Why Lana Del Rey Finds Herself in Sofia Coppola’s World

From the earliest days of Lana Del Rey’s rise to fame, listeners have noticed a striking similarity between the melancholic glamour and youthful longing in her songs and the cinematic worlds crafted by certain directors. Online spaces, especially image-driven platforms like Tumblr, have played a significant role in cementing these connections. Fans have curated unofficial viewing lists, featuring everything from American Beauty—particularly the iconic scene with Mena Suvari and rose petals—to cult classics like The Love Witch and Picnic at Hanging Rock. Even the controversial Lolita has found its way into these playlists. Yet, among all these influences, one filmmaker stands out as being most closely linked to Del Rey: Sofia Coppola.

Spend any time in the digital communities that celebrate Coppola’s work, and you’ll quickly notice a strong overlap with Del Rey’s fanbase. The connection is hardly surprising. Both artists are known for exploring the complexities of adolescence and the emotional turbulence that comes with it. Their work often centres on the confusion and vulnerability of young women navigating a world that feels both enchanting and unforgiving. There was even a moment when a collaboration between the two nearly materialised—Coppola invited Del Rey to write songs for her biopic Priscilla, a project that would have been a dream for many. Unfortunately, tight deadlines meant it never came to pass.

Themes of Girlhood and Rebellion

Del Rey’s early tracks, penned under her original name Lizzy Grant, are imbued with a sense of innocence and fragility, yet also a certain instability and sensuality. Songs like ‘Put Me in a Movie’, ‘Jump’, and ‘Afraid’ seem to echo the emotional landscapes inhabited by Coppola’s characters—Marie Antoinette, Priscilla, and especially Lux Lisbon. It’s easy to imagine these figures listening to Del Rey’s music, if only they had the means. Lux, one of the Lisbon sisters in The Virgin Suicides, spends her final months rebelling against strict parental control, seeking freedom in ways that ultimately leave her feeling more isolated. The image of her waking at dawn on a deserted football pitch, abandoned by Trip Fontaine after a night together, captures a profound sense of emptiness beneath the surface—a feeling that resonates with many of Del Rey’s songs, particularly those from her Ultraviolence era.

Cinematic Parallels and Shared Aesthetics

It comes as little surprise, then, that Del Rey has named The Virgin Suicides as her favourite of Coppola’s films, as reported by Vogue Italia. Coppola’s 1999 debut is a masterclass in blending delicate, feminine visuals with a darker undercurrent, as the Lisbon sisters’ tragic story unfolds. The film’s pastel palette and dreamlike atmosphere are mirrored in Del Rey’s own artistic vision. Tracks like ‘This Is What Makes Us Girls’ feel as though they could serve as the soundtrack to Lux’s world, capturing the same bittersweet mix of rebellion and vulnerability.

Del Rey herself has described her creative process in cinematic terms:

“I think of my songs as if they were films. Flashbacks, cuts, memories, with a monologue that’s running.”

This approach helps explain why her music feels so at home alongside Coppola’s films, particularly The Virgin Suicides, which remains a touchstone for both artists and their admirers.