When a new artist enters the music scene with a sultry voice, vintage filters, and lyrical references that echo an Americana past, comparisons are inevitable. For Remy Bond, those comparisons almost always land right on the shoulders of Lana Del Rey. Accusations on TikTok and Reddit are constantly flowing: “She’s copying Lana!” “Another industry plant!” “Nepo baby with no originality!”  

What’s missing from the online discourse is a deeper look at the context and influences behind Remy Bond’s artistry.  

Is Remy is Inspired by Lana?

Lana Del Rey is my top listened to artist… I know all Lana songs and lore like the back of my hand. It would be disingenuous to claim Remy Bond isn’t influenced by Lana Del Rey. In my opinion, she 100% is. From the melancholic Americana themes to the soft, vintage visual palette, Lana’s fingerprints are there. But that doesn’t make Remy a “copycat”. It makes her a participant in a lineage of artists exploring the same nostalgic, romanticized lens of American femininity.  

And that lineage is long.  

Before Lana ever sang about blue jeans and cherry pies, there was Nancy Sinatra in her go-go boots, Patsy Cline with her heartbreaking ballads, and Dolly Parton, who wrote gut wrenching lyrics and had hair as high as her vocal range.   

Before them, there was Billie Holiday with her sorrowful jazz. Lana Del Rey herself has credited Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, and Nina Simone as key influences. So why is it so controversial when Remy Bond is inspired by the same soundscape and cultural references? Is Lana Del Rey the gatekeeper of Lou Reed or Sid and Nancy now?  

One Reddit commenter summed it up perfectly:

“It’s ridiculous to think that someone owns a genre of music  and that others who sound similar are 'copying.’  Everyone is inspired by someone else—even Lana.”

The Double Standard of Female Artists

Is there an unspoken rule in music that women aren’t allowed to exist in the same genre without being pitted against each other??

In Remy’s case, some of the criticism veers into willful ignorance. One popular claim is that her “Summer Song” music video rips off Lana’s “National Anthem.” But beyond both videos featuring a Black male love interest (who, in Remy’s case, is her actual long term boyfriend), the similarities end there. “Summer Song” pays homage to 1950s and 60s culture with vintage playboy bunnies, mid-century settings, and the soft femininity of a Sofia Coppola film. It echoes Priscilla Presley, not just Lana Del Rey’s interpretation of her. 

Let’s be honest… why are we assuming that just because two women have similar aesthetics, one must be copying the other. Inspiration isn’t theft.  

Remy Bond Has a Vision of Her Own

What the critics overlook is Remy’s sharp creative direction and lush lyricsm. Her music may be rooted in vintage aesthetics, but there’s just something about the way she puts it all together that makes her different than other artists I listen to.  

This is an artist who thoughtfully curated a public persona that leans into Americana with the sincerity of someone who grew up loving it, not someone trying to chase trends. She references Elvis, Dolly, and the Ronettes with the reverence of someone raised on their music. 

The Issue of “Nepotism Baby” Discourse

Like many public figures who grew up around the industry, Remy has been labeled a “nepo baby”. In my opinion this is a term that, while sometimes valid, often gets misused as a lazy discredit to genuine talent. The truth is, proximity to fame doesn’t guarantee artistry. What Remy is proving is that she has vision, and she knows how to execute it.  

We should be able to have honest discussions about access and privilege without erasing someone’s creative merit. Remy’s lyricism, aesthetics, and sound deserve evaluation on their own terms… not reduced to her background or who her family is.  

Shared Influences ≠ Copying

A key misunderstanding in this whole discourse is the idea that once one artist references something, no one else can touch it. But let’s imagine this: you’re a singer, inspired by the Ronettes (their beehive hair, winged eyeliner, and dreamy harmonies). You emulate them. Years later, someone accuses you of copying Amy Winehouse, even though your inspiration is the same.    

That’s what’s happening here.     

Remy and Lana might cite the same pop culture touchpoints, but they are doing it differently. Remy’s not copying Lana. She’s just part of the same musical style. 

She’s not a copycat!!

I can tell that Remy Bond is clearly inspired by Lana Del Rey. But she’s also inspired by decades of artists before Lana. The idea that she’s not allowed to exist in this space just because another woman did it first is regressive and tired.  

Rather than gatekeeping aesthetics, we should welcome new interpretations of old styles. Because if we want music to evolve, we have to let artists pay homage, blend influences, and create something of their own.   

Remy’s doing exactly that.   

And honestly? I think she’s doing it beautifully.