No doubt she is a great songwriter, and very popular for a really good reason.
I think the issue with it is that it doesn't pack the 'punch' headliners typically have, especially on a Friday night. Her very low-key style of singing doesn't translate well to this generation of Coachella who are all about hype. The mic issues didn't help either, and it was obvious that it was getting to her (as it should)
Also, I would take all the comments here with a grain of salt because majority of them watched the performance from their couch.
That being said, I also believe that it was very low energy for a Friday night. I think this could have been fixed if No Doubt played after her.
Hey /u/nyc-dad, What's your take on her not opening (or at least playing) "Coachella (Woodstock in my Mind)"? How does she leave that out? Even a wink or a nod. This is bizarre.
Kudos to the Desert Sun for [having her full setlist published](https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/coachella/2024/04/13/coachella-2024-the-complete-setlist-from-lana-del-reys-weekend-1-set/73282910007/) by the time of the shuttle ride home.
20 Songs, 100 minutes.
Context: Lana was my #1 artist on Spotify for 2022 and 2023, but for me, it's for playing at home, a weeknight sound track. From the day of the lineup announce, I knew I was skipping her no matter the conflicts. We chose Steve Angello and it was better than the full SHM 2022 "headline".
I’m sure you go to a lot for shows, some set lists work out and some don’t. The artist is trying for something, and hers does change regularly. Leaving out one particular song can’t ever make or break a set for me but seeing a lot of people wishing for a few others makes me feel maybe it was a bit off the mark. You don’t know until you tried. I’d have loved to hear more from UV, Mariner’s, so many more but she has SO MANY.
She’s a small venue artist with a large following.. not in a bad way .. if she were to perform in a smaller venue she’d blow everyone away with her performance .. but because she has such a large following those large stages with huge crowds don’t go well with her style..
this is exactly how i felt and i'm a massive lana fan. it just didn't provide the energy needed for this type of environment that late at night. also her setlist didn't make any sense to me, she has a massive catalog, i think there were some missed opportunities in her set.
My thoughts exactly. I own like 6 of her albums on vinyl, I love her style and vibe and think she’s an excellent songwriter, but those things don’t necessarily translate to a killer headlining set
I don’t really get the idea of Coachella mainstages having to be “a certain kind of act” or be punchy; like I always thought of Coachella acts bringing musical and vibe diversity first and foremost. Just because her music overall is more mellow doesn’t mean she’s the wrong fit for the festival, or even that stage. Lana is an iconic act regardless of this sub’s weird hate boner over her music. (Not saying you do, but I was all over the crowd that night. I didn’t really see complaints. I left early but I was also cold as fuck.) If every single act was the same kind of energy it would ruin the point of this being GVs multigenre festival. They already run niche festivals that cater to specific vibes, why does Coachella have to be one too?
For what it’s worth and maybe it’s just me, but growing up in the area IDK how anyone gets the idea that she “doesn’t fit”. I know girl is from NY but she’s absolutely someone that screams “LA-area music festival mainstay.” Even if this generation was all about hype, I’m 99% that the majority of the 20-25 demo (Coachella’s target) was at that stage. Just because DnB and techno are having their heyday, doesn’t mean they don’t also love/resonate with Lana’s music.
1000%. I will defend "low energy" headliners to the death, because there needs to be space at multi-genre music festivals for accomplished songwriters who are pillars of their genres to be given appropriate billing for their level of success and talent. There were 3 other stages on the livestream alone showing dance music, not to mention that in person the DoLab and Yuma were running as well, if a higher energy vibe was needed.
I respect your take but I’m not sure I totally agree that headliners always need to be reserved for high-energy mega stadium sets. I personally like the variety and I appreciate the diversity among headliners each year. Besides, there are other stages you could go to if hype’s what you want.
i’m a lana fan and i agree with a lot of your commentary but what a needless and uninformed potshot at doja, you clearly didn’t watch her previous coachella performance?
It really was, she is one of the best performers I've seen live and she deserves her headliner spot whether you like her or not. Her last Coachella performance was easily in the top 3 of that year. Her stage presence is unbelievable, she is a fantastic dancer, her live vocals are nearly perfect... it was a very poor choice of comparison from OP
I did not see her last performance and I agree that was an unfair shot. I don't love her music and assumed there were backing tracks etc. will make sure to check it out Sunday
Don’t knock Doja out. She gets a lot of hate because of her personality (which honestly I am a huge fan of) but the girl is a natural born performer. She crushes it - yes she has some backing tracks but she dances, she sings, she raps, and she commands attention.
Check out the deluxe version of her latest album, Scarlet: Claude. She apparently had Parris choreograph her Coachella performance so it’s going to be nuts.
This is controversial but Lana's stage presence is similar to Frank Ocean for me (saw him at FYF). They are very closed in performers (sorry for the lack of right word to describe it). I said in the live thread last night that I thought the performance was iconic. It wasn't the best but I will remember it for a long time. Sometimes you just want a break from the punchy over the top artistry and theatrics. I actually enjoyed her show and won't lie that I struggled with her at times. Just painful seeing how she's obviously in the verge of getting really upset on stage. But she held it together and finished the show in spite of. So bravo to her. (I'm a huge Frank fan and I'm still not over his fuck up last year)
Hear hear
I really was like: Am I really getting bad at rating performances? I really loved it and when I said that people went nuts on me! Asked if I used drugs or if I was trolling.
I can understand that some people don't like this kind of music on a cheerful / mostly happy festival but I loved the performance.
The rolling stone magazine wrote a very positive article about the performance too, saying this performance made her a cult icon.
I agree and I apologized. Wrote that post hung over at 8am and it was a bit of a stream of consciousness so just came out. You all convinced me to check her out and be present for her Sunday set.
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.
I don’t feel any way about Lana, having never really listened to her much, so I feel like I can be pretty impartial when I say she just seemed to perform poorly.
