Songfacts®:

• "Candy Necklace" finds Lana Del Rey totally into her wild lover. He's not the most dependable when it comes to romance because of his reckless nature. In fact, the second verse suggests he's been abusive towards Del Rey and has even made her feel like ending it all. Basically, it seems like their relationship was great at first, but then the guy started treating her like garbage and it's really messing with her head.
• A candy necklace is a type of candy designed to be worn as a piece of jewelry. It consists of small, colorful, edible candies that are strung together on a piece of elastic string, forming a necklace. The candies are usually made of compressed sugar or a similar confectionery material, and they come in a variety of flavors and colors. Candy necklaces are popular with children and are often sold at candy stores, fairs, and amusement parks.
  
  Lana Del Rey uses candy necklaces as a metaphor for a toxic relationship. The sweet treat represents the allure of carefree distraction in three ways:
  
  1. It's a reminder of the reckless fun of youth.
  
  2. It represents the attraction to her lover's sweet and seductive side.
  
  3. The song hints at the idea of using a noose to escape from her troubles. The neck is an erogenous and vulnerable spot, so the emotions that the necklace can evoke range from dangerous to desirable, just like the ups and downs of the relationship that Lana is singing about.
• Jon Batiste, a jazz musician from Louisiana, co-wrote, sings and plays piano on "Candy Necklace." Batiste also shows up on the track right after "Candy Necklace" ends on a little something called the "Jon Batiste Interlude." The interlude is like a fun add-on to the song where Batiste lets loose with some whoops before crooning alongside Lana Del Rey as the piano takes center stage. It's a playful extension that brings even more energy to the track.
• Lana Del Rey recorded "Candy Necklace" for Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. She co-produced the song with Zach Dawes, who contributed to four tracks on the album. He also collaborated with the singer on her previous record, Blue Bannisters.
• Two of the musicians, Nick Waterhouse (electric guitar) and Ian Doerr (Rhodes piano, celesta, Mellotron), are listed as additional producers. The other musicians are:
  
  Jackson Macintosh: 2-string electric guitar
  Will Worden: electric guitar
  Connor Gallaher: acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, pedal steel guitar
  Felix Havstad Ziska: violin, cello
  Brian Long: double bass
  Jon Batiste: piano
• Lana Del Rey played the song live for the first time during her headline set at the MITA Festival in Rio de Janeiro on May 27, 2023. It was her first full gig in four years.
• It was Zach Dawes who introduced Jon Batiste to Lana Del Rey. The Del Rey collaborator is a friend of both musicians. "Zach Dawes introduced us because he thought we would have a great creative spark," Batiste told NME. "We met and it just turned into a beautiful collaboration."
  
  The pair also recorded "Life Lesson," the closing track of Batiste's We Are album.
• "Candy Necklace" took the 2023 MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative.