"Guess whose lyric" is a game you could easily play with Lana Del Rey and Courtney Love. The two anti-heroes deal with the grotesque and beauty of fame better than anyone else, not to mention the tragic. Take Hole's "Doll Parts," where Love sings I fake it so real I am beyond fake, a sentiment that could be Del Rey's motto. At their Hollywood Bowl show last night, as part of Del Rey's Endless Summer Tour, the similarities between the two artists were even more apparent. Here are all of the reasons they may make a perfect team.
1. They both rep L.A.
Even though she's from New York, Lana Del Rey has become an L.A. ambassador with her visual references to Hollywood and her flower crown-topped Coachella aesthetic. She's also penned an anthem for the city, "West Coast," a song she performed last night that nods to another quintessential Los Angeles artist, Fleetwood Mac. Courtney Love also had the band in mind when she covered their "Gold Dust Woman" last night, after playing her own ode to the West Coast, "Malibu."
2. They're both case studies on celebritydom
"I feel like a 70-year-old Marlene Dietrich up here," said Courtney Love last night, though that statement could have just as easily come from Lana Del Rey. Dietrich, an iconic 20th century actress and singer, was known for reinventing herself, something both Del Rey and Love can relate to. Over their careers, the pair have shown a precocious understanding of what it means to be a celebrity, and used that to their advantage to create their own mythical aura. Plus, in many ways, their music is about iconography and celebrity. Courtney Love wrote an entire album about it, Celebrity Skin, while Lana has name-checked James Dean, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe.
3. Fatalism and tragedy are recurring themes in their music
"Die" is a word that frequently gets thrown out at a Lana Del Rey and Courtney Love show. Del Rey romanticizes dying young in tracks like "Born to Die," and Love pleads for somebody to "kill" her in "Miss World." The one difference between them is that Courtney Love had to suffer through a similar reality. If you live through this with me I swear that I will die for you, she sings in "Asking For It," which is difficult to not read as a song about her late husband, Kurt Cobain, and was released on Hole's second album Live Through This just four days after his death.
4. Leonard Cohen is one of their favorite artists
The audience was treated to two Leonard Cohen covers last night. Love performed "Take This Longing," while Del Rey sang "Chelsea Hotel No. 2." "I remember listening to Leonard Cohen talking about how lucky he was to be blessed with his muse Janis [Joplin]," Del Rey said in her introduction to the track, "and then and how he loved roaming around with no five-year plan going from place to place."
5. They have the same stage habit
I stood close enough to smell @LanaDelRey cigarette and I swear never have I ever thought a cigarette smelt so sweet pic.twitter.com/jWr2yurodh
— Mae (@ZONAWILD) May 15, 2015
If you go to a Courtney Love and Lana Del Rey show, chances are you'll see them both lighting up cigarettes on stage.
6. They both have low key looks
Lana Del Rey performing at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California (May 18) #THEENDLESSSUMMERTOUR #3 pic.twitter.com/o4U7xWgwGi
— Lana Del Rey World (@LanaDelReyWorld) May 19, 2015
Multiple wardrobe changes aren't Del Rey and Love's style. Instead Love and Del Rey keep it low key in one dress. For Del Rey, it was a white babydoll frock, a look Love made iconic in the '90s. Love meanwhile wore a gown and a tiara, her answer to Lana Del Rey's signature flower crown.
7. Their fans know they're loved
.@LanaDelRey in the crowd @HollywoodBowl mind blown. pic.twitter.com/Kt2TUq7DOp
— Razorstarzz (@razorstarzz) May 19, 2015
There is a pretty good chance that you will get to directly interact with Courtney Love and Lana Del Rey at one of their shows. During Love's set, she took time to talk to audience members between songs. Del Rey, on the other hand, had multiple breaks throughout her set dedicated to collecting her gifts—bouquets, flower crowns, American flags—taking selfies, and doling out kisses on the cheek.
8. Courtney Love does enough talking for the both of them
@lanadelrey opening night #queensofanguish ! Houston !
A photo posted by Courtney Love Cobain (@courtneylove) on
While Lana Del Rey often pauses to spend time with her fans, she doesn't offer much banter during a show. "Such an amazing feeling to be here with everybody and to share the night with Courtney too" and "Ugh, finally back on the West Coast" were among the few statements she made on stage. Love, however, was all chit-chat when she was up at the mic. She did an impression of Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," she made ample flower crown jokes ("What a special night to have your wine and cheese and flower crowns"), and she poked fun at the crowd. "It's about narcissism, which none of you know about, because none of you live in Los Angeles," she said before playing her new track "Miss Narcissist." "That's cute right?"
9. Their pussies have distinct tastes, according to Courtney Love
"Lana Del Rey! Her pussy tastes like cherry Cola! And my pussy tastes like lilacs."
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Mark Metcalfe/Bertrand Guay