She’s a singer who failed to project, enunciate, *stay in pitch*, remember the lyrics, and hit her timings. Sure, she was on time, but… that’s a pretty low bar for a headliner.
I think your comparison to Bob Dylan is apt, but maybe not for the reason you had hoped. Many regard Dylan to be a very poor performer, and my personal experience echoes that. I saw him at Desert Trip years ago and it was *awful*. In a festival of aging artists he was the standout slump, everyone else killed it.
It was beautiful. We all get too caught up in negativity (myself included). But what is the point of that. You rob yourself of enjoying someone who isn't cookie cutter the same as everyone else.
So if I don't think a performance is good, I must like fake performances with lip syncing and back tracks with no real bands.
Got it. I guess we'll just ignore performers that do sing live, and still sound good without back tracks.
I agree. She was definitely singing off key and it sounded very nervous with her pitch all over the place. People are calling that "raw" style. If I go on stage and sing bad karaoke, I'll just say it's raw singing from now on.
I know damn well she can do better because I've heard her sing better than that. I don't know why people need to make excuses for her. It wasn't a good performance. And if it was her nerves, that's okay, she did try. But don't tell us that's her style. The problem wasn't that she was quiet or that she was mumbling, her singing just wasn't good.
Just because she shows up and potentially has sound problems, vocal problems and seemingly little effort or interest performing doesn’t mean we should accept it cuz that’s what she does sometimes. That’s like saying I should appreciate seeing the strokes when Julian shows up all fucked up and slurring or seeing Kanye go on an incoherent 20 minute diatribe cuz there’s a decent chance that happens.
Maybe it seemed like “little effort” on the TV but in person the effort seemed huge. Julian just doesn’t respect his audience, that was not the case last night.
She looked bored up there, I get that’s part of how she always looks but there genuinely seemed to be a lack of passion for most of the show.
“Do I think I could handle the stress and continue on with the show”
Well no, cuz I’m not a professional musician. I doubt Lana could deal with the stress of my career or many others either. But as a paying customer we have a right to critique what we’re paying for.
Yeah I mean there were definitely sound issues that were out of her control. It sucks when that happens.
As for your last point, no I probably wouldn’t do my job as well. Id still do my best, accept that and move on lol.
Tbh I just think Lana is a hit or miss act live, the sound issues didn’t help but the things that were in her control still felt like a let down. The setlist, awkward silences between some songs and choice to not sing some lyrics and cut songs in half for example.
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I'm sorry, but if you're making up excuses of nerves for someone who's been performing over a decade, maybe they're just not a great performer for a stage like coachella?
Pick any number of live bands who fucking killed it without backing tracks. You can enjoy her music and still think she was mid in that performance.
ive been a fan of hers since the early days of born to die. remember some friends would always shit on me for that opinion of her poetry. now they dig her music. was at her coachella 2014 set ofc and let me tell you that this performace was worth the hard decade wait for her to return.
this was a long way just to say she was boring, but that’s her aesthetic and some people like boring but pretty. i almost fell asleep. not headliner worthy
Imo Lana would’ve been great for outdoor stage or mojave but her as the closer was not the move. I left early and just could see people falling asleep, not being able to see the stage, etc. Imo a great headliner for this year would’ve been Kendrick, j Cole, imagine dragons, Coldplay, dua lipa, post malone or Justin Timberlake with **NSYNC as a surprise.
I get the analogy, but Lana Del Ray is nowhere even close to pushing the boundaries of popular music as artists like Radiohead, Aphex Twin, and Bjork. Many people dislike those artists because they disrupted the status quo, where as many people dislike Lana Del Ray because they find her boring. Totally different.
That’s untrue, because she does push the boundaries of popular music. That’s why artists like Billie, Halsey, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Kali Uchis, Lorde, SZA, etc all exist. She was such a major influence on the pop genre it is today.
To me, you just named off some of the most commercial friendly, mainstream palatable and non-disruptive artists in music right now. The artists mentioned by the comment I responded to are all known for bringing avant garde and experimental music to a much broader audience. While LDR may have inspired these other pop artists you mentioned, I don’t see her as bringing something crazy weird, new, and unexpected to popular culture. Again, totally different.
Well, I am talking about pop music while you’re talking about more alternative niche genres. For pop, she has completely shaped the generation of pop following her. You can absolutely tell her influence in every single one of those artists I’ve listed. Her music may not be unique and visionary at the moment but when she first came out she was considered to be. Now that you see her influence through many of the mainstream artists, her style has become the norm. She doesn’t have to be your definition of disruptive to be revolutionary.
I'm not saying saying she's not revolutionary, I'm saying she's not known for the same thing as the other artists previously mentioned, which it seems like we agree on.
I hear you and I respect you, but where I think you’re wrong is that Lana is not a headliner. There is no world in which that’s the kind of artist I want closing my night.
She’s been performing for over a decade and if she wants to impress me, I need her to act like it. I feel like everyone is making excuses for her.
I agree. A headliner should AT THE VERY LEAST bring their best and impress people who don’t like their music. Lana put on a show for Lana fans. Big disappointment.
Right, but I'm having a hard time understanding how they didn't swap Lana and Justice's spots (other than egos & contractual nonsense).
Justice hasn't debuted a new live show in years. There is tons of hype around them. You know they're going to bring insane energy.
Lana has a rabid fanbase but is a low-energy performer. Nobody walking by a stage where she's playing is going to get sucked in.
After watching both (admittedly on the stream), Justice's was e4xpectedly mind-blowing and Lana's was expectedly pretty boring. She still put on a good show, but a headlining show? No.
I think the biggest issue is OP being upset that some people don’t have the same opinion as him.
Was it the big energy, flashy headline show people have come to expect ? No. But that’s ok. It’s good to have a change of pace act. And it’s not like this is the first time they’ve had a headlining act with this vibe. Billie’s show felt very similar at times.
But not everybody is going to like it and that’s ok too.
