Not one day after Lana Del Rey's highly anticipated debut album Born To Die leaked online (a week ahead of its Jan. 30 release date), the divisive singer announced that her previous album -- under the name Lizzy Grant -- would be re-released.

The 2008 album cost just $10,000 to record and was produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spector). It was available on iTunes for two months in 2010 before it was taken down and many saw this as a sign that the artist wanted to hide her embarrassing past as she became the retro-siren Lana Del Rey. However, the songstress says this isn't true.

People act like it's so shrouded in mystery, the 'forgotten terrible album,' Del Rey told BBC News. But if you look on YouTube, all 13 tracks are available with millions of views, so it's not like no one's heard them. We were all proud of it.

It's pretty good, she added.

Del Rey has been ogled and trashed, praised and vilified, all before her album Born To Die even hit the shelves.

Born to a wealthy family in New York City and raised in the Winter Olympics venue of Lake Placid, then-Lizzy Grant moved back to New York City at 18 and eventually put out the 2008 album. The singer recently bought back the rights to the record and told The BBC: I'm re-releasing it, maybe in late summer.

Long a topic of discussion -- both for her pouty lips and alluring music -- Del Rey's an enigma in the indie music world. Dubbed the gangster Nancy Sinatra, her first concerts in October sold out within minutes. Her latest shows have been fodder for even more Internet gossip.

The main topic of discussion: a noticeable divide between the Del Rey seen in music videos and the Del Rey on stage. Her voice wobbles and her ambling stage presence contradicts the polished pinup model we're meant to drool over.

Her recent appearance on SNL was met with criticism from critics and celebrities all over the map.

Many began to feel that Del Rey was a pre-fabricated musical creation funded by her millionaire father. Her previous managers were not shy about the role they played in creating the singer's new, highly-stylized fifties persona.

You might recognize Lana Del Rey already... perhaps from an old movie somewhere, but look closer and you might not, reads an official press release from 2010. Lana Del Rey is a young singer weaving cinematic dark pop for the 21st Century - music wrapped in smoky, sultry and glamorous overtones.

No matter where in the world Lana is, her love of film noir, Italian landscapes, big churches, roller coasters and the memory of faded stars like Bette Davis, Kurt Cobain, Nina Simone and Elvis are the chorus line for her music, and her love of New York is her heartbeat.

It would seem Del Rey is meant to be an old-school Hollywood babe for a splice-happy YouTube audience. Something both new and old. Something altogether timeless.

As the is she real or is she fake buzz swirls around, one thing's for sure: people are interested. Her (not quite) debut album is primed to be one of the most talked about releases of the New Year.

What do you think about Lana Del Rey? Are you excited about the upcoming album? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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