Ultraviolence (album)

Ultraviolence is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey, released on June 13, 2014, by Polydor and Interscope Records. Originally dismissing the possibility of releasing another record after her major-label debut Born to Die (2012), Del Rey began planning its follow-up in 2013. Production continued into 2014, at which time she heavily collaborated with Dan Auerbach to revamp what she initially considered to be the completed record. The album saw additional contributions from producers such as Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, Daniel Heath, and Rick Nowels. Marking a significant departure from Born to Die, it features a more guitar-based sound, and raw vocals, resulting in a primarily psychedelic rock record with elements of dream pop, desert rock, and slowcore.

Ultraviolence is a concept album, exploring themes of dark romance, abusive relationships, and the allure of self-destructive tendencies, often presented with a cinematic and melancholic aesthetic. It delves into the complexities of love, exploring both its captivating and destructive aspects. Although controversial upon its release for it presumed glorification of domestic abuse, the album was met with critical praise, with reviewers praising the album's lyricism, cohesiveness, production and Del Rey's vocal performance. The album was frequently ranked by various publications as among the best albums of the year as well as the decade, with Metacritic citing it as the 13th-most frequently mentioned album in critics "year-end" lists in 2014. Commercially, Ultraviolence became a global success, debuting at number one in eleven countries, including the United States with first-week sales of 182,000 copies, becoming the best-selling debut week of Del Rey's career and reached the top five in over twenty territories. Retrospectively, Ultraviolence has been regarded amongst Del Rey's best works, and the album which changed the negative narrative surrounding her following the release of Born to Die.

To promote the album, four singles were released, "West Coast", "Shades of Cool", "Ultraviolence" and "Brooklyn Baby". In May 2015, Del Rey embarked on The Endless Summer Tour featuring live shows with singers Courtney Love and Grimes, to support the album. It started on May 7, 2015 and ended on June 16, 2015.