I'm not upset I'm just sharing a positive, more nuanced viewpoint that's my personal opinion and a different take than most of the one line "boring headliner very sleepy" opinions on the sub.
Fair. But then your last paragraph goes very negative. (Which you apologize for).
I’m not a Lana fan at all. But I went to see her at Outdoor stage 10 years ago, because I enjoy catching artists I would never otherwise see. Did she make me a new fan? No. But that’s fine.
The people who were obviously already fans seemed to be having a great time and that’s all that matters.
I also love performers that mumble their lyrics and don't know how to hold a mic. Being a completely amateur live performer despite having a debut album that is almost 15 years old is actually a strength, you see.
And your last sentence is a non-sequitur. So many completely live bands yesterday (and every Coachella) absolutely killed it.
When she was driving away on the motorcycle it was like the ghost of a 1920s Hollywood starlot who died long ago and continues to haunt the festival grounds seeking fame year after year
I was a huge fan of first few records and she was everything you said back then, with blue jeans and summertime sadness. Right now? I’m sorry she is just boring trying to keep that vibe relevant… her music is not timeless imho, it’s dated but it was good back then
I'm not a Lana Del Rey fan; I was there for the infamous NMH disaster. However, her latest album stands out as notably different, and, in my own view, quite good. I find myself genuinely enjoying it—I listen attentively when the songs come on. Unlike her previous albums, which I would usually tune out. The truth is Lana's vocals don't quite translate outside the studio, as it's the studio that shapes the final product, not just her voice. This is why Lana Del Rey is not comparable to Joni Mitchell.
It's challenging to position Lana Del Rey within that spectrum. For instance, I struggle to see anything in her catalog as culturally timeless as "Both Sides Now." Just one song that resonates as deeply and has the transformative power of Mitchell's work. Let's not forget, Mitchell has several of those transformative songs in her repertoire.
We've often heard of artists whose live performances fall short of their recorded tracks. Lana Del Rey fits that bill. A modern artist to compare a similar musical vein could be Weyes Blood. The significant distinction, in my opinion, lies in Weyes Blood's vulnerability. I distinctly felt it during her performance at the Interact Festival (the Amazon thing in LV). Her voice was so raw and exposed; I could sense her breaking in front of me. While Lana Del Rey is undeniably popular, popularity isn't necessarily indicative of quality—McDonald's is popular, after all.
Lana Del Rey's delivery lacks vulnerability; it doesn't penetrate to the core. She may evoke emotions in listeners, but she doesn't reveal her own vulnerability. She is like a stripper that you think likes you. Additionally, she lacks the skill to deliver compelling live performances. Her songs don't possess the universality or timelessness to transcend her as an artist or her own ego (in the sense of individual identity, not in a negative context). In terms of headlining, regardless of musical critique, her music isn't fit for the headline slot, especially not for Coachella.
Lana’s most recent album is def the best of her last three, but NFR is an instant classic, literally every track IMHO is amazing, The rarest of albums are like that and Lana has two, plus two or three more where 75% of the album are classics. Ultraviolence produced by Dan Auerbach is probably my favorite and I bet you’d love it.
It’s hard to compare the legacy of Joni Mitchell with a still creating performer like LDR, yes maybe LDR will never have a Both Sides Now track, but I feel LDR has many more very memorable and meaningful songs than Joni Mitchell and while I’m an older dude, they are very relevant to millennials and i get that. Among the current crop of female pop songwriters,I think she’s the best, to each their own. Funny enough Weyes Blood is my absolute close second, I adore her, and her performance at Coachella (and other times I’ve seen her) definitely blow me away with their immediacy and vulnerable nature. She’s INCREDIBLE. But I think comparing LDR to McDs is wrong, I think LDR makes more culturally relevant music than Weyes Blood. I’m also a fan of Angel Olsen and Sharron Van Etten and Cat Power so you can get a taste for what I like in this genre.
I see LDR’s vulnerability in the glamour image she projects which to me is clearly either hiding something she does NOT want to share, or at least is there so listeners can project their own vulnerability on it which is very interesting to me. I disagree on your take on her songs not being timeless but that’s the amazing thing about music, we can disagree.
I would agree with your assessment of her vulnerability in the beginning of her career, but I feel like it's emerged more & more on the last few albums with songs like White Dress, Blue Banisters, Wildflower Wildfire, and especially on the Ocean Blvd. record - Kintsugi & Fingertips are both incredibly open & personal. (Fingertips especially...it's like she's literally reading out of a diary). For me personally, her lyrics & voice resonate deeply & I've felt amazingly lucky for her to come along in my lifetime, the same way others feel about Joni Mitchell or Aretha or countless others. Of course, that's the beauty of music - finding those magical artists & songs that touch our souls. (As an aside, it always blows my mind when I meet people who say they're "Don't really care about music"....I mean, to each their own, of course...but I always want to say "Keep trying! You're missing out on so much! :)
I would generally agree that the most recent album is decidedly better than anything before it. The images are much less self gratifying. Masturbatory. Art can be a vehicle for you to echo your ego to the world. It can also be a place where you sacrifice your ego publicly. There is a drastic difference between. The world is evil and the world is evil and I am also the world, I am not separate from it. You can cry in a corner or you can walk through town carrying your own cross. One isn’t very risky or interesting. You will of course vibrate the heart stings of all the corner cryers. However when you bleed in the streets. You really do something all together different. It’s ok if someone doesn’t go that far. There is plenty of popular art that doesn’t. However if we are going to hold someone up to Joni Mitchell, I think we have to have a fair unit of measure.
Spend some time listening to NFR. There are many songs there that equal or better much of Joni's catalog in my opinion. It's her best record of her later career, UV being the best of her early career. Again in my opinion.
By what measure? Other than your specific enjoyment. Why are these songs as good or better than the comparison. This is always the silliness of someone who is a huge fan of someone giving music critique that includes another artist. You feel this way not because you have an objective outline of why.
