Lana Del Rey’s new album is out, which means people are worrying. She’s provoked anxiety, right from the start. She’s also been marvelled at – she’s a phenomenally talented artist, conjuring a strange and unsettling world. The new album, like the first, is narcotically compelling, full of heavy-lidded languor. But it’s also fiercer and deeper. Her voice is stranger and harsher, as well as more expansive – she’s manipulating it with a playful insolence. The hallucinatory weirdness pulsing through the album makes it eerie and intensely beautiful. That’s also true of the persona – the ‘lonesome queen’ – she’s created. Lovelorn, enthralled, hurt – she’s an immobilised animal, dispassionately, poisedly observing her own wounds.

Criticisms of Del Rey are often well-intentioned – they come out of concerns about representing women as passive and inviting domination or violence, as well as about the pressures on women in the music industry. But they end up perpetuating the very ideas about women that they claim to be concerned about.

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For one thing, there’s been a desire to insist that she is someone else's puppet, rather than the driver of her own work. The glee with which some tried, at her first success, to establish that she was in some way fake, a persona engineered by others, should make us suspicious. Why do we so keenly want to see Del Rey as someone else’s toy? Why are we so gleefully obsessed with the search for the figure behind the woman? Not just, I think, because we want to point out abuses of women by powerful men – but because, more deeply, we’re attached to the idea that women are puppets. We not only find it hard to see women as powerful agents of their own lives; we also feel a triumphant satisfaction in proving that a woman has been someone else’s plaything all along. Some of the criticisms of Del Rey, supposedly pointing out her lack of autonomy, are in fact animated by a need to undermine women’s autonomy, and by a need to punish and humiliate a successful woman. She can’t be the force behind her own oeuvre – she’s just a girl.

