Lana Del Rey Goes Country And Embraces Her Americana Roots At Stagecoach

Del Rey, who looked like she stepped out of an old Hollywood glamour film, walked out of a small, bluish cottage set and opened with "Husband of Mine," a ballad for her husband, Jeremy Dufrene