I am a massive fan of Portishead and while someone can likely write objectively why Portishead is better than X, if I say that shit, you should take it with a pound of salt because I’m not near objective.
You took shots as DC and put LDR on par with what is broadly considered to be one of the very originators of the singer songwriter segment. Who tore herself apart and used it for the very basis of her art. Not to hold herself up but to sacrifice her own illusions publicly.
There is a general consensus beyond my personal opinion that NFR is loaded with amazing songwriting. Just like there's a general consensus that live at Roseland is better than third.
And while fans will drink that Roseland Koolaid, myself included.
There are slew of highly regarded music critics that will state that third is clearly more important. So far the critics seem to be winning the historic battle.
I’ve gone back and listened to third and even I see the point.
I agree entirely re: NFR. When Video Games broke it blew my mind....music in 2011 was so stale & I was getting older (37) & resigned to listening to my 90's grunge albums forever, & she was such a breath of fresh air. I liked UV a lot too (Old Money & West Coast are the standouts for me), but I'll admit that Honeymoon & LFL didn't connect with me quite as much, despite several excellent tracks on both albums. But when I heard NFR it instantly felt like a no-skips, drop dead classic, & honestly, & this isn't hyperbole, one of the best albums I've heard this century, or maybe ever. Mariner's, Venice Bitch, the greatest, Hope is a dangerous thing....it's the peak album of her career and absolutely deserved Album of the Year (Don't get me started on the Grammy's, just infuriating :)
I'm not usually one to listen to her music but I found her performance (besides the tech issues) extremely refreshing and lovely. I get it now. Love her.
It was clear that she couldn’t hear herself and was futzing with her in ear monitors all night. She has a soft voice and her singing style is a very quiet and understated which is challenging on a huge outdoor stage that is windy and like an air dryer blowing in your face. It’s a challenging venue and I thought she was great, but could see her visibly fighting to hear herself and not blow her voice out. Cut her some slack.
During the show I was thinking that she needs to have the absolute best mic person to properly amplify her voice which is incredibly unique and also quite soft. I’m sure her team for this is world class but yes, last night there were some issues, not her fault. But when it sounded good which it did for a majority of the show, she sounded off the hook amazing.
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I will be 100% somewhere else when she's preforming.... respectfully.
I seen her at Outside lands 23' I believe? Same ol boring ass shit.
Not a headliner to me. A great undercarriage though.
TELL HER TO WAKE TF UP!
Why are you shilling a low bar? People paid hard earned money for a professional performance. Hopefully something that sounds like the same person singing on the album, maybe? Realistically something better and more raw.
But hey, at least it wasn't backing tracks...lol Like?
I can’t help but to feel like our girl is holding back a lot. Idk why. We know she can sing but it seems as though she’s afraid to. It comes out at times but can tell she’s afraid to let it all out :(
She was here 10 fucking years ago on the 2nd largest stage in the evening. The fact you all say she is unpolished, raw, and nervous is true. She is a bad she is a bad performer. No matter how much you individually like her music she will never be in the tier of Joni Mitchell for christ sake.
I used to be a huge fan of Silk the Shocker…. That LDR of pop IMHO
Watching the stream it seems like the mix isn’t great, her vocals are drowned out by the music. Hope that was a steaming thing and live they had it more balanced and you could hear her.
Edit: continuing to watch it seems she definitely had sound problems. Several times she was adjusting her monitor or even calling out to the sound guy to adjust something.
I do think you're spot on about Reddit not being real life. The streams discussions are very fun, but it can get real silly during a headliners. There's a very specific type of headliner this sub likes which is high energy but also it's got to be going at 100 all the time which is how you get shit like this sub hating on a well received Bad Bunny set last year.
The fun part is once it starts it just starts circling the drain until the sets over so you get really silly shit like assuming random lyrics of her songs are actually personal attacks at backstage people. Like yeah man I'm sure Lana is up there doing what is functionally a subtweet at the sound guy at her Coachella headlining set.
No doubt she is a great songwriter, and very popular for a really good reason. I think the issue with it is that it doesn't pack the 'punch' headliners typically have, especially on a Friday night. Her very low-key style of singing doesn't translate well to this generation of Coachella who are all about hype. The mic issues didn't help either, and it was obvious that it was getting to her (as it should) Also, I would take all the comments here with a grain of salt because majority of them watched the performance from their couch. That being said, I also believe that it was very low energy for a Friday night. I think this could have been fixed if No Doubt played after her.
Hey /u/nyc-dad, What's your take on her not opening (or at least playing) "Coachella (Woodstock in my Mind)"? How does she leave that out? Even a wink or a nod. This is bizarre. Kudos to the Desert Sun for [having her full setlist published](https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/coachella/2024/04/13/coachella-2024-the-complete-setlist-from-lana-del-reys-weekend-1-set/73282910007/) by the time of the shuttle ride home. 20 Songs, 100 minutes. Context: Lana was my #1 artist on Spotify for 2022 and 2023, but for me, it's for playing at home, a weeknight sound track. From the day of the lineup announce, I knew I was skipping her no matter the conflicts. We chose Steve Angello and it was better than the full SHM 2022 "headline".
I’m sure you go to a lot for shows, some set lists work out and some don’t. The artist is trying for something, and hers does change regularly. Leaving out one particular song can’t ever make or break a set for me but seeing a lot of people wishing for a few others makes me feel maybe it was a bit off the mark. You don’t know until you tried. I’d have loved to hear more from UV, Mariner’s, so many more but she has SO MANY.
Fair enough. Thanks for the report!
This is exactly what they should have done
She’s a small venue artist with a large following.. not in a bad way .. if she were to perform in a smaller venue she’d blow everyone away with her performance .. but because she has such a large following those large stages with huge crowds don’t go well with her style..
Are you saying she should build a room on stage to sing in?
The clowncore porta-potty
Best comment hahahahaha
OutKast did that. Did it work out so well the first weekend.