Shape Created with Sketch. Glastonbury 2014 live shots Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Glastonbury 2014 live shots 1/50 Metallica Lead singer James Hetfield saluting the Glastonbury crowds during the band's two hour set Rex 2/50 Tom Meighan of Kasabian Lead singer Tom Meighan of Kasabian sings at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival 3/50 Tom Meighan of Kasabian Lead singer Tom Meighan of British band Kasabian performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 4/50 Ed Sheeran British singer Ed Sheeran performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 5/50 Ed Sheeran British singer Ed Sheeran performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 6/50 Tom Meighan of Kasabian Lead singer Tom Meighan of Kasabian performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 7/50 Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 8/50 Yoko Ono Japanese artist and singer Yoko Ono performs during a concert at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 9/50 Matthew Healy of The 1975 Matthew Healy of The 1975 performs on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 10/50 Matthew Healy of The 1975 Matthew Healy of The 1975 performing on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 11/50 Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers performs on the Other stage during day two of the Glastonbury Festival 12/50 Dan Auerbach of Black Keys Lead singer of US band Black Keys, Dan Auerbach performs at the Glastonbury Festival 13/50 The Black Keys Patrick Carney of US group The Black Keys performs on the Pyramid Stage Getty Images 14/50 Ellie Goulding British singer Ellie Goulding performs on the Other Stage on the final day of the Glastonbury Festival 15/50 Ellie Goulding British singer Ellie Goulding performs on the Other Stage on the final day of the Glastonbury Festival 16/50 Ellie Goulding Pop artist Ellie Goulding performs on the Other stage Reuters 17/50 Dolly Parton American country music star Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset, during the Glastonbury Festival 18/50 Dolly Parton and Richie Sambora Richie Sambora of US rock group Bon Jovi joins Dolly Parton on the Pyramid Stage Getty Images 19/50 Dolly Parton US country music singer Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid Stage Getty Images 20/50 Liliana Saumet of Bomba Estéreo Liliana Saumet of Colombian dance group Bomba EstÈreo performs on the Sonic Stage, on the last day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts in Somerset 21/50 Liliana Saumet and Julian Salazar of Bomba Estéreo Liliana Saumet and Julian Salazar of Colombian dance group Bomba EstÈreo perform on the Sonic Stage, on the last day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts in Somerset 22/50 Liliana Saumet and Kike Egurrola of Bomba Estéreo Liliana Saumet and Kike Egurrola of Colombian dance group Bomba Estéreo perform on the Sonic Stage Getty Images 23/50 English National Ballet Billy Bragg singing on the Pyramid Stage before a performance by English National Ballet of 'Lest We Forget' - about the First World War - at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 24/50 English National Ballet Members of the English National Ballet perform on the Pyramid stage Reuters 25/50 English National Ballet Dancers of the English National Ballet perform 'Dust', choreographed by Akram Khan, from 'Lest We Forget' on the Pyramid Stage, on the last day of the Glastonbury Festival 26/50 Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey performs at the Glastonbury Festival 27/50 Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey performs on the second day of Glastonbury 2014 Reuters 28/50 Robert Plant Robert Plant performs on the Pyramid Stage during day 2 Getty Images 29/50 Angel Haze Angel Haze performs on the pyramid Stage during day 2 Getty Images 30/50 Kelis Kelis performs on the second day of Glastonbury 2014 Reuters 31/50 Win Butler of Arcade Fire Win Butler of Arcade Fire performs The Pyramid Stage on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival Reuters 32/50 Posdnuos of De La Soul Posdnuos of De La Soul performs The Pyramid Stage on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 33/50 James Edward Bagshaw of Temples James Edward Bagshaw of Temples performs on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 34/50 Eoin Loveless of Drenge Eoin Loveless of Drenge performs on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival Gary Wolstenholme/Redferns/Getty Images 35/50 Emma Richardson of Band of Skulls Emma Richardson of Band of Skulls performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 36/50 Russell Marsden of Band of Skulls Russell Marsden of Band of Skulls performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 37/50 John Newman John Newman on The Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 38/50 John Newman John Newman sings at the Glastonbury Festival 39/50 John Newman John Newman performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 40/50 Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs performs on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 41/50 Debbie Harry of Blondie Debbie Harry of Blondie performing on the Other Stage, at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 42/50 Debbie Harry of Blondie Debbie Harry on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 43/50 Debbie Harry of Blondie Debbie Harry waves as she performs on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 44/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson of British rock group The Kaiser Chiefs performs on the Other Stage, on the first official date of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm in Somerset 45/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs The Kaiser Chiefs perform on the Other Stage, on the first official date of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm in Somerset 46/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson performs on a stage at the Glastonbury Festival 47/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson performs a surprise set with the Kaiser Chiefs, as the first act of the festival, at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 48/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm 49/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson sings at the Glastonbury Festival 50/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Singer Ricky Wilson of the band Kaiser Chiefs gestures as he performs on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset 1/50 Metallica Lead singer James Hetfield saluting the Glastonbury crowds during the band's two hour set Rex 2/50 Tom Meighan of Kasabian Lead singer Tom Meighan of Kasabian sings at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival 3/50 Tom Meighan of Kasabian Lead singer Tom Meighan of British band Kasabian performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 4/50 Ed Sheeran British singer Ed Sheeran performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 5/50 Ed Sheeran British singer Ed Sheeran performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 6/50 Tom Meighan of Kasabian Lead singer Tom Meighan of Kasabian performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 7/50 Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian