Lana Del Rey shouted out Olivia Rodrigo and SZA in her acceptance speech for the Visionary Award at the 2023 Billboard Women In Music event.
The ‘Video Games’ hitmaker paid tribute to her fellow female pop stars at the ceremony at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on Wednesday (01.03.23), gushing that she was thrilled to be handed the prize from 20-year-old Olivia.
She began her acceptance speech: “I can’t tell you how much it means that someone [Olivia] who wrote ‘Drivers License’ is standing next to me
Lana also said of this year’s Woman of the Year recipient: “SZA, from the minute I heard you, I knew I wanted to know you.”
Olivia was Woman of the Year for 2022.
The 37-year-old star went on to address the criticism she faced early on in her career for expressing herself and said it’s “wonderful” that artists today can do so freely now.
She said: “I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all, but if you were curious, I am very, very happy.
“When I released my first album 14 years ago, the waters were not quite as warm. I’m really happy for everyone who feels like it’s a wonderful time in the culture to be themselves and express themselves. It didn’t feel that way in 2008.”
The ‘White Dress’ singer concluded: “I feel like being happy is the ultimate goal, so I did it.
“Thank you, Billboard!”
Meanwhile, Lana’s dad has just launched his own music career.
Rob Grant announced last week that he will release his debut piano album ‘Lost at Sea’ on June 9, and also shared the lead single ‘Setting Sail On A Distant Horizon’.
Lana – who added her vocals to the album’s title track and the closing song ‘Hollywood Bowl’ – commented on Instagram: “This is either gonna be the beginning of something beautiful or take us all down… May the force be w all of us. I mean let’s get real – he’s always been the star.”
The ‘Born to Die’ hitmaker – whose mother is Patricia Grant – also lent her dad her superstar producer Jack Antonoff for the project.
The 68-year-old copywriter – who has inked a record deal with Decca Records – become an “accidental musician”.
A press release noted: “He can’t read sheet music. But when he sits down at a piano, notes flow from him. Melodies come unbidden.
“He can play for hours. Emotion overwhelms thought, and out pours composition after composition.”