Lana Del Rey shouts out Olivia Rodrigo and SZA in Visionary Award speech
Lana Del Rey hailed Olivia Rodrigo and SZA during an acceptance speech for the Visionary Award at the 2023 Billboard Women In Music event.
The singer paid tribute to her fellow female stars at the ceremony at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater last night, saying that she was thrilled to be handed the prize from 20-year-old Rodrigo.
“I really don’t deserve her giving me this award, this wonderful award. I can’t tell you how much it means that someone [Olivia] who wrote ‘Drivers License’ is standing next to me,” Del Rey said.
She also said of SZA, who was this year’s Woman Of The Year recipient: “SZA, from the minute I heard you, I knew I wanted to know you. Congratulations, well, well, well deserved on being Woman Of The Year.”
Del Rey also went on to address the criticism she faced early on in her career and said she now feels “very happy”.
She added: “I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all, but if you were curious, I am very, very happy. When I released my first album 14 years ago, the waters were not quite as warm. I’m really happy for everyone who feels like it’s a wonderful time in the culture to be themselves and express themselves. It didn’t feel that way in 2008.”
“I feel like being happy is the ultimate goal, so I did it. Thank you, Billboard!”
Meanwhile, Del Rey recently said she wished she had “sung the entire second verse” on Taylor Swift‘s ‘Snow On The Beach’.
The singer featured on the track from Swift’s record-breaking 2022 album ‘Midnights’, singing a short segment of the song.
“Well, first of all, I had no idea I was the only feature [on that song],” she revealed. “Had I known, I would have sung the entire second verse like she wanted. My job as a feature on a big artist’s album is to make sure I help add to the production of the song, so I was more focused on the production.”
The post Lana Del Rey shouts out Olivia Rodrigo and SZA in Visionary Award speech appeared first on NME.
Damian Jones
NME
