Lana Del Rey and Quavo Team Up on “Tough,” a Country-Trap Salute to Americana and Family Roots
- Emma Zoe Polyak
- Jul 10, 2024
- 3 min read
If you’re a long-time Lana Del Rey fan like me, then Lana’s latest collab with Quavo wasn’t a surprise. Highly anticipated, yes, but not out of the blue. Not only does she have a history of collaborating with rappers – A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti on “Summer Bummer” and “Groupie Love” – but she has been an outspoken fan of Migos, sharing that they’d be her dream collab in an interview done years past. Flash forward to now, and she’s released “Tough” with former Migos member Quavo (as your no. 1 Lana fan, I like to think my manifestation was a crucial part of this collab, but I digress). The song was teased by the pair for a couple of weeks, before being premiered at Del Rey’s rainy concert at Fenway Park on June 20. They released it to stream on July 3, undoubtedly in time to coincide with Independence Day.
Technically, the song is credited as Quavo’s, with Del Rey as a feature, but that’s easy to forget as the two artists trade verses. I love that both artists have their time to shine on the track, and that Quavo let LDR’s style influence the song as much as it did. Rather than limiting her to a verse, Quavo let Del Rey take the forefront on the song, not even joining on the track until about 30 seconds in. “Tough” starts off with twangy, country guitar strums as Del Rey breezily jumps into the chorus.
“Tough like the scuff on a pair of old leather boots / Like the blue-collar, red-dirt attitude / Like a .38 made out of brass / Tough like the stuff in your grandpa’s glass / Life’s gonna do what it does / Sure as the good Lord’s up above / I’m cut like a diamond shinin’ in the rough / Tough / Tough.”
While the chorus alludes to themes familiar in LDR songs – specific family memories were all too prevalent in her recent album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, and her anticipated next album Lasso was originally said to be a country record – Quavo’s first verse recalls his tough childhood, with a seeming nod to the loss of Takeoff, his nephew and Migos bandmate.
“Come on, take a ride with me / Like the 808s beatin’ in the trunk in Atlanta, it was tough / It was kinda hard for me / Crawlin’ through the mud, I couldn’t find love, then we came up / Look at what we are, baby / Standin’ through the storm, still shinin’ like a diamond in the rough / Still shinin’, and that’s hard / If you ever lost someone that you love.”
Even though the lyrics are, at times, somber acknowledgements of LDR and Quavo’s histories, the duo still manage to showcase their playful chemistry in moments throughout the song, and even more so in the track’s music video.
Directed by Wyatt Winfrey (who has directed several Migos music videos) alongside Quavo and LDR, the music video for “Tough” is a grainy, aesthetic video set in the countryside. The pair’s chemistry is palpable, as they snuggle and explore in a field of tall grass, on a front porch, and on the road, with Quavo inviting Del Rey to the “Nawf,” as she giggles along in the outro.
While it’s sparked dating rumors, I find that their chemistry serves a larger purpose within the context of the song. It’s a reminder of togetherness amidst tough pasts, and by acknowledging their histories, they find the strength to face life’s challenges.
