Ethel Cain performs on stage at Heaven during ‘The Freezer Bride Tour’ on December 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns)
Redferns
Lana Del Rey’s latest song has been interpreted by fans as a diss against Ethel Cain, sparking rumors of a feud between the two singers.
Are Lana Del Rey And Ethel Cain In A Feud?
On August 13, Lana Del Rey posted an Instagram reel captioned “Track 13,” featuring a sample of her unreleased song, which contains the line, “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post, reenacting my Chicago pose.”
Del Rey also mentions “The most famous girl in the Waffle House,” which appears to be a reference to a 2022 New York Times profile of Cain titled “The Most Famous Girl in the Waffle House.”
The song instantly sparked rumors of a feud between the two singers—fans reckoned that Del Rey’s vague lyrics had something to do with Cain’s friendship with Del Rey’s ex, Salem musician Jack Donoghue.
Del Rey and Cain both posted photos posing with Donoghue in 2022, with the former posing in front of a prison in Chicago, which seems to explain the accusation against Cain “reenacting my Chicago pose.”
Meanwhile, Swifties were under the impression that Del Rey was actually beefing with Taylor Swift, because her song sample was posted on the same day that Swift unveiled her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Swifties, who are used to decoding hidden messages from their favorite pop star, reckoned that Del Rey labeling her song “Track 13” and posting it on August 13 was a reference to Swift’s lucky number, which is 13.
However, Swifties seem to have misread the tea leaves, as Del Rey soon elaborated, rather bafflingly, in the comments section of a Pop Base Instagram post, clarifying that she had an issue with Cain.
“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.”
Del Rey’s claim about Cain comparing her to cartoon characters inspired fans to search the web for evidence, and several screenshots of bizarre posts featuring Family Guy’s Peter Griffin have surfaced.
None have been confirmed as coming from Cain, so the story is still murky.
Cain then posted an Instagram story claiming that Del Rey had blocked her on Instagram.
Ethel Cain And Lana Del Rey Fans Fight On Social Media
Fans of the feuding singers started attacking each other all across social media, and the beef quickly got heated.
Nicki Minaj seemed to be on team Del Rey, writing that she had “been singing ‘Ethel cain hated my instagram post’ all morning,” but admitted that she had no idea who Cain was.
Azealia Banks, a hardened veteran of many, many online feuds, reckoned that Del Rey fans were being transphobic (as Ethel Cain is a trans woman), while others saw both camps as punching down.
Of course, fans also posted jokes and memes, with most seeming to enjoy the drama.
Some delighted in explaining the feud to their boyfriends.
Obviously, many made comparisons to the infamous Kendrick vs. Drake feud.
Del Rey and Cain have been compared to each other for several years, as both create melancholic melodies and nostalgic, Americana-laced music videos, but Cain doesn’t seem to see any resemblance.
Cain has repeatedly pushed back against the comparison, describing Del Rey’s image as the “peak opulence of the American Dream,” and her own art as representative of America’s working class, the “people who are constantly spat on.”
“For me, the American Dream is not real,” Cain told Hero Magazine. “And if it is, it’s built on the backs of all the people who never see any profit.”
Fans are waiting to see if Cain will deliver a response—perhaps she’s already in the recording studio.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/08/15/lana-del-ray-vs-ethel-cain-the-feud-explained/