Back in 2012, a little-known artist named Lana Del Rey caught a ton of flak for what many characterized as a “lethargic” Saturday Night Live performance. Then along came her breakthrough album, Born to Die, which gained a cult following with moody, ethereal tracks like “Summertime Sadness” and “Blue Jeans.” More than a decade later, the tide of public opinion has shifted on Lana Del Rey, with a 2019 Washington Post piece declaring her a definitive figure of the 2010s. Although the “Video Games” singer, 40, has since proven her mettle many times over, this Neil Young cover is yet another reminder that the critics got her all wrong.
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Lana Del Rey Pays Homage to Neil Young at Charity Concert
On Saturday, Oct. 25, folk-rock legend Neil Young hosted the Harvest Moon benefit concert at the Painted Turtle, a camp in Lake Hughes, California. Proceeds from the event went to the venue, which offers the quintessential summer camp experience to children with serious or life-threatening illnesses.
Deciding to open her set with “a little bit of Neil,” headliner Lana Del Rey launched into a stirring rendition of the Canadian artist’s 1972 song “The Needle and the Damage Done.”
With her signature breathy tune, Del Rey stayed faithful to the eye-opening tune Young wrote about the effects of heroin addiction on fellow musicians. I hit the city and I lost my band / I watched the needle take another man, she sang. Gone, gone, the damage done.
“Wait… this is actually legendary!” exclaimed one TikTok user. “I thought she’d sing Hey Hey My My… but this song.”
“she shines like the sun,” another agreed.
[RELATED: 4 Classic Rock Icons That Lana Del Rey Nodded to in ‘Born To Die’]
When Is She Going Country?
For much of the last decade, Lana Del Rey has teased a potential country album by performing covers of classics like Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” and Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe.” Initially considering releasing an album consisting only of country music covers, the “Let the Light In” songstress ultimately decided to stick to originals. Her 10th studio album, Stove, is due out in January. It was initially slated for spring 2026, but Del Rey decided to add six songs.
“The majority of the album will have a country flair,” Del Rey told W magazine in August. “Eight years ago, when I was looking to make a country record, no one else was thinking about country. Now everyone is going country! I’ve asked myself, ‘Should I retire all my snakeskin boots? Should I put my cowboy hats in storage?’”
Featured image by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for ABA
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