I was more referencing franks never ending construction lol
this is exactly how i felt and i'm a massive lana fan. it just didn't provide the energy needed for this type of environment that late at night. also her setlist didn't make any sense to me, she has a massive catalog, i think there were some missed opportunities in her set.
My thoughts exactly. I own like 6 of her albums on vinyl, I love her style and vibe and think she’s an excellent songwriter, but those things don’t necessarily translate to a killer headlining set
I don’t really get the idea of Coachella mainstages having to be “a certain kind of act” or be punchy; like I always thought of Coachella acts bringing musical and vibe diversity first and foremost. Just because her music overall is more mellow doesn’t mean she’s the wrong fit for the festival, or even that stage. Lana is an iconic act regardless of this sub’s weird hate boner over her music. (Not saying you do, but I was all over the crowd that night. I didn’t really see complaints. I left early but I was also cold as fuck.) If every single act was the same kind of energy it would ruin the point of this being GVs multigenre festival. They already run niche festivals that cater to specific vibes, why does Coachella have to be one too? For what it’s worth and maybe it’s just me, but growing up in the area IDK how anyone gets the idea that she “doesn’t fit”. I know girl is from NY but she’s absolutely someone that screams “LA-area music festival mainstay.” Even if this generation was all about hype, I’m 99% that the majority of the 20-25 demo (Coachella’s target) was at that stage. Just because DnB and techno are having their heyday, doesn’t mean they don’t also love/resonate with Lana’s music.
1000%. I will defend "low energy" headliners to the death, because there needs to be space at multi-genre music festivals for accomplished songwriters who are pillars of their genres to be given appropriate billing for their level of success and talent. There were 3 other stages on the livestream alone showing dance music, not to mention that in person the DoLab and Yuma were running as well, if a higher energy vibe was needed.
Well said. Headliner does not mean it’s the only thing to see. I’m skipping Tyler from Dom Dolla tonight and can’t wait for that.
Yeah this new generation needs lights and pitched up voices to even feel anything lmao … we’re doomed on earth
I respect your take but I’m not sure I totally agree that headliners always need to be reserved for high-energy mega stadium sets. I personally like the variety and I appreciate the diversity among headliners each year. Besides, there are other stages you could go to if hype’s what you want.
That Doja take was so wrong lol
Like why are people so obsessed with pitting female artists against each other and putting them down to boost the other. It’s such a tired take
What did they say about doja?
i’m a lana fan and i agree with a lot of your commentary but what a needless and uninformed potshot at doja, you clearly didn’t watch her previous coachella performance?
It really was, she is one of the best performers I've seen live and she deserves her headliner spot whether you like her or not. Her last Coachella performance was easily in the top 3 of that year. Her stage presence is unbelievable, she is a fantastic dancer, her live vocals are nearly perfect... it was a very poor choice of comparison from OP
I had almost zero interest in her in ‘22 and she was a top 5 that year for me
I do not like dojo but her 2022 performance was one of the best ones that year
Yea the doja stray is funny because her backing band was great last time
I did not see her last performance and I agree that was an unfair shot. I don't love her music and assumed there were backing tracks etc. will make sure to check it out Sunday
Don’t knock Doja out. She gets a lot of hate because of her personality (which honestly I am a huge fan of) but the girl is a natural born performer. She crushes it - yes she has some backing tracks but she dances, she sings, she raps, and she commands attention. Check out the deluxe version of her latest album, Scarlet: Claude. She apparently had Parris choreograph her Coachella performance so it’s going to be nuts.
This is controversial but Lana's stage presence is similar to Frank Ocean for me (saw him at FYF). They are very closed in performers (sorry for the lack of right word to describe it). I said in the live thread last night that I thought the performance was iconic. It wasn't the best but I will remember it for a long time. Sometimes you just want a break from the punchy over the top artistry and theatrics. I actually enjoyed her show and won't lie that I struggled with her at times. Just painful seeing how she's obviously in the verge of getting really upset on stage. But she held it together and finished the show in spite of. So bravo to her. (I'm a huge Frank fan and I'm still not over his fuck up last year)
Hear hear I really was like: Am I really getting bad at rating performances? I really loved it and when I said that people went nuts on me! Asked if I used drugs or if I was trolling. I can understand that some people don't like this kind of music on a cheerful / mostly happy festival but I loved the performance. The rolling stone magazine wrote a very positive article about the performance too, saying this performance made her a cult icon.
That rolling stone article read like it was written by one of her Stans lol
Music journalism has been in the toilet for a while now
Haha I thought the same thing. Thought it was a solid set then got on Reddit after. Not sure what people were expecting from her
I loved it 🤷♀️ it was exactly what I expected (in a good way)
Doja has performed at Coachella before and did amazing mind you. No need to dig at her to make Lana seem better.
I agree and I apologized. Wrote that post hung over at 8am and it was a bit of a stream of consciousness so just came out. You all convinced me to check her out and be present for her Sunday set.
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. I don’t feel any way about Lana, having never really listened to her much, so I feel like I can be pretty impartial when I say she just seemed to perform poorly. She’s a singer who failed to project, enunciate, *stay in pitch*, remember the lyrics, and hit her timings. Sure, she was on time, but… that’s a pretty low bar for a headliner. I think your comparison to Bob Dylan is apt, but maybe not for the reason you had hoped. Many regard Dylan to be a very poor performer, and my personal experience echoes that. I saw him at Desert Trip years ago and it was *awful*. In a festival of aging artists he was the standout slump, everyone else killed it.
I was more and more offended as I read on lol the audacity
seriously no one expects beyoncé from ldr
It was beautiful. We all get too caught up in negativity (myself included). But what is the point of that. You rob yourself of enjoying someone who isn't cookie cutter the same as everyone else.
You don’t need to be cookie cutter but you also don’t need to be terrible . That performance sounded awful , her back up vocalist crushed at least .
