"Cola" | ||||
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Song by Lana Del Rey | ||||
from the album Paradise | ||||
Length | 4:20 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
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Paradise track listing | ||||
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"Cola" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey, taken from her third extended play, Paradise (2012), and the reissue of her debut studio album, Born to Die: The Paradise Edition (2012). "Cola" first appeared in a teaser trailer posted to her official YouTube account as a snippet. The lyrics were considered controversial, causing major media outlets to respond.
"Cola" was written by Elizabeth Grant and Rick Nowels, with Grant writing lyrics for the song. When Del Rey was asked about the origin of the lyrics, she explained: "My boyfriend [Barrie-James O'Neill] is Scottish, he deems American girls very exotic. He once told me: "You American girls walk around as if your pussies tasted like Pepsi-Cola, as if you'd wrap yourself into an American flag to sleep." He deems us all very patriotic." It was produced by Nowels, with co-production handled by the production group DK. The arrangement consists of drum machines programmed by Kieron Menzies, who was also recording engineer, real drums performed by Devrim Karaoglu and Nowels, keyboards, Juno bass and acoustic guitar also played by Nowels, slide guitar performed by Tim Pierce, and strings, glockenspiel, brass, organ, electric guitar, piano and synthesizers played by Patrick Warren. The song was recorded at The Green Building in Santa Monica, with Chris Garcia and Jordan Stilwell doing additional recording. John Davis finally mastering the track at Metropolis Mastering in London. The song was at one stage referred to under the title of "Pussy" according to registrations at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Harry Fox Agency.
Following the release of "Ride" on September 25, 2012, Del Rey uploaded a trailer containing snippets of the songs from the new Paradise EP and Paradise Edition of Born to Die. In the clip, she sings, "My pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola/My eyes are wide like cherry pies." In the trailer and first edition of the new track listing, "Cola" is referred to under its alternative title of "Pussy". Yet on the final versions of the Paradise EP and Born to Die - Paradise Edition it is listed as only "Cola". On November 14, 2012, Digital Spy announced that Del Rey would be releasing the song as the EP's second single. Defending the track, she said that her record label had reservations about releasing it.