Lana Del Rey has appeared to escalate her public feud with rising alt-pop singer Ethel Cain, namechecking her in a new song and accusing her of body shaming. On Wednesday, Del Rey, 40, shared an Instagram video featuring a snippet from her next album, with lyrics referencing Cain, 27, and a 2024 photograph of Cain with Del Rey's supposed ex-boyfriend, Jack Donoghue.
The lyrics include: 'Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it's cute reenacting my Chicago pose.' The verse appears to refer to a picture of Cain and Donoghue posing in front of a dam, similar to an old photo of Del Rey and Donoghue outside Chicago's Cook County Jail. The song continues by referring to 'the most famous girl at the Waffle House,' a phrase some fans interpret as a shot at a 2022 New York Times headline about Cain.
Within hours of the teaser, Cain claimed on her Instagram Story that Del Rey had blocked her. In response, Del Rey commented on a Pop Base post, alleging that Cain had previously body-shamed her. 'I don’t know who Ethel was until a few years ago – when someone brought to my attention the disturbing and graphic side-by-side images she would often put up of me next to unflattering creatures and cartoon characters making constant comments about my weight, I was confused at what she was getting at,' Del Rey wrote.
Del Rey added that she was 'definitely disturbed' by remarks from mutual friends and by Cain 'inserting herself into my personal life.' The Independent has contacted representatives for both artists for comment. Cain, who rose to fame in 2022 with her debut album Preacher's Daughter, has long drawn comparisons to Del Rey for her moody, cinematic style.
Earlier this week, Cain began her Willoughby Tucker Forever tour to support her new album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, which has received critical acclaim. The Independent's four-star review described the record as a 'dark, Lynchian coming-of-age story.'
