Lana Del Rey Cements Herself as a Cult Icon at Coachella

The famous romantic performer delivered a captivating performance with appearances by special guests Jon Batiste, Billie Eilish, and Jack Antonoff.

Lana Del Rey's unique, heavenly and feminine energy was present as she finished off the Friday night lineup at Coachella's main stage. It was her first time performing at Coachella since 2014.

Del Rey rode calmly on the back of a motorbike with a large entourage following behind as they made their way to the stage. The speakers played lyrics from her song "Jealous Girl" released in 2012 - "Darling, I'm a gangster too/And it takes two to tango." Once she arrived on stage, she appeared wearing a shiny light blue dress.

In the blog section, it was mentioned that Del Rey performed her set with a gentle authority. She gracefully moved around the ballerinas and aerial dancers while singing some of her oldest ballads. She sat on a lovely trapeze swing adorned with flowers while performing "Ride" and "Born to Die" in an understated manner. However, there was an issue with her microphone, and it started to interrupt her singing. Although, Del Rey handled it quite calmly by switching to another microphone in secret. She returned to the stage and presented some songs from her album "Did You Know There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd," which was released in May.

Following her heartfelt performance of “Norman F—ing Rockwell,” Del Rey brought out the Grammy award-winning musician and composer Jon Batiste to accompany her on the piano during her captivating rendition of “Candy Necklace” from 2023. Del Rey initially sang from the top of a dazzling grand piano and later evoked an enthusiastic response from the audience when she twirled around a pole on the opposite end of the stage.

Billie Eilish sat across from the main star of the show, Lana Del Rey, in a luxurious balcony with a view of the main stage. Eilish has praised Del Rey for revolutionizing music for girls. Del Rey helped Eilish perform her popular 2016 track, "Ocean Eyes." Together, they also sang Del Rey's beloved 2012 hit, "Video Games," which prompted a loud singalong from the crowd.

"Leave me alone!" exclaimed Eilish in disbelief of the situation.

Del Rey jokingly commented on Eilish: "Wow, she really represents the generation with her voice!"

The pianist who worked together with Del Rey, Jack Antonoff, played the piano while she began singing "Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have - But I Have It." She sang slowly and walked towards the back of the stage while a hologram of her stayed onstage, giving a creepy feel. Later on, she returned and sang "A&W" with a funky vibe, and finally finished with the touching 2013 song "Young & Beautiful."

The departure of Del Rey was very regal, as she waved while seated on the back of a motorcycle. As expected, her exit was celebrated with much theatrics: fans crying, fireworks exploding, and a lively jazz band playing a reminiscent outro in ragtime style.

Lana's show at Coachella was her first performance after sharing the news about her upcoming country music album, which will be her tenth release. She announced this record, called Lasso, at a pre-Grammy event in February and mentioned during her set that it's slated for release in September.

In February, she addressed the audience and declared that the music industry is heading towards country music, as evident from the award recipients and performers. She stated that the transformation to country music has begun.

The previous year, the vocalist went on a short journey across the Southern region and showcased her music at her largest concert ever. She was the main act for two evenings at Foro Sol in Mexico City during August 2023. During that concert, she sang a rendition of Tammy Wynette's classic love song "Stand By Your Man," along with tunes from her latest album, Did You Know There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.

According to a review in Rolling Stone, Del Rey's album Ocean Blvd delves into her self-reflection, challenging our preconceived notions of her story. She shares personal anecdotes about her family, a past relationship, and her internal struggle of wanting both visibility and privacy. These revelations uncover not only her identity, but also the motivations behind it.