"Lulu" is a collaborative studio album between rock singer-songwriter Lou Reed and heavy metal band Metallica, released on October 31, 2011, through Warner Bros. Records in the U.S. and Vertigo Records elsewhere. This album marks the final full-length studio recording project Reed was involved in before his death in October 2013. It was recorded in San Rafael, California, from April to June 2011, after Reed performed with Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert, which sparked their desire to collaborate. The lead single, "The View," was released on September 27, 2011.
Conceptually, Lulu is a double album based on the two "Lulu plays" by German playwright Frank Wedekind. The majority of the composition features Reed's spoken word delivered over instrumentals composed by Metallica, with occasional backing vocals from Metallica's lead vocalist, James Hetfield. Reed wrote most of the lyrics. The album was released worldwide on October 31, 2011, and on November 1 in North America. Upon its release, Lulu received polarized reviews and faced extremely negative reactions from many fans and critics. As of March 2023, it has sold 280,000 copies worldwide.
The idea for this collaboration began in 2009 after both artists performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett announced in February 2011 that the band would start working on a project that was "not 100 percent a Metallica record." Initially, the collaboration was intended for Metallica to re-record various previously unreleased tracks that Reed had written over the years, including songs for a play called Lulu, based on Wedekind's work. Reed shared demos of these songs with Metallica, who contributed significant arrangement changes. David Fricke of Rolling Stone described the sound of some tracks as a blend of Reed's classic work and Metallica's heavy sound. All tracks were made available for listening on the official Lou Reed & Metallica website prior to release. Reed noted that everything was recorded live, with the musicians interacting directly, and there were moments of tension in the studio, including a challenge to a "street fight" from Reed to drummer Lars Ulrich.
The single "The View" was released for streaming in late September 2011, garnering a mixed reception from fans, with more dislikes than likes on platforms like YouTube. Rolling Stone rated the track 4 out of 5 stars, while other outlets gave it positive reviews. The song's music video was directed by Darren Aronofsky, initially intended to be a performance video for the album's second single "Iced Honey," but it was decided that "The View" would take precedence.
