Lana Del Rey fans have waited a long time for the singer to return to the UK – since 2013, to be precise. Eight albums later and now boasting cult icon status, the singer sold out American Express presents British Summer Time at Hyde Park within seconds.
Drawing a 50,000-strong crowd of devoted followers to her headline gig at the Great Oak Stage on Sunday night, the singer's set felt like a spiritual revival for long-time fans – and I was lucky enough to be in the crowd. Blessing us with her haunting vocals, quiet stage presence and lyrical genius rivalled only by Miss Taylor Swift, the star proved you don't need high-energy choreography or flashy staging to maintain a captive audience.
After basking in Lana's holy glow last night, here are my five takeaways from her magical BST gig….
Lana Del Rey's now infamous timekeeping
Lana's headline-hitting Glastonbury show, which saw festival organisers pull the plug on her delayed set as curfew struck, is still hanging over her. Yet her fans don't actually care.
When the chanteuse, billed to be onstage at around 8.15pm, kept crowds waiting until just before 9pm, there were very few moans of how predictable her poor timekeeping was (and they mostly came from me, if I'm honest).
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It was, of course, worth the wait – and I'd even go as far as to say her tardiness is part of her charm.
After blaming her late Glastonbury arrival on her hair taking too long to style, the singer's self-deprecating decision to incorporate her hair routine into her set feels even more fitting, with her hairstylist unpinning her perfectly coiffed updo for everyone to see.
She later referenced her Glastonbury gig, joking to the crowd: "I think this is where I got cut off last time… Sorry about that!" We love a self-aware queen.
The dreamy setlist
I'll admit it, I have a bad habit of looking up the setlist before I go to a concert. While it removes any element of spontaneity from the evening, it means I never leave disappointed when an artist doesn't play my favourite song.
Lana's setlist for her recent impromptu European gigs has remained rigid, so I knew exactly what was coming next. From her early pop anthems Born To Die and Blue Jeans to the nostalgia-tinged recent tunes Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd and A&W, her current tour is a 'best of' her career.
Due to her ample discography, this sadly means that many fan favourites - including my go-to albums Lust for Life and the masterpiece that is Norman F**king Rockwell! - were underrepresented. I personally think that shunning Cinnamon Girl and West Coast was a crime….
The singer's melancholy, slow-paced performance featured some of her more cult songs, however, which definitely resonated with long-time fans.
Lana never forgoes her most chart-friendly singles either, including closing the show on a giant swing while performing Video Games. The crowd chanting along word-for-word proved that fans both old and new have a soft spot for her most commercially successful hits.
A bombshell revelation about her ex
The 38-year-old singer has been dropping thinly veiled comments about a cheating ex of late, and she delighted fans with a savage ad-lib during Chemtrails Over The Country Club.
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Changing the lyrics as the song drew to its sultry close, Lana sang: "He's born in December and got married when we were still together. He got married when we were in couple's therapy together, sometimes I wonder what his wife would think if she knew," as ripples of surprise echoed through the crowd.
Fan speculation is rife online that the lyrics in question might refer to her ex, Sean Larkin. The songstress, who has previously been linked to Francesco Carrozzini and G-Eazy but is now loved-up with fiancé Evan Winiker, dated the retired police sergeant turned reality TV star for six months before splitting in 2020 due to "busy schedules."
Check out the exact moment Lana sent the crowd wild with her bombshell confession in the video below…
Lana's close connection with her fans
One thing about Lana – for all her mystique, she is fiercely loyal to her fans. Not many artists would have a section of their concert dedicated to meeting and greeting their avid supporters, but Lana did just that.
A coy smile playing on her lips, Lana happily took a five-minute break mid-set to pose for photos and shake hands, never breaking from her perfectly poised persona.
As cameras zoomed in on emotional fans begging her for selfies while screaming how much they loved her, the singer's sweetness never faltered.
Lana fans are certainly a loyal bunch. From devoted dads and their teenage daughters screaming their favourite lyrics in unison to 20-somethings capturing their Y2K inspired looks for the 'gram, I got the sense that most of these superfans devoutly worshipped at the altar or Lana (and same, to be honest).
Lana Del Rey's spiritual power
Whether you're a fan of her personal beliefs or not, there's no denying the spiritual cult of Lana. The singer has long toed the line of controversy yet escaped unscathed thanks to her incredible talent and loyal fanbase.
The star has fully leaned into her spiritual side of late, and her latest album Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is tinged with religious undertones, notably present in Gospel-infused family portrait single The Grants. (Lana is a member of Hillsong, the controversial LA church attended by the likes of Justin Bieber, and there's even a five-minute interlude with Pastor Judah Smith on her new record).
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It was therefore only fitting that the concert itself was akin to a spiritual experience. She repeatedly gave blessings from God to her London fans, and at one point even serenaded the crowd about taking them to church.
Despite many of the overtly religious moments being lost on her British fans, the star had everyone totally captivated by her God-like presence.
As for me, I've certainly had my passion for the cult of Lana renewed. It's not hard to see why her mystical charm and beautiful vocals have earned her such a loyal following.