Lana Del Rey Longs for Lost Lesbian Lover Jaime King in Summertime Sadness Video

We saw a brief trailer of the new Lana Del Rey 'Summertime Sadness' video yesterday, but now the full clip has hit the web -- and it's a doozy. Just as her controversial 'National Anthem' video paid homage to the Kennedys with an interracial twist, 'Summertime Sadness' seems like a 'Thelma and Louise' tribute with a twist of its own: Del Rey and her co-star, actress Jaime King, aren't BFFs. They're lesbian lovers.

Shot in a "found footage" montage, the clip opens with Del Rey gracefully diving into a smoke-filled abyss, then goes into a series of flashbacks. We see King and Del Rey spinning around, driving, exchanging glances both playful and heartbroken. There's nothing exploitative about their romance in the video, and it neither patronizes nor panders to the gay community (as many of her fellow pop stars have been accused). Later, we see King, sporting the "red dress" referred to within the song's lyrics, gracefully dive off of a bridge.

Del Rey's signature Instagram-style is a series of implicit, not explicit pining. The video, directed by King's husband, Kyle Newman, and Spencer Susser, reportedly also featured ‘Magic Mike’ star Alex Pettyfer on set as a production assistant. What could have been a tacky stunt is actually tasteful and classy, reflective of the high caliber team involved.

Eventually, the pair, in a tragedy worthy of 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Wuthering Heights' for the digital age, reunite. It's a haunting visual in more ways than one, and absolutely one worth watching more than once.

Watch the Lana Del Rey 'Summertime Sadness' Video

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