Lana Del Rey invented a sound of her own and gave the world a modern melancholy and vintage Hollywood aesthetic it lacked. Although her journey to stardom started years before the decade began, she ultimately entered the limelight in June of 2011 when she released her homemade music video for her single “Video Games.” Catching the attention of a major record label, she signed a record deal and quickly began forming her debut album “Born to Die,” which was released in January of 2012 and landed in the number two spot of the Billboard 200 chart.

In November of 2012, Del Rey continued churning out music and released her third studio EP “Paradise.” The singer declared that her love for writing came first, so when she got the opportunity to share her poetry, she ran with it. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2013 for her song “Young and Beautiful,” which was featured in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack. That same year, Del Rey released her short film “Tropico” featuring the songs “Bel Air,” “Body Electric” and “Gods and Monsters.” Within the following two years she honed her craft and released “Ultraviolence” and “Honeymoon.”

In 2017, Del Rey dropped the album “Lust for Life,” which seemed to be a turning point in her music. Before releasing the album, Del Rey explained, “I made my first four albums for me, but this one is for my fans and about where I hope we are all headed.” To close the decade, in August of this year Del Rey released “Norman F—ing Rockwell,” which topped the charts yet again, making this album her sixth U.S. top-five album.

Looking back on her work, I hope Del Rey’s passion for music never fades.