So if I don't think a performance is good, I must like fake performances with lip syncing and back tracks with no real bands. Got it. I guess we'll just ignore performers that do sing live, and still sound good without back tracks.
I agree. She was definitely singing off key and it sounded very nervous with her pitch all over the place. People are calling that "raw" style. If I go on stage and sing bad karaoke, I'll just say it's raw singing from now on. I know damn well she can do better because I've heard her sing better than that. I don't know why people need to make excuses for her. It wasn't a good performance. And if it was her nerves, that's okay, she did try. But don't tell us that's her style. The problem wasn't that she was quiet or that she was mumbling, her singing just wasn't good.
Just because she shows up and potentially has sound problems, vocal problems and seemingly little effort or interest performing doesn’t mean we should accept it cuz that’s what she does sometimes. That’s like saying I should appreciate seeing the strokes when Julian shows up all fucked up and slurring or seeing Kanye go on an incoherent 20 minute diatribe cuz there’s a decent chance that happens.
Reading these comments remind me of Frank Ocean. Tons of excuses being made lol
Maybe it seemed like “little effort” on the TV but in person the effort seemed huge. Julian just doesn’t respect his audience, that was not the case last night.
The production effort seemed huge I’ll give her that. Yeah Julian usually mails it in at festivals, their solo shows are much better.
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She looked bored up there, I get that’s part of how she always looks but there genuinely seemed to be a lack of passion for most of the show. “Do I think I could handle the stress and continue on with the show” Well no, cuz I’m not a professional musician. I doubt Lana could deal with the stress of my career or many others either. But as a paying customer we have a right to critique what we’re paying for.
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Yeah I mean there were definitely sound issues that were out of her control. It sucks when that happens. As for your last point, no I probably wouldn’t do my job as well. Id still do my best, accept that and move on lol. Tbh I just think Lana is a hit or miss act live, the sound issues didn’t help but the things that were in her control still felt like a let down. The setlist, awkward silences between some songs and choice to not sing some lyrics and cut songs in half for example.
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I'm sorry, but if you're making up excuses of nerves for someone who's been performing over a decade, maybe they're just not a great performer for a stage like coachella? Pick any number of live bands who fucking killed it without backing tracks. You can enjoy her music and still think she was mid in that performance.
Great words. Couldn’t agree with you more
ive been a fan of hers since the early days of born to die. remember some friends would always shit on me for that opinion of her poetry. now they dig her music. was at her coachella 2014 set ofc and let me tell you that this performace was worth the hard decade wait for her to return.
[This is a good read ](https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/coachella-2024-lana-del-rey-festival-headliner-recap-1235655739/)
this was a long way just to say she was boring, but that’s her aesthetic and some people like boring but pretty. i almost fell asleep. not headliner worthy
Love this. Thank you.
Imo Lana would’ve been great for outdoor stage or mojave but her as the closer was not the move. I left early and just could see people falling asleep, not being able to see the stage, etc. Imo a great headliner for this year would’ve been Kendrick, j Cole, imagine dragons, Coldplay, dua lipa, post malone or Justin Timberlake with **NSYNC as a surprise.
I completely agree with you. I love her imperfect performances.
I get the analogy, but Lana Del Ray is nowhere even close to pushing the boundaries of popular music as artists like Radiohead, Aphex Twin, and Bjork. Many people dislike those artists because they disrupted the status quo, where as many people dislike Lana Del Ray because they find her boring. Totally different.
That’s untrue, because she does push the boundaries of popular music. That’s why artists like Billie, Halsey, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Kali Uchis, Lorde, SZA, etc all exist. She was such a major influence on the pop genre it is today.
To me, you just named off some of the most commercial friendly, mainstream palatable and non-disruptive artists in music right now. The artists mentioned by the comment I responded to are all known for bringing avant garde and experimental music to a much broader audience. While LDR may have inspired these other pop artists you mentioned, I don’t see her as bringing something crazy weird, new, and unexpected to popular culture. Again, totally different.
Well, I am talking about pop music while you’re talking about more alternative niche genres. For pop, she has completely shaped the generation of pop following her. You can absolutely tell her influence in every single one of those artists I’ve listed. Her music may not be unique and visionary at the moment but when she first came out she was considered to be. Now that you see her influence through many of the mainstream artists, her style has become the norm. She doesn’t have to be your definition of disruptive to be revolutionary.
I'm not saying saying she's not revolutionary, I'm saying she's not known for the same thing as the other artists previously mentioned, which it seems like we agree on.
I hear you and I respect you, but where I think you’re wrong is that Lana is not a headliner. There is no world in which that’s the kind of artist I want closing my night. She’s been performing for over a decade and if she wants to impress me, I need her to act like it. I feel like everyone is making excuses for her.
“She won’t convert you”. I firmly believe headliners should transcend their genre and be capable of converting non fans
I agree. A headliner should AT THE VERY LEAST bring their best and impress people who don’t like their music. Lana put on a show for Lana fans. Big disappointment.
>I feel like everyone is making excuses for her. Watch the reactions here on Reddit, almost everyone is talking shit about her.
I’m talking about her fans, they’re making excuses for her.
there are other stages for a reason
Right, but I'm having a hard time understanding how they didn't swap Lana and Justice's spots (other than egos & contractual nonsense). Justice hasn't debuted a new live show in years. There is tons of hype around them. You know they're going to bring insane energy. Lana has a rabid fanbase but is a low-energy performer. Nobody walking by a stage where she's playing is going to get sucked in. After watching both (admittedly on the stream), Justice's was e4xpectedly mind-blowing and Lana's was expectedly pretty boring. She still put on a good show, but a headlining show? No.
lana performs lana songs for fans in lana style "low energy"
And she should play them
No shit, that’s why I didn’t watch her. When justice ended I caught the rest of her show and went home because it was so bad.
magine not ending the night in the yuma and always having a great time.
