Lana Del Rey Transforms Into Marilyn Monroe in New Video

Lana Del Rey has long held a fascination with classic Hollywood. It’s been a constant throughout earlier songs like “National Anthem” and “American,” and now, the latest single off of her recent album Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. In the video for “Candy Necklace,” Del Rey is once again tapping into the glamorous era and, one of its most formidable icons, Marilyn Monroe.

Featuring musician Jon Batiste, the video sees Del Rey take on the persona of Monroe as well as Elizabeth Short (often referred to as Black Dahlia), an aspiring actress who was murdered in the late ‘40s in LA. The singer switches between curls, updos, blondes, and brunettes that channel the essence of each, while also imprinting her own signature aesthetic and nostalgic sound.

The video features behind-the-scenes shots with Del Rey intermittently providing commentary in between her dual roles. As the video concludes, Del Rey makes her way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to visit her star and soak in the applause of onlookers. The 37-year-old singer has previously referenced Monroe in songs and visuals, most notably for “National Anthem” where she emulates Monroe’s 1962 “Happy Birthday” serenade to president John F. Kennedy.

During the all black-and-white “Candy Necklace” video, Del Rey explains her inspiration for channeling Short and Monroe: “The whole thing about the video—why it was all supposed to be behind the scenes—was because all these women who changed their names and changed their hair, like me. It’s like they all fell into these different snake holes. So the whole point is how do you learn from that and not fall into your own thing?”