Elizabeth Grant, popularly known as Lana Del Rey, is a singer/songwriter who has received critical acclaim and awards for her music.

She was born in Manhattan, NY on June 21, 1985, to mother Patricia Ann Hill and Robert England Grant, Jr. As a child, she attended Fordham University, a Catholic school in New York, before being sent to Kent Boarding School in Connecticut. Before becoming famous, Del Rey would wait tables at Lake Placid to make ends meet while trying to jumpstart her career by performing at open mics and club gigs. In 2011, everything changed when she posted a video of her song “Video Games” on YouTube which quickly went viral and ultimately won her the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song. Soon after gaining popularity, Del Rey released her album,”Born to Die,” solidifying her place as a top alternative pop star.

However, this newfound success also generated a lot of backlash. In 2012, she performed on “SNL” and was instantly made fun of for her performance.  Del Rey ended up deleting social media after being fed up with online hate and to this day, continues to speak up for herself against those who target her. Despite all of the online hate, the artist refuses to let the negativity discourage her from pursuing her passion. Since her first major studio album, Del Rey has released six more albums, detailing her life in an honest manner and stylish manner. The singer intends to continue making art and live by her personal motto every single day- “I have a personal ambition to live my life honestly and honor the true love that I’ve had and also the people I’ve had around me. I want to stay hopeful, even though I get scared about why we’re even alive at all. I believe nothing happens by mistake.”