Reading and Leeds 2024: Watch Lana Del Rey perform ‘Summertime Sadness’
Lana Del Rey‘s long-awaited debut at Reading Festival proved to be a spectacle as she headlined the Main Stage on August 24th and performed a career-spanning set, including ‘Summertime Sadness’.
Del Rey has been ready to headline Reading and Leeds Festival for the last decade, yet, it has taken until 2024 for the American singer-songwriter to finally step up. Whether the delay was due to issues with touring commitments or the place offered on the line-up, it’s irrelevant as Del Rey has now finally performed at Reading, and reminded us all of her imitable talent.
When Del Rey performed at Glastonbury Festival in 2023, she was confusingly only placed on The Other Stage as a headliner. While her set was derailed due to her arriving on-stage late, leading to the show being cut short, every moment she spent on the Worthy Farm stage was sacred, and the same can be said for her Reading Festival debut.
The American singer-songwriter occupies a unique space in the music industry. While Del Rey is a favourite of Gen-Z, she’s also a throwback from a golden bygone era of music, and there’s nobody else across the weekend at Reading and Leeds who can be compared with her.
The booking of Del Rey may not align with the traditional rock ethos of the festival, but tastes change and it’s the role of events such as Reading Festival to move with the times. Over the last few years, it has attempted, to mixed results, to adapt to the ever-changing musical climate, and while it has missed the mark before, Del Rey is the perfect type of act they should be securing in 2024.
Although Del Rey didn’t close the stage as Fred Again got the audience dancing after her set, she was the true headliner of a spectacular day celebrating modern music. Earlier on, The Last Dinner Party rose to the challenge of the Main Stage with aplomb. Fontaines D.C. made a bid to headline the festival in the future, and Raye’s soulful voice carefully caressed the crowd.
Del Rey is set to release her new album, Lasso, in September, but an official release date is still yet to be provided despite the month edging closer. She previously claimed the album would be a fully-fledged country affair, but has since backtracked on that statement.
During a recent interview with Vogue, the singer remarked, “All my albums are somewhat rooted in Americana, unless it’s an album like Honeymoon which has a jazz flair, so I don’t think it will be a heavy departure.
She added: “If anything, it will just be a little lighter lyrically, and more pointed in a classic country, American, or Southern Gothic production—which again, so many of my songs already are.”
Reading Festival is set to continue on August 25th with headline sets from Liam Gallagher, who is performing Oasis’ Definitely Maybe in full, and Catfish and the Bottlemen. Other performers across the day include Pendulum and 21 Savage.
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