Lana Del Rey has signed a publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, sources tell Billboard. The singer-songwriter was previously affiliated with Sony Music Publishing.
News of the UMPG deal arrives just a day after Del Rey was announced as one of the headliners for this year’s Coachella alongside Tyler, The Creator and Doja Cat. It also follows a banner year for Del Rey, who released her ninth studio album Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd? to critical acclaim on March 24, 2023. The album is now Grammy-nominated in five categories: album of the year, best alternative music album, best alternative music performance (“A&W”), best pop duo/group performance (“Candy Necklaces” with Jon Batiste) and song of the year (“A&W”).
A source says the publishing agreement was signed in 2023, but the deal was never formally announced. On Wednesday (Jan. 17), UMPG seemingly nodded to its platinum-selling signee in an Instagram post, featuring Del Rey with UMPG CEO and chairman Jody Gerson. The caption reads: “See you in the desert LDR 🎡🌵.”
Since her first album, Born To Die, in 2012, Del Rey has released music with Polydor Records and Interscope Records. Her publishing agreement unites her publishing and recorded music under the Universal Music Group umbrella.
Throughout her career, Del Rey has notched 15 songs on the Hot 100 Chart, including two top 10s: “Snow On The Beach” by Taylor Swift (ft. Lana Del Rey) and “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais. All nine of her studio albums have peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Del Rey is managed by TaP music’s Ben Mawson and Ed Millet.