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10 years ago this week on September 25th of 2012, Lana Del Rey releases the cult classic and iconic musical masterpiece "Ride" encapsulating on what it feels to be lonely in a busy, crowded world and wanting to be a free-spirit. At the time of its release, Lana Del Rey was one of the fastest rising stars in the pop music scene. With only one major-label album under her belt, Del Rey was shifting the way the world would think of pop stars. Rather than first-pumping or belting out to the synchronic electro beats of Dr. Luke, Afrojack, will.i.am, RedOne or Max Martin, Del Rey invited you to lounge on a chair, preferably next to a lover, and watch the world pass by. Her naked sadness, backed throughout symphonic strings, was different from the in-your-face boldness of many of the major pop acts of the early 2010s. The lead single off of her third EP titled Paradise was written by Lana Del Rey and produced by legendary producer Rick Rubin. With an orchestral production flair and a deep sense of melancholy, she planted the seeds not only for her own success, but for a timeless and defining moment in pop culture. In the song, Del Rey sings with smokey vocals over a string-drenched, piano-driven melody with lyrical themes of daddy issues, alcoholism, loneliness and exploration. The psychedelic hums, melancholic piano progression and poignant string-peered crescendos exemplify a sentiment that takes you through a journey of life through elegance, opulence and fantasy in just under five minutes. The accompanying 10-minute short film for "Ride", written by Del Rey and directed by Anthony Handler displays images of adultery, revenge, hitchhiking and several other themes surrounding Las Vegas and Americana culture. Del Rey's family and friends disapprove of her lifestyle, but urges that they are simply unaware. Del Rey proceeds to perform in a dazzled dive bar, revealing that she was a performer, but "not a very popular one". On one hand, we see a free-spirited woman who is detached from all obligations and is out in the world, as the first verse shows. However, lyrics like “But I, I’ve got a war in my mind” shows, not a different person, but rather a different perspective on the same situation. "Ride" also suggests the darker side to lifestyles normally romanticized and glorified in Hollywood. Del Rey insists that she's always been different, and was "born to be the other woman" belonging to no one and everyone at the same time, who has nothing but wants everything. The first part of the monologue claims how this kind of life she yearns for has made her obsessed with the freedom it comes with, pushing her to a nomadic point of madness. A montage of clips displaying her and her biker gang with multiple romantic lovers involved begins to play. For Del Rey, biker culture represents that freedom she longs for. She enjoys wild times in the empty California desert, moving from motel-to-motel, driving bikes through flames, drinking excessively, and howling at the moon. The very core of who she is is split into two. There’s the side of her that wants order. The side wants a place to call home, a person to be with, and the security of a relationship. Along with this is the other side. The side that, in the pursuit of happiness, is willing to compromise on all of Lana’s moral principles, from sugar daddies and ***ual favors to ***** and alcohol which slowly chip away at her humanity suggest to give her the happiness that she never actually found. The theme of "Ride" suggests that she just flows through the roads her life takes her through and lets fate decide for her. In the monologue, she talks about a life where she finds fleeting happiness with the people she met on the open road. She talks about her failed run at wanting to be a poet and her time as an unsuccessful singer under her name, Lizzy Grant -- and how all her dreams were just completely shattered because of unfortunate events. Consequentially, this moral ambiguity means that she can fit in with everyone but doesn’t belong to anyone. There isn't a group of like-minded people she can call her own kind. She then talks about her vagabond lifestyle on the open road and how the term ‘home’ means just something completely different to her and why some people will never understand that her ‘home’ is not physical or literal, but a feeling of belonging. She talks about people who have never left the safety of a home to be out in the world completely on their own, for home to be wherever you lie your head down as long as you feel like you belong there -- which is something that cannot be attained without the kindness of strangers that you meet during your experiences on the road. Towards the end of the monologue, during which scenes are shown of Del Rey sneaking away with the bikers, she declares, "I am ******* crazy. But I am free" as she proceeds to swing on her free-range tire swing affirming her faith in the kindness of strangers and the freedom of the open road, even if it is completely unpredictable at times. It’s the story of finding freedom through the road, and through the people that she meets on the way. This suggests that she’s done struggling with who she is and she simply just rides, agreeing to disagree. The song and video is a profound journey on its own -- about the woman that Del Rey used to be and who she once wanted to become, which is now her reality. It is a song about exploration and finding that happiness. On October 10th of 2012, Del Rey premiered the music video for "Ride" at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California and made its VEVO debut on October 12th. Though criticized by some for its controversial themes, the music video remains prominent within modern-day pop culture with a massive following and its influence went on to inspire a slew of artists from Taylor Swift to Lady Gaga to Miley Cyrus and more. The music video was nominated at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards for 'Best Cinematography' but lost to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us". While "Ride" was considered a modest hit at the time, the track itself earned widespread critical acclaim from music critics all around. Billboard described the track as "a long, dreamy ballad that swells into full view during the chorus". Complex listed the track as the eighth best song of 2012. The track made several other year and decade-end lists. In 2019, Rolling Stone listed "Ride" as the sixth best music video of the last 20 years. As of 2022, the video has reached over 143 million views on YouTube, has over 225 million streams on Spotify and is certified platinum in the United States.