Lana Del Rey on Being a Pop Star | Billboard 

Billboard Women in Music 'Trailblazer' Lana Del Rey: 'There's Not Such a Narrow Lane for 'Pop''

In the video for "High By the Beach," her Billboard Hot 100 hit from August, Lana Del Rey shoots down a paparazzi helicopter while wearing a ­nightgown. This is a fitting depiction of the 30-year-old\'s persona in 2015, a character of effortless cool and capricious self-protection who\'s just as likely to declare admiration for Scarlett O\'Hara as she is for one of the world\'s ­leading Alzheimer\'s ­researchers. This year, Del Rey released her fourth LP,

, which landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and showcased her disparate interests by referencing "Rapper\'s Delight," The Eagles and Billie Holiday. "The most ­encouraging thing about the climate for artists right now is there\'s not such a narrow lane for what is considered \'pop,\' " says Del Rey. "I feel like anything goes -- and ­hopefully pop songs will continue to have a little more depth and texture behind them."

"I love the discussions I had with Elon Musk this year, and I enjoyed my talk with [geneticist/molecular biologist] John Hardy, who is trying to ­understand what causes Alzheimer\'s."

"One of the most promising techniques I learned about was ­optogenetics: a biological technique that involves the use of light to control cells in living tissue."

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"I went back and looked at a lot of documentaries on actors and ­historical figures I admire. I especially liked

"I love Joan Baez and Julie London. I love their voices, and I relate to their artistic nuances, as well as what they stood for. Also, I love Scarlett O\'Hara and Joan of Arc."

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"I really loved being in Portofino this year -- the beautiful buildings that date back hundreds of years, the weather and the culture."

Embarked on the 20-date Endless Summer Tour, which included eight shows with Courtney Love

Covered Daniel Johnston\'s "Some Things Last a Long Time" for a short film about the outsider artist

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 12 issue of Billboard.

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