Apparently, Western Stars and Norman Fucking Rockwell! weren’t as far apart as anyone expected. A recent article at Stereogum offers an intriguing piece of information from Bruce Springsteen’s quarantine-era penchant for DJing on SiriusXM. Springsteen cued up Lana Del Rey’s song “American,” in which Springsteen is lyrically referenced, and followed it up with praise for Del Rey’s work as a songwriter:
“Lana is simply one of the best songwriters in the country, as we speak. She just creates a world of her own and invites you in. So a big favorite of mine, the lovely Lana Del Rey.”
As the Stereogum article, by James Rettig, points out, Springsteen has lauded some of Del Rey’s work in the past as well; his admiration for her work dates back at least several years. And given that Del Rey’s Springsteen fandom has also been documented, the mutual admiration taking place here is thoroughly charming.
It’s not hard to imagine a Lana Del Rey album entitled Western Stars, for instance; and while a Boss album titled Norman Fucking Rockwell! might be a little harder to believe, that title could serve as a distillation of many a Nebraska-era song, among others.
For those seeking new work by either musician, Springsteen has a new album in the works, while Del Rey’s spoken word poetry album Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass was recently released digitally, with the book, LP and CD versions due out this fall.
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![[L-R] Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M. at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on July 7, 1984.](https://www.insidehook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rem-book-interview.jpg?resize=750%2C750)
