Lana Del Rey and Quavo's long-awaited trap-country salute to Americana is finally here. The two artists had spent the past few months teasing their collaboration and pastoral visuals before debuting it live at Del Rey's June 20 show at Fenway Park. On July 3, just in time for Independence Day, the song hit streaming. And it didn't just go hard, it went carry.
The two artists co-directed the bucolic visual alongside Wyatt Spain Winfrey. And while their “Southern Tumblr” aesthetic and use of vivid, Western iconography was to be expected, their lyrics are somewhat unexpected, revealing a deep loyalty to family roots and personal stories. between both performers.
Sonically, “Tough” is a throwback to the hip-hop influences that Del Rey marked on her debut album born to die. He opens the track with a picturesque chorus, comparing his inner toughness to “the scrape of a pair of old leather boots,” “blue-collar attitude, red dirt” and “a .38 made of brass.” The references give credit to both his low-budget roots and hint at his next project lasso it will be a country record.
On the other hand, Quavo's contemplative verse transports him back to a tough childhood in Atlanta, and one that hasn't necessarily gotten any easier in adulthood. “Still shine like a diamond in the rough / And that's hard if you never lost someone you love,” he raps, apparently a nod to the loss of his Migos bandmate and nephew Takeoff in 2022. However, makes the case for perspective in the face of pain, adding, “It's not something you want to do, it's just something you're going through.”
While “Tough” is a slight pivot from Del Rey's last album Did you know there is a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, the singer's devotion to sharing specific memories and her family's roots (as in “The Grants”) remains strong. There's joy in the duo's chemistry, like when Quavo asks her out for a ride and she laughs in the outro, but beneath the throbbing guitars is a shared loyalty to where they come from.
For both artists, the recognition of one's history is, perhaps, the key to strength. On the bridge, they say so, singing in unison: “If you come from where you come from, then you were born hard.”
Listen to Lana Del Rey and Quavo's “Tough” below.