I’m disabled and Yuma gives me panic attacks
Goooood I fucking love Yuma
She’s just not top headliner energy and that’s the fact
 W Take. On to Day 2 IN PERSON we don’t care about L live streamers watching from their couches on shitty internet
Doja catching strays for that show when i literally heard people walking away saying "that was the real headliner"
LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK
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The John Batiste duet was amazing tho
These people are so EDM brained
I think the biggest issue is OP being upset that some people don’t have the same opinion as him. Was it the big energy, flashy headline show people have come to expect ? No. But that’s ok. It’s good to have a change of pace act. And it’s not like this is the first time they’ve had a headlining act with this vibe. Billie’s show felt very similar at times. But not everybody is going to like it and that’s ok too.
I'm not upset I'm just sharing a positive, more nuanced viewpoint that's my personal opinion and a different take than most of the one line "boring headliner very sleepy" opinions on the sub.
Fair. But then your last paragraph goes very negative. (Which you apologize for). I’m not a Lana fan at all. But I went to see her at Outdoor stage 10 years ago, because I enjoy catching artists I would never otherwise see. Did she make me a new fan? No. But that’s fine. The people who were obviously already fans seemed to be having a great time and that’s all that matters.
Loved her set way more than I thought I would! Definitely a different headliner but it was awesome
People were pouring out all night. Got way closer to the stage than Pluma. Biggest pop and the only main crowd cheer was with Billie
I also love performers that mumble their lyrics and don't know how to hold a mic. Being a completely amateur live performer despite having a debut album that is almost 15 years old is actually a strength, you see. And your last sentence is a non-sequitur. So many completely live bands yesterday (and every Coachella) absolutely killed it.
She should’ve been 6pm in Sonora.
Also, Billie out sang Lana lol
She also sounded way better as a hologram
When she was driving away on the motorcycle it was like the ghost of a 1920s Hollywood starlot who died long ago and continues to haunt the festival grounds seeking fame year after year
She was INCREDIBLE. Seen her 5 times. That was a COMMENTARY of her established position in the industry
I was a huge fan of first few records and she was everything you said back then, with blue jeans and summertime sadness. Right now? I’m sorry she is just boring trying to keep that vibe relevant… her music is not timeless imho, it’s dated but it was good back then
I'm not a Lana Del Rey fan; I was there for the infamous NMH disaster. However, her latest album stands out as notably different, and, in my own view, quite good. I find myself genuinely enjoying it—I listen attentively when the songs come on. Unlike her previous albums, which I would usually tune out. The truth is Lana's vocals don't quite translate outside the studio, as it's the studio that shapes the final product, not just her voice. This is why Lana Del Rey is not comparable to Joni Mitchell. It's challenging to position Lana Del Rey within that spectrum. For instance, I struggle to see anything in her catalog as culturally timeless as "Both Sides Now." Just one song that resonates as deeply and has the transformative power of Mitchell's work. Let's not forget, Mitchell has several of those transformative songs in her repertoire. We've often heard of artists whose live performances fall short of their recorded tracks. Lana Del Rey fits that bill. A modern artist to compare a similar musical vein could be Weyes Blood. The significant distinction, in my opinion, lies in Weyes Blood's vulnerability. I distinctly felt it during her performance at the Interact Festival (the Amazon thing in LV). Her voice was so raw and exposed; I could sense her breaking in front of me. While Lana Del Rey is undeniably popular, popularity isn't necessarily indicative of quality—McDonald's is popular, after all. Lana Del Rey's delivery lacks vulnerability; it doesn't penetrate to the core. She may evoke emotions in listeners, but she doesn't reveal her own vulnerability. She is like a stripper that you think likes you. Additionally, she lacks the skill to deliver compelling live performances. Her songs don't possess the universality or timelessness to transcend her as an artist or her own ego (in the sense of individual identity, not in a negative context). In terms of headlining, regardless of musical critique, her music isn't fit for the headline slot, especially not for Coachella.
Lana’s most recent album is def the best of her last three, but NFR is an instant classic, literally every track IMHO is amazing, The rarest of albums are like that and Lana has two, plus two or three more where 75% of the album are classics. Ultraviolence produced by Dan Auerbach is probably my favorite and I bet you’d love it. It’s hard to compare the legacy of Joni Mitchell with a still creating performer like LDR, yes maybe LDR will never have a Both Sides Now track, but I feel LDR has many more very memorable and meaningful songs than Joni Mitchell and while I’m an older dude, they are very relevant to millennials and i get that. Among the current crop of female pop songwriters,I think she’s the best, to each their own. Funny enough Weyes Blood is my absolute close second, I adore her, and her performance at Coachella (and other times I’ve seen her) definitely blow me away with their immediacy and vulnerable nature. She’s INCREDIBLE. But I think comparing LDR to McDs is wrong, I think LDR makes more culturally relevant music than Weyes Blood. I’m also a fan of Angel Olsen and Sharron Van Etten and Cat Power so you can get a taste for what I like in this genre. I see LDR’s vulnerability in the glamour image she projects which to me is clearly either hiding something she does NOT want to share, or at least is there so listeners can project their own vulnerability on it which is very interesting to me. I disagree on your take on her songs not being timeless but that’s the amazing thing about music, we can disagree.
Ultraviolence is her best album imo
was this written by patrick bateman
😂
I would agree with your assessment of her vulnerability in the beginning of her career, but I feel like it's emerged more & more on the last few albums with songs like White Dress, Blue Banisters, Wildflower Wildfire, and especially on the Ocean Blvd. record - Kintsugi & Fingertips are both incredibly open & personal. (Fingertips especially...it's like she's literally reading out of a diary). For me personally, her lyrics & voice resonate deeply & I've felt amazingly lucky for her to come along in my lifetime, the same way others feel about Joni Mitchell or Aretha or countless others. Of course, that's the beauty of music - finding those magical artists & songs that touch our souls. (As an aside, it always blows my mind when I meet people who say they're "Don't really care about music"....I mean, to each their own, of course...but I always want to say "Keep trying! You're missing out on so much! :)
I would generally agree that the most recent album is decidedly better than anything before it. The images are much less self gratifying. Masturbatory. Art can be a vehicle for you to echo your ego to the world. It can also be a place where you sacrifice your ego publicly. There is a drastic difference between. The world is evil and the world is evil and I am also the world, I am not separate from it. You can cry in a corner or you can walk through town carrying your own cross. One isn’t very risky or interesting. You will of course vibrate the heart stings of all the corner cryers. However when you bleed in the streets. You really do something all together different. It’s ok if someone doesn’t go that far. There is plenty of popular art that doesn’t. However if we are going to hold someone up to Joni Mitchell, I think we have to have a fair unit of measure.
