jail coiffed: Lana Del Rey Calls Performing On Television 'Weird'

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Lana Del Rey Calls Performing On Television 'Weird'

'Sometimes it seems more important to me than other times,' Del Rey told MTV News before her 'Saturday Night Live' debut.
By James Montgomery

Lana Del Rey performs "Video Games" on "SNL" on Saturday
Photo: NBC

Lana Del Rey's "Saturday Night Live" performance was divisive, to say the very least, as she seemed to battle nerves (and some rather shaky vocal moments), circumstances that only gave more ammunition to her critics.

Of course, to be fair, given her rather meteoric rise to the mainstream, Del Rey hasn't exactly had a ton of time to develop her stage presence, though, as previous television appearances — like this "Later Live ... with Jools Holland" performance from October — prove, she's certainly capable of much more than she showcased on "SNL" (at least vocally).

Still, Del Rey will be the first to admit that she's yet to truly be at ease when it comes to performing on television. In fact, she finds the entire process to be, well, a little off-putting, as she told MTV News last week.

"I find it weird ... sometimes. [It] depends on the day," Del Rey said. "You know, like, [it] depends on what's going on with my family and everyone around me. If I have other things to think about, or I'm trying to get things done for somebody else, and I'm not in my own way, then ... I'm like, 'This doesn't really matter.' Sometimes it seems more important to me than other times, I don't know."

And though, at the time, she couldn't have predicted how her "SNL" performance would turn out — she said she wasn't even sure which songs she'd be singing — Del Rey said that, no matter what happened, and despite how weird she may find the entire TV experience, she's just trying to enjoy the ride.

"Things are cool. They always will be, whether the music goes good or not," she said. "Like, I consider being able to sing a luxury, it doesn't run my life, it's not my main focus. I love it, I feel grateful. I'm honored to be on 'SNL' I'm happy to be here, but if I didn't have it, I'd be happy too."

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