“As I got older, especially with the social justice movement and the unraveling of the American Dream, the unraveling of Hollywood, the unraveling of celebrity culture, it was kind of like, it’s all a sham,” she said at the time. “All that glamour and old opulence is built on the backs of hard-working people who will never get the recognition, and it’s just a facade that you start to see through.”
Also in 2021, Cain shared the same sentiment in conversation with Hero Magazine while openly addressing comparisons to Del Rey. “I love Lana, I love her older music. Her newer stuff doesn’t really resonate with me, but I’d be a liar to say I never loved Lana. Musically, I’m not super inspired by her, but I see where comparisons could be drawn. The music is deeper, sultrier, smokier. It’s lazy and sexy while still having viper-like femininity,” she said.
“But here’s the line between Lana and me. Lana is all façade; she is glamour, she is old Hollywood, she is the peak opulence of the American Dream. And for me, I’m like, that’s just not what America is to me. I think America is the bottom line — it’s the poor people, the people who have been the most affected by the government, by the system. People who are constantly spat on.”
There are also screenshots circulating online of posts that seem to come from Cain’s X and Tumblr accounts criticizing Del Rey; however, due to both of Cain’s accounts being deleted or rehomed, it’s difficult to verify when they were posted or if they even came from Cain.
How is Nicki Minaj involved in all this?
On August 15, 2025, Nicki Minaj inserted herself in the Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain feud by posting a long tirade on her X account. It all started with a post that read: “I’ve been singing ‘Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post’ all morning. Help!!!!! And something about the Waffle House & a picture w/some boy? But how can a melody & instruments & background vocals & the mixing be so good that I’m walking around all day talking about a person named Ethel who I do not know hating an Instagram post I never even posted? HELP MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I’m sure Ethel is a nice person. *hums the melody again & drifts off into this somber state whilst looking off into the horizon.”
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