performs at the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 8/50 Yoko Ono Japanese artist and singer Yoko Ono performs during a concert at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2014, held at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset 9/50 Matthew Healy of The 1975 Matthew Healy of The 1975 performs on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 10/50 Matthew Healy of The 1975 Matthew Healy of The 1975 performing on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 11/50 Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers Nicky Wire of Manic Street Preachers performs on the Other stage during day two of the Glastonbury Festival 12/50 Dan Auerbach of Black Keys Lead singer of US band Black Keys, Dan Auerbach performs at the Glastonbury Festival 13/50 The Black Keys Patrick Carney of US group The Black Keys performs on the Pyramid Stage Getty Images 14/50 Ellie Goulding British singer Ellie Goulding performs on the Other Stage on the final day of the Glastonbury Festival 15/50 Ellie Goulding British singer Ellie Goulding performs on the Other Stage on the final day of the Glastonbury Festival 16/50 Ellie Goulding Pop artist Ellie Goulding performs on the Other stage Reuters 17/50 Dolly Parton American country music star Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset, during the Glastonbury Festival 18/50 Dolly Parton and Richie Sambora Richie Sambora of US rock group Bon Jovi joins Dolly Parton on the Pyramid Stage Getty Images 19/50 Dolly Parton US country music singer Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid Stage Getty Images 20/50 Liliana Saumet of Bomba Estéreo Liliana Saumet of Colombian dance group Bomba EstÈreo performs on the Sonic Stage, on the last day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts in Somerset 21/50 Liliana Saumet and Julian Salazar of Bomba Estéreo Liliana Saumet and Julian Salazar of Colombian dance group Bomba EstÈreo perform on the Sonic Stage, on the last day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts in Somerset 22/50 Liliana Saumet and Kike Egurrola of Bomba Estéreo Liliana Saumet and Kike Egurrola of Colombian dance group Bomba Estéreo perform on the Sonic Stage Getty Images 23/50 English National Ballet Billy Bragg singing on the Pyramid Stage before a performance by English National Ballet of 'Lest We Forget' - about the First World War - at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 24/50 English National Ballet Members of the English National Ballet perform on the Pyramid stage Reuters 25/50 English National Ballet Dancers of the English National Ballet perform 'Dust', choreographed by Akram Khan, from 'Lest We Forget' on the Pyramid Stage, on the last day of the Glastonbury Festival 26/50 Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey performs at the Glastonbury Festival 27/50 Lana Del Rey Lana Del Rey performs on the second day of Glastonbury 2014 Reuters 28/50 Robert Plant Robert Plant performs on the Pyramid Stage during day 2 Getty Images 29/50 Angel Haze Angel Haze performs on the pyramid Stage during day 2 Getty Images 30/50 Kelis Kelis performs on the second day of Glastonbury 2014 Reuters 31/50 Win Butler of Arcade Fire Win Butler of Arcade Fire performs The Pyramid Stage on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival Reuters 32/50 Posdnuos of De La Soul Posdnuos of De La Soul performs The Pyramid Stage on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 33/50 James Edward Bagshaw of Temples James Edward Bagshaw of Temples performs on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 34/50 Eoin Loveless of Drenge Eoin Loveless of Drenge performs on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival Gary Wolstenholme/Redferns/Getty Images 35/50 Emma Richardson of Band of Skulls Emma Richardson of Band of Skulls performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 36/50 Russell Marsden of Band of Skulls Russell Marsden of Band of Skulls performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 37/50 John Newman John Newman on The Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 38/50 John Newman John Newman sings at the Glastonbury Festival 39/50 John Newman John Newman performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 40/50 Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs performs on Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival 41/50 Debbie Harry of Blondie Debbie Harry of Blondie performing on the Other Stage, at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 42/50 Debbie Harry of Blondie Debbie Harry on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 43/50 Debbie Harry of Blondie Debbie Harry waves as she performs on the Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 44/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson of British rock group The Kaiser Chiefs performs on the Other Stage, on the first official date of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm in Somerset 45/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs The Kaiser Chiefs perform on the Other Stage, on the first official date of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm in Somerset 46/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson performs on a stage at the Glastonbury Festival 47/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson performs a surprise set with the Kaiser Chiefs, as the first act of the festival, at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset 48/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs performs on The Other Stage during Day 1 of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm 49/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson sings at the Glastonbury Festival 50/50 Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs Singer Ricky Wilson of the band Kaiser Chiefs gestures as he performs on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset

There’s also much concern that Del Rey is glamourising a damaged, passive femininity. But the insistence of concern about her persona - lovelorn, jaded, death-weary – is not just an anxiety about power and vulnerability in representations of women. It also trades on a reluctance to allow women artists to deal in the strange, dark feelings that are part of life. We ask them to perform a life that is neat and tidy, that is logical and politically justifiable – with no unpalatable or destructive urges. And this, in fact, requires precisely that they become puppets - dancing to our anxieties about what women should be feeling and saying. If our immediate response when a woman artist touches the darkness inside herself is to demand she sanitise that darkness, we’re perpetrating yet another violence: an erasure of her experience, and of her artistic vision.

Del Rey has created a beautiful, hurtful world. That we should panic in the face of its darkness is like watching Lynch and complaining that it's creepy. And in any case why should we want our art to be comfortable? Art should hurt us a little. Poet Frederick Seidel says: 'I like poems that are daggers that sing.' Underestimate Del Rey at your peril. She’s the real deal. She’s a dagger that sings.

Unmastered: A Book On Desire, Most Difficult To Tell (Penguin), is out in paperback on 3rd July

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