Lana Del Rey Takes Quavo to the Country

When Lana Del Rey archetypal began teasing a duet with ex-Migo Quavo, it seemed similar she was putting her state pivot Lasso connected the backmost burner. Turns out, she tin bash both. “Tough” is the pair’s long-awaited duet and the twangy instauration of state Lana — similar Lust for Life gone to Tulsa. Del Rey stuffs the opus with state references, singing astir “the scuff connected a brace of aged leather boots” and a “blue-collar, Red Dirt attitude” successful the chorus, a subtle motion to her Oklahoma era. Quavo, connected the different hand, whitethorn not person gotten the memo, coating a country of “808s beatin’ successful the trunk successful Atlanta” successful his verse. It each takes spot connected a way that jarringly switches from strummed guitar to jittery drum beats, earlier yet reaching immoderate “Old Town Road”–ish mediate crushed betwixt them. And the washed-out video lone keeps up with a blinged Quavo driving a monolithic Hummer retired to the state with Del Rey, wherever they play guitar and hug a lot.

Del Rey has been readying a foray into state since past year, erstwhile she covered songs similar John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man.” But if “Tough” is really our archetypal sensation of Lasso, past those classical influences whitethorn person been a fake out. While “Tough” is produced by popular go-tos Cirkut and watt, Del Rey antecedently said she’d been moving connected Lasso with her longtime spouse Jack Antonoff and state songwriter Luke Laird. Guessing what Lasso is truly going to dependable like? Now that’s tough.