In the second season of “Euphoria,” Lana Del Rey debuts her dreamy new single, “Watercolor Eyes,” dropping her first song of 2022. Del Rey’s ethereal voice fits perfectly with the aesthetically dreamy atmosphere created by HBO’s Euphoria.

“Euphoria” is centered around its unreliable narrator Rue, a teenage drug addict. With a mix of different characters dealing with their own vices, the series is full of scenes involving heartbreak, drugs, love and tons of drama. Getting Del Rey to create a song for the soundtrack could not be a better fit. If anyone understands melodrama, it would be Del Rey, as her music tackles the same issues presented in the series.

The hype of the song first came when a Twitter account posted “Lana fans can start getting excited about this new ‘Euphoria’ season,” on Jan. 10. This resulted in many believing that Del Rey would make an appearance on the latest season. Del Rey fans did not stop following the news, and on Jan. 15, a fan found out that Del Rey’s “Watercolor Eyes” had been officially registered. On Jan. 19, it was announced that a new Del Rey single would be on the “Euphoria” soundtrack and would premier on the third episode of the newest season. Del Rey is joining many other artists in the soundtrack, including Labyrinth who scored the soundtrack of the first season which aired in 2020. 

Musically, the song is gentle and has a slow melody. Along with the music, her voice brings a refreshing melancholy tone that sways the listener into a dreamlike state. In the lyrics Del Rey references many different aspects of the show, as well as specific plot points. The title of the song itself,      “Watercolor Eyes,” could be seen as a reference to the glitter eye makeup worn by many of the main characters like Rue and Jules. 

Going more in depth with the lyrics on the track, the listener can break down the many themes of the song and how it coincides with the show. The first lines begin by mentioning the toxic relationship exhibited by main characters Nate and Maddy.

“Breakin’ up with me, then makin’ up” From the very first season of “Euphoria,” the story follows the ever-toxic relationship shared between Nate Jacobs and Maddy Perez. Their relationship is plagued by cheating, abuse and jealousy. While Maddy and Nate have recently broken things off, they always seem to end up running back to each other anyway. 

Following the first verse, the pre-chorus changes the subject to making references to drugs and drug use.

“I think that you taste like rock candy … Wild horses can’t keep us together.”

Rock candy can be used as a figurative phrase to mean methamphetamine.The themes of drugs and addiction in Del Rey’s songs are recurring, and are used here to coincide with the addiction Rue Bennett is facing in “Euphoria.”

Lines such as: “Young love don’t always last forever …Your love stings like blood and a lemon” are again referencing the relationships that are portrayed in the show. Every relationship in the show has a cloud of toxicity looming over it. The characters in the HBO show are high schoolers. At this age, they are navigating complicated relationships and friendships for the first time which does not come easy, as the characters’ experiences continue to reveal. This line conveys the idea that love in high school will not last forever, even if it feels like it will. The blood and lemon in the next line embrace the toxic nature of many of these relationships. In a sense, the pain of having a lemon squeezed over an open wound gives the listener a feel for how painful truly loving someone can be.

In all, Fordham alumni Lana Del Rey is having a refreshing and exciting resurgence with her newest track and I hope to see more from her. The writers and producers of “Euphoria” seem to know who their audience is and what artists fit their aesthetic and the soundtrack never fails to be perfectly matched.