official Audio" and the "Official Video" is coming soon. Is this a thing now? "Guys, here is my track on YouTube, a visual medium, but just ignore the visuals. Don't worry, I'll actually edit something soon so you can watch while you listen!" Isn't this a video, even though nothing happens?

I wish this was all she was going to create. It would be so crazy that it just might work. As a lame placeholder, however, we all have to make a little bit of fun of it. Lana just sits there in the arms of someone plucked from central casting to read "hipster." I mean, tattoos, long greasy hair, ear plugs, skinniness: it's all straight out of some record exec's idea of Bedford Avenue. You don't try to steer the discussion away from your being an imitator by making just the kind of pandering video that its intended audience hates.

Yes, this is kind of silly, but the song is great. Not as good as her first two efforts "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" (or my favorite Lana track "Kinda Outta Luck") but it's the kind of song you play on repeat right after a break-up or while you're falling into some sick Sid-and-Nancy kind of tortured love affair. I kind of love it, cheesiness and all.

[Fader]