Lana Del Rey on Thursday accepted the Billboard Women in Music Visionary Award 2023. The star shouted out SZA and Olivia Rodrigo during her acceptance speech.
The award was presented to the 37-year-old singer-songwriter by the last year’s Woman of the Year Olivia Rodrigo. The star mouthed, ‘I Love You’ to the ‘Traitor’ singer before taking the stage to accept the honour.
“I can’t tell you how much it means that someone who wrote ‘Drivers License’ is standing next to me,” Lana said after Olivia handed her the award, before shouting out this year’s Woman of the Year: “SZA, from the minute I heard you, I knew I wanted to know you.”
“I don’t exactly have a long-term vision at all, but if you were curious, I am very, very happy,” Lana continued. “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.”
‘Being Happy is the Ultimate Goal’
The singer further added, “I feel like being happy is the ultimate goal, so I did it. Thank you, Billboard!”
Lana Del Rey is all set to release her next studio album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd on March 24.
“Eleven years ago I wanted it to be so good. Now, I just sing exactly what I’m thinking. I’m thinking a little less big and bombastic. Maybe at some point I can have fun creating a world again, but right now, I would say there’s no world building. This music is about thought processing. It’s very, very wordy. I’m definitely living from the neck up,” she spoke in the Billboard Women in Music interview.