Lana Del Rey recently posted a snippet of what is apparently a diss track about Ethel Cain, and there’s something small-town-Americana poetic about it. If you’re into symbolism and imagery, I’d like to offer the suggestion of Del Rey and Cain settling their beef with a quintessential brawl in Waffle House.
Del Rey shared the post on social media on August 13, which featured a video of herself sitting in her car while a snippet of unheard material played over the speakers. “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago post,” can be head, as Del Rey lip-syncs along.
The snippet continues, “Hard to roll in slow motion / Hard to say no to precaution / Hard to stop when it’s like an ocean / Not afraid to say I’m going down in flames.”
The “Chicago post” mention is likely a reference to a series of photos, one posted by Del Rey and the other by Cain later. In 2022, Lana Del Rey posted a photo on Instagram with Salem band member Jack Donoghue, who she was dating at the time. They were standing in front of a sign for the Cook County Department of Corrections.
Later, Cain posted a photo on Twitter with Donoghue as well, this time in front of what looks to be a dam. There’s never been any evidence or confirmation that Cain and Donoghue dated, however.
Lana Del Rey Disses Ethel Cain with unheard track
Elsewhere in the diss track, Lana Del Rey sings, “The most famous girl at the Waffle House / I don’t regret it / The most famous girl at the Waffle House.” There are two ways to interpret this line. Either Del Rey is referencing a New York Times headline about Ethel Cain from 2022 which called her The Most Famous Girl At The Waffle House, or she’s referencing her own stint at the notorious diner.
In 2023, Del Rey was documented working a shift at a Birmingham, Alabama, Waffle House. This became a beloved meme for fans, one that remained unexplained for a while before Del Rey finally shared her motive. According to an interview from The Hollywood Reporter, Del Rey was just hanging out at Waffle House with her brother and sister when the manager offered them shirts. Del Rey received a name tag, took photos with fans, and then served a little breakfast. Not a PR stunt for her recently released album, but simply the outcome of Del Rey being good at making new friends.
“Lana Del Rey Walked so Ethel Cain Could Run”
As for her beef with Ethel Cain, there doesn’t seem to be a clear explanation for that. Some fans posit that Del Rey may be sick of being compared to Cain, as the two are often lumped in together. Cain has addressed these claims in the past on Tumblr, when she replied to a post stating “Lana Del Rey walked so Ethel Cain could run.”
“I pushed her over when I ran past,” Cain replied, and “She’ll never catch up to me in her Macy’s dress.”
All things considered, this unexplainable beef could do wonders for their respective albums. Ethel Cain recently released Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, while Del Rey is still working on the recently renamed The Right Person Will Stay. Still, could a diss track be the gateway drug to a knock-down-drag-out at Waffle House for these two?
Photo by Nicky J. Sims/Getty Images For ABA