Lana Del Rey has always felt like a cult artist. Sure, debut album Born To Die was a generation-shifting pop record but since then, she’s comfortably done her own thing, with each record more a grand artistic statement than a streaming-friendly collection of bangers. 2023’s Did You Know There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard was something of a rebirth though, bringing together Lana the defiant visionary and Lana the adored star via aching alt-pop. A celebrated run of festival shows following that Glastonbury incident have only added to her legend.
Even still, Lana Del Rey feels like a surprising choice to headline Reading Festival. The bank holiday weekender has been steadily weaving pop into its DNA in recent years but there are definitely more obvious choices than her tender americana. As she walks onstage and kicks off with the gorgeous, piano-led ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell’ though, the excited roars are deafening and Del Rey seems genuinely taken aback at just how warm a welcome she receives. The adoration doesn’t end there, as an early run of ‘Without You’, ‘West Coast’ and ‘Summertime Sadness’ sees the audience screaming back every word.
It’s a beautiful, polished set that amplifies the fantasy Lana has always conjured with her music. The industrial festival main stage has been transferred into a flower-adorned castle, while choreographed dancers and dreamy video interludes add to that sense of escapism. From the ethereal ‘The Grants’ to the soaring ‘Chemtrails Over The Country Club’ via the dramatic ‘Pretty When You Cry’, it’s a wonderfully theatrical gig that’s pure Lana Del Rey.
It’s a shame then that all that carefully-considered tenderness is tough to hear over the rowdy drum & bass that can be heard from Reading’s new outdoor dance stage, The Chevron. Lana has always been a touch unpredictable but putting a donk on the gorgeous ‘Bartender’ seems a step too far, even for her.
A choral ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard’ and a swaggering ‘Video Games’ close out the main set, with Lana really flexing her unifying pop power. However, a planned encore is cut short following a delay getting the impressive stage show set up. All Lana can do is sit on the stage and take in the view as an almighty firework display erupts overhead. It’s a frustrating finish to a bold, ambitious headline set with Lana once again falling foul of festival restrictions. Hopefully the release of tenth album Lasso will come with a proper headline tour because this much vision deserves better.
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