Re-igniting dating rumors Lana Del Rey and Quavo have collaborated on a brand new single from Lana’s upcoming studio album. In the song, the two artists explore the difficulties of being in a relationship, especially if their backgrounds don’t align.
“Tough” is a brand new single from Lana Del Rey likely ushering in the next chapter of her career. The upcoming tenth studio album by Lana is expected to be titled ‘Lasso.’ Lana told the public that the direction of the album still remains a mystery.
The song brings metaphors of ‘things’ that give a sensation of toughness or long-lasting and compares them to what Lana Del Rey has with her partner. She says that despite the circumstances, if they want to make a relationship last, they will fight for it.
Listen to “Tough” by Lana Del Rey and Quavo
Lana Del Rey “Tough” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
The chorus of the song draws clear indications of the Western culture–red dirt, leather boots, and guns. This makes even more sense as the tenth studio album is expected to be titled ‘Lasso.’ It is also a reference to where Quavo is from–Atlanta, Georgia.
Life’s gonna do what it does
This lyric is loaded. Events in life more often than not seem to be out of our control. Things just happen and we find our way around or through it. There’s never going back in life. It is constantly moving forward even though it might feel like we are stuck in place. Life will do its thing–for better or for worse. How we face them is entirely up to us.
Lana says she is cut like a diamond–shines through thick and thin. It is also noteworthy that diamonds form under extreme pressure underneath the soil. So, the tougher the situations around get, the brighter she shines coming out of them.
In the first verse of the song, Lana compares her failed relationships to being stuck in the mud. Now that she is out of the mud, she feels a freedom she has never felt before. If their love is as strong as the diamonds that form in the depths, they can dance through the storms above ground with ease.
Still family if you’re wrong or you’re right
You don’t get to pick your biological family–this can be a blessing and a curse. They can be right or wrong but they always remain family. Your family can be supportive of your actions or not. This is the toughest part. You can let go of your frenemies. But family is hard to cut loose.
If you come from where you come, then you were born tough
This lyric speaks to the upbringing of a person coming from different circumstances and backgrounds. The neighborhoods you grow up in have a big impact on how you perceive life and how you adapt to the world. Quavo himself lost his father when he was five years old and later he witnessed his main music partner, Takeoff, being shot to death. Life has not come easy to him and this makes him tougher than he ever was.
It’s not what you wanna do, it’s what you’re gonna do
What you want to do in life may always not be what you have to do. In certain situations, when life poses you tough questions, you have to make tough decisions. These are not likely what you want to do. But you have to do something. ‘Doing nothing’ is also a choice you make, so it does not excuse the consequences of that action.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics to the song on Genius.