Lana Del Rey Teases Ethel Cain-Inspired Track, Fans Speculate on Feud
Lana Del Rey has set social media ablaze after sharing a snippet of her unreleased track, widely believed to be titled All About Ethel. In a short Instagram video posted yesterday, the singer is seen driving while the song plays in the background. The opening lyric—“Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago pose”—immediately caught fans’ attention for its direct nod to fellow artist Ethel Cain.
This isn’t the first time fans have drawn connections between the two. The lyric appears to reference a pair of eerily similar photos from 2021 and 2022, showing both Del Rey and Cain posing with musician Jack Donoghue, a former partner of Del Rey. One image was taken outside Cook County Jail in Chicago, the other by a dam. These parallels have fueled speculation about an undercurrent of rivalry between the two musicians.
The Waffle House Connection
Later in the song, Del Rey sings, “The most famous girl at the Waffle House,” a phrase lifted directly from a 2022 New York Times profile on Cain. In a cheeky twist, Del Rey herself was spotted working a mock shift at an Alabama Waffle House in 2023, a stunt that seemed to nod at the article’s headline while further blurring the line between playful homage and subtle jab.
The internet quickly picked up on the layered references, sparking countless memes and debate threads. Following the clip’s release, Cain reportedly posted on Instagram that Del Rey had blocked her account, further adding fuel to the speculation.
What’s Next for Both Artists
While the lyrical references are stirring plenty of drama online, the music itself has fans excited. All About Ethel marks one of the clearest previews yet of Del Rey’s next project, an album she originally announced in late 2024 for a May 2025 release. Although delayed and rumored to be renamed from Lasso to The Right Person Will Stay, the record is expected to feature collaborations with Luke Laird, Jack Antonoff, Zach Dawes, and Drew Erickson. She debuted two tracks earlier this year and teased another during her Stagecoach Festival set in April.
Meanwhile, Ethel Cain is riding a wave of critical acclaim with her latest album, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, which earned a five-star review from Far Out magazine. Whether the lyrical exchange turns into a full-fledged feud or remains a playful back-and-forth, both artists appear firmly in their creative prime—keeping fans and the music press watching closely.