Video Games (Lana Del Rey song)
Video Games is Lana Del Rey’s debut single. Co-written with Justin Parker and produced by Robopop, the song first appeared online in May 2011 and later joined her EP. It was re-released as the lead single from her second album, Born to Die, on October 7, 2011. The track blends baroque pop, dream pop, and downtempo ballad elements and lasts 4:42.
The song received widespread critical praise for Del Rey’s distinctive voice and its cinematic production. It became her breakthrough hit, topping charts in Germany, Iceland, and Luxembourg, and reaching the top ten in many other countries. In the United States, it peaked at 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. By 2016, it had sold millions of copies worldwide.
The music video, directed by Del Rey, combines webcam footage of her performing with clips from old movies and other archival material. A separate live version was released later in 2011. The video and persona around the song sparked discussion about Del Rey’s image, and she faced some notoriety after a controversial Saturday Night Live performance in January 2012; she later delivered a more controlled performance on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Video Games earned several accolades and strong rankings. It won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song in 2012, was named Song of the Decade at the 2019 Q Awards, and has appeared on various year-end and decade-end lists (for example, Pitchfork’s 2010s best songs and NME’s best single of 2011). The track is widely regarded as Del Rey’s breakout, establishing her signature cinematic, melancholic style.
The song has been covered by many artists and has appeared in TV and film, helping cement its enduring popularity.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:57 (CET).