Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain’s simmering tensions have boiled over into music, and the lyrics are making fans questions if there is drama between the two. On Wednesday, August 13, Del Rey, 40, posted a clip on Instagram of her upcoming track “All About Ethel” from her 10th album, opening with a line that seems to take direct aim at the younger singer: “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute reenacting my Chicago pose.”
The reference appears to point to a viral 2022 photo of Del Rey posing with then-boyfriend Jack Donoghue outside Chicago’s Cook County Jail. Cain had previously shared, and later deleted, a nearly identical shot from 2021 with Donoghue.
Del Rey doubles down later in the track, singing: “The most famous girl at the Waffle House / I don’t regret it / The most famous girl at the Waffle House.” The lyric echoes a May 11, 2022, New York Times profile of Cain titled “The Most Famous Girl at the Waffle House.”
In a twist of irony, Del Rey herself briefly worked at a Waffle House in Alabama in 2023, an appearance she later described as unplanned after staff handed her a T-shirt.
Shortly after the song snippet went live, Cain posted to her Instagram Story: “Update: Lana Del Rey has blocked Ethel Cain on Instagram.”Del Rey quickly fired back in her own post, saying she was “deeply disturbed” by Cain’s behavior and alleging that the singer had made “constant comments about my weight” and had been “inserting herself into my personal life.”
“I didn’t know who Ethel was until a few years ago, when someone brought to my attention the disturbing and graphic side-by-side images she would often put up of me next to unflattering creatures and cartoon characters, making constant comments about my weight. I was confused at what she was getting at,” Del Rey wrote.
“Then, when I heard what she was saying behind closed doors from mutual friends and started inserting herself into my personal life, I was definitely disturbed.”
Fans Point Out Ethel’s Shift in Tone Toward Lana Del Rey
On X (formerly Twitter), fans have been resurfacing old posts showing how Ethel Cain’s public comments about Lana Del Rey have changed over the years. Early on, Cain often praised Del Rey’s music and even covered her songs, but by 2020, her tone appeared to shift. That year, she began posting and commenting in ways fans interpreted as shady, particularly when comparing herself or her work to Del Rey’s, sparking speculation about a brewing rivalry long before the latest lyrical drama.
Who is Ethel Cain?
Ethel Cain, 27, is the stage name of singer-songwriter Hayden Anhedönia, an American artist known for her cinematic, gothic Americana sound. Rising from Florida’s DIY music scene, she gained critical acclaim with her 2022 debut album Preacher’s Daughter, a haunting concept record that blends Southern Gothic storytelling with themes of religion, identity, and trauma.
Despite the tension, Cain has previously credited Del Rey as a major influence on her music career and has covered her songs, including “Born to Die.” She has yet to respond to the latest allegations.
Excerpt from the Lyrics of 'All About Ethel' by Lana del Rey
Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post
Thinks it's cute reenactin' my Chicago poseHard to roll in slow motion
Hard to say no to cau-caution
Hard to stop when it's like an ocean
Not afraid to say I'm goin' down in flames
The most famous girl at the Waffle House
I don't regret it
The most famous girl at the Waffle House
My best friend's grandfather invented the design
How could I be afraid to hide the shine?
It follows me wherever I go
I'm as famous at a show
As I am on the Florida-Alabama Line
By the way, Jack said don't call him
And take the other Jack's name out your phone