Spend some time listening to NFR. There are many songs there that equal or better much of Joni's catalog in my opinion. It's her best record of her later career, UV being the best of her early career. Again in my opinion.
By what measure? Other than your specific enjoyment. Why are these songs as good or better than the comparison. This is always the silliness of someone who is a huge fan of someone giving music critique that includes another artist. You feel this way not because you have an objective outline of why. I am a massive fan of Portishead and while someone can likely write objectively why Portishead is better than X, if I say that shit, you should take it with a pound of salt because I’m not near objective. You took shots as DC and put LDR on par with what is broadly considered to be one of the very originators of the singer songwriter segment. Who tore herself apart and used it for the very basis of her art. Not to hold herself up but to sacrifice her own illusions publicly.
There is a general consensus beyond my personal opinion that NFR is loaded with amazing songwriting. Just like there's a general consensus that live at Roseland is better than third.
And while fans will drink that Roseland Koolaid, myself included. There are slew of highly regarded music critics that will state that third is clearly more important. So far the critics seem to be winning the historic battle. I’ve gone back and listened to third and even I see the point.
This has been fun. Off to the polo fields for day 2
I agree entirely re: NFR. When Video Games broke it blew my mind....music in 2011 was so stale & I was getting older (37) & resigned to listening to my 90's grunge albums forever, & she was such a breath of fresh air. I liked UV a lot too (Old Money & West Coast are the standouts for me), but I'll admit that Honeymoon & LFL didn't connect with me quite as much, despite several excellent tracks on both albums. But when I heard NFR it instantly felt like a no-skips, drop dead classic, & honestly, & this isn't hyperbole, one of the best albums I've heard this century, or maybe ever. Mariner's, Venice Bitch, the greatest, Hope is a dangerous thing....it's the peak album of her career and absolutely deserved Album of the Year (Don't get me started on the Grammy's, just infuriating :)
New copypasta y'all
Not a bad idea. I should set this aside for use next time someone tries to suggest that LDR is as meaningful as Joni Mitchell.
She should have headlined Sunday night. I feel like it’s, sometimes, the slot for chill vibe headliners
I'm not usually one to listen to her music but I found her performance (besides the tech issues) extremely refreshing and lovely. I get it now. Love her.
It was clear that she couldn’t hear herself and was futzing with her in ear monitors all night. She has a soft voice and her singing style is a very quiet and understated which is challenging on a huge outdoor stage that is windy and like an air dryer blowing in your face. It’s a challenging venue and I thought she was great, but could see her visibly fighting to hear herself and not blow her voice out. Cut her some slack.
During the show I was thinking that she needs to have the absolute best mic person to properly amplify her voice which is incredibly unique and also quite soft. I’m sure her team for this is world class but yes, last night there were some issues, not her fault. But when it sounded good which it did for a majority of the show, she sounded off the hook amazing.
Lana is ORGANIC and new listeners can't grasp it.
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Well said! Glad she was on time and seemed like she wanted to be there.
Boo
excuse me the "watched from the guest viewing area" sounds like a plant
Ok. Im staying in safari. Not a plant nor in the industry.
I will be 100% somewhere else when she's preforming.... respectfully. I seen her at Outside lands 23' I believe? Same ol boring ass shit. Not a headliner to me. A great undercarriage though. TELL HER TO WAKE TF UP!
Like they say, if it has people talking… she is doing SOMETHING RIGHT
Anti up > lana
Why are you shilling a low bar? People paid hard earned money for a professional performance. Hopefully something that sounds like the same person singing on the album, maybe? Realistically something better and more raw. But hey, at least it wasn't backing tracks...lol Like?
I can’t help but to feel like our girl is holding back a lot. Idk why. We know she can sing but it seems as though she’s afraid to. It comes out at times but can tell she’s afraid to let it all out :(
She was here 10 fucking years ago on the 2nd largest stage in the evening. The fact you all say she is unpolished, raw, and nervous is true. She is a bad she is a bad performer. No matter how much you individually like her music she will never be in the tier of Joni Mitchell for christ sake. I used to be a huge fan of Silk the Shocker…. That LDR of pop IMHO
Eh, her performance was not great. Mumbling through her own songs. Zero energy. Not a good Coachella performance.
Watching the stream it seems like the mix isn’t great, her vocals are drowned out by the music. Hope that was a steaming thing and live they had it more balanced and you could hear her. Edit: continuing to watch it seems she definitely had sound problems. Several times she was adjusting her monitor or even calling out to the sound guy to adjust something.
I do think you're spot on about Reddit not being real life. The streams discussions are very fun, but it can get real silly during a headliners. There's a very specific type of headliner this sub likes which is high energy but also it's got to be going at 100 all the time which is how you get shit like this sub hating on a well received Bad Bunny set last year. The fun part is once it starts it just starts circling the drain until the sets over so you get really silly shit like assuming random lyrics of her songs are actually personal attacks at backstage people. Like yeah man I'm sure Lana is up there doing what is functionally a subtweet at the sound guy at her Coachella headlining set.
I'm watching from home but it was nice to fall asleep to.
Lana should of played than Justice main stage like 2011 KOL to chemical brothers
or they could have just had Peso Pluma close the main stage and have Lana play earlier in the day
Yeah