Lana Del Rey Teases New Song Dissing Ethel Cain: “Most Famous Girl at the Waffle House”

Alternative pop artists Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain have ignited tension after Del Rey unveiled a preview of an upcoming track that seems squarely aimed at her counterpart.

On Thursday, August 14, Del Rey shared an Instagram Reel labeled “Track 13,” tagging producer Jack Antonoff. In the brief clip, she sings, “Ethel Cain despised my Instagram update / Finds amusement in mimicking my Chicago stance,” before cheekily referencing “the Waffle House’s most renowned patron.”

Fans swiftly unpacked the lyrics, linking “the Waffle House’s most renowned patron” to a 2022 New York Times profile headline on Cain, and identifying the “Chicago stance” as a nod to a photo Cain posted with Salem’s Jack Donoghue—eerily mirroring Del Rey’s own snapshot outside the Cook County Department of Corrections earlier this year.

Del Rey further elaborated—via a now-deleted comment on a Pop Base Instagram post—revealing that she first became aware of Cain when followers circulated unsettling collages juxtaposing Del Rey with unflattering cartoon figures. She added that, upon hearing private remarks and perceived intrusions from Cain via mutual friends, she felt compelled to respond through her music.

Cain responded in her Instagram Stories on Thursday morning, writing, “Update: Lana Del Rey has blocked Ethel Cain on Instagram.”

Billboard has reached out to representatives for both artists but has yet to receive a response.

Cain recently released her sophomore album, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, and is currently touring North America in support of the record. Meanwhile, Del Rey has been previewing unreleased material—such as the track “57.5”—during live shows, following her 2025 singles “Bluebird” and “Henry, Come On,” though details on her tenth studio album remain under wraps.

Below is Lana Del Rey’s Instagram Reel:

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