Lana Del Rey Makes It Off the Ground With “Bluebird”
Graphic by Maddie Cohen
by heather Thorn
Lana Del Rey is back with “Bluebird,” the latest single from her upcoming eleventh album. In case you missed it, since the release of “Henry, come on” last week, she’s announced that the album—originally titled The Right Person Will Stay—will neither be released with the original title nor on the initial date given to fans: May 21st, 2025. All of that aside, I couldn’t help getting excited for “Bluebird” after listening to “Henry, come on,” which boasts Rey’s deeper vocals juxtaposed to her softer singing, with pensive lyrics written all over it.
“Bluebird” didn’t give me everything I wanted, but it matched my expectations for a Lana Del Rey song. It’s safe to say Rey has paved her own way in the music industry and stands as a distinct artist with a unique sound. There’s no one quite like her.
“Bluebird” mesmerized me upon my first few listens and is a beautiful song—it just plays it safe. It starts off sweet with gentle finger guitar plucking as faint chimes accentuate the softness and peace of the rhythm. By the time Rey began singing almost thirty seconds in, I was hooked by her soft and quivering vocals that lace hope in every word, sounding simply angelic as soon as the first verse:
“Little bird, bluebird /
Find some strength inside my hand /
Anything to let you sing goodbye”
The song prepares for the chorus and speeds up ever so gently until the instruments peak in intensity when the harmonica joins in. Rey’s vocals stand out in the song thanks to the spare and delicate acoustic guitar picking that allow Rey’s voice and lyricism to shine.
“Find a way to fly /
Find a way to fly /
Just shoot for the sun 'til I can finally run /
Find a way to fly”
“Bluebird” leaves everything out in the open thanks to its mellow beat that lets you listen with grace and sit with the lyrics as they vulnerably tell the tale of hope during hardship and what it’s like to battle your enemy when they’re barreling right at you. The delicacy of Rey’s higher vocals verges on fragility as she sings each word with utter sincerity. Every time I listen, the song evokes visceral peace for its entire duration—the overwhelming promise of hope waxing and waning with Rey’s voice as it rises and falls. The addition of her humming—soft, careful, and ever delicate—lets the vulnerability of “Bluebird” fly, refusing to leave anything on the table.
Rey’s intersecting past and present come crashing and the urge to fly reigns the song, making for a hopeful ending, letting the dreaming of escape and breaking free from constraints sit with the listener:
“Just shoot for the sun 'til I can finally run /
Find a way to fly”
The longer I sat with “Bluebird,” though, the more I realized that the song plays it safe in a way that potentially deserves it. The song is beautiful from Rey’s vocals to the various instruments to the thoughtful lyricism.
But is it an exciting sound? No. Is it a new sound? No. “Bluebird” is simple in that it delivered to my expectations for a Rey song but doesn’t attempt to reinvent anything. The song doesn’t need wings to fly; within Rey’s discography, it’s a potential standout thanks to its strict, sparse guitar and the addition of the harmonica combined with Rey’s heartfelt lyrics. Beyond the world of Rey’s discography, however, the song doesn’t drip with certain memorability.
“Bluebird” is a gentle caress of a song—soft as a feather. But in the mind, it’s just as light. It failed to hook me; Rey’s other singles—including “The greatest,” “Tough,” “Say Yes to Heaven,” “Diet Mountain Dew,” and “Ride”—carry with them an exciting and unforgettable sound that “Bluebird” is unable to produce beyond its duration.