| "Shades of Cool" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byLana Del Rey | ||||
| from the albumUltraviolence | ||||
| Released | May 26, 2014 (2014-05-26) | |||
| Studio | Easy Eye Sound (Nashville) | |||
| Genre | Blues rock •psychedelia | |||
| Length | 5:42 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Dan Auerbach | |||
| Lana Del Rey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Shades of Cool" onYouTube | ||||
"Shades of Cool" is a song by American singer-songwriterLana Del Rey from her third studio album,Ultraviolence (2014). She andRick Nowels wrote the track, which was produced byDan Auerbach. It was released on May 26, 2014, byInterscope Records as the second single fromUltraviolence. Lyrically, the single talks about an "unfixable" man.
"Shades of Cool" received general acclaim frommusic critics, who praised its musical style. Commercially, the single peaked at number 79 on the USBillboard Hot 100 and entered the top 40 of a fewrecord charts in Europe. A music video for "Shades of Cool" was directed byJake Nava and was described as afilm noir visual.
"Shades of Cool" was written by Del Rey andRick Nowels, and produced byDan Auerbach.[1] Composed in the key ofD minor, the song runs at a moderate slowtempo of 46 beats per minute.[2] It was described as awaltzinstrumented by "slow-burn"bassline, guitar, andstring instruments; the track features a guitar solo delivered by Auerbach.[3][4][5] Del Rey's vocals span fromA3 toB5.[2] Her "operatic"soprano vocals blending with "trademark wailingvibrato" create a ghostly atmosphere on "Shades of Cool".[3][4] Chris Coplan fromConsequence of Sound described the song as "a slow and slightly gloomy ballad."[6] Meanwhile, "Shades of Cool" was characterized as a "seeping, atmospheric" ballad that contrasts the more "pop-savvy swaggering 'West Coast'" byBillboard's Colin Stutz.[7] On the single, Del Rey sings about an "unfixable" man: "But you are unfixable / I can’t break through your world / ‘Cause you live in shades of cool / Your heart is unbreakable."
"Shades of Cool" received positive reviews from music critics. Coplan of Consequence of Sound complimented the song for its "grace and sophistication".[6] Saran Shetty ofSlate called "Shades of Cool" "a beautiful, brooding return to form [for Del Rey]", and opined that the single would "fit perfectly" in aJames Bond theme track.[5] Likewise,Rolling Stone's Calyn Ganz wrote that the track "would be perfect for aJames Bond film directed byQuentin Tarantino."[4] Lathan Ryan fromPopMatters positively compared Del Rey's vocals on "Shades of Cool" to those ofCocteau Twins vocalistElizabeth Fraser, observing that "Del Rey has never sounded better".[8]
The single peaked at number 79 on the USBillboard Hot 100.[9] It managed to enter the top 40 of a fewrecord charts: Belgian Wallonia (number 40),[10] France (number 37),[11] Hungary (number 19),[12] and Spain (number 31).[13] The single peaked at number three on the Greece Digital Songs, a chart operated byBillboard magazine.[14]
The music video for "Shades of Cool" was directed byJake Nava and was released on June 17, 2014.[15] The video features tattoo artistMark Mahoney, who also appeared in the music video for "West Coast", as Del Rey's love interest.[16] Filmed in Los Angeles, California, the clip is a "romantic" visual depicting the streets of Los Angeles at night, a 1970s-themed neighborhood, and a pool.[15][17] In the video, Del Rey dances for her love interest in "flowing" dresses.[15] An alternative version of the visual for "Shades of Cool", which was also directed by Nava, was released in July 2014. This version, in which Del Rey is seen drowned in a pool, was described as "darker" than the original video.[18]
Credits adapted from the liner notes ofUltraviolence.[1]
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[20] | 50 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] | 40 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[21] | 52 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[22] | 79 |
| Greece Digital Songs (Billboard)[14] | 3 |
| France (SNEP)[11] | 37 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[12] | 19 |
| Italy (FIMI)[23] | 35 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[13] | 31 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] | 43 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[9] | 79 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[25] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[26] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[27] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium[28] | May 26, 2014 | Digital download | Universal Music Group |
| France[29] | |||
| Luxembourg[30] | |||
| Portugal[31] | |||
| Spain[32] | |||
| Switzerland[33] | |||
| United States[19] | Interscope Records |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)