Rating: 7.2/10

Lana Del Rey appears to be gearing up for a new album cycle with her new single, “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter.”

Her single, co-written by her sister, brother-in-law, husband and herself, as well as produced by long-time collaborator, Jack Antonoff, is a peephole into the direction her album may take. Familial bonds and partnerships could be major themes of the album, while sonically it might not be far from the music fans know Del Rey to release. 

It’s been about three years since her last full-length album, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” Since then, Del Rey has been nominated for five Grammys, got married and released five singles.

Del Rey has been on-again, off-again with her album’s release date. Originally under the name “Lasso” and then “The Right Person Will Stay,” her album’s anticipated release was September 2024, then May 2025.  

In an interview with W Magazine, Del Rey announced her record “Stove” to be released in January 2026. 

To little surprise, no album came. 

Finally, in an Instagram story, Del Rey announced her new single to be released on Feb. 17 and an album in “Three months plus two weeks.”

While fans wait for her record, Del Rey asked in her Instagram story to “focus on the single.”

The track opens eerily with horns and gothic piano chords. At the 12-second mark, the track transports listeners into a new soundscape as guitar strumming takes over. She opens with strong pronunciation as she sings, “He’s my white feather hawk tail deer hunter.”

In typical Del Rey fashion, her lyrics are poetic and can be left up to interpretation. 

This ballad, however, has her marital love written all over it. She sings of meeting and falling in love with her husband like an arrow through the heart of a sparrow, going as far as to say that he’s in her bone marrow.

The result of that love has left her rather domesticated. She writes about cooking meals on the stove for her husband, despite burning herself at times, calling “yoo-hoo” when dinner is ready.

Sonically, the single is reminiscent of “Chemtrails Over the Country Club.” Her 2021 record brought a rustic, almost country sound to Del Rey’s discography. “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” appears to be a reunion with this style of music.

Lyrically, however, it’s a shift for the singer. In previous records, such as “Ultraviolence,” Del Rey sings of different love experiences. From unrequited love to toxic relationship dynamics, that record explored love in an unfavorable light. In “Shades of Cool,” she writes of a man who is “unfixable,” and it’s a theme we see throughout much of her lyrics. Hopeless romance was her schtick. 

In current times, however, things have changed. 

The pre-chorus of  “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” introduces more orchestral woodwinds as the singer admits the strangeness of being in this kind of love, saying, “I know it’s strange to see me cooking/ for my husband but/ it’s positively voodoo, everything that you do.” 

It’s almost as if she’s addressing her fans who have known her for her past writing styles. In a newfound love, she’s found new inspiration. 

While the album has yet to be officially released, her new single is further confirmation that it’s close. 

For now, in Del Rey’s words, her single will speak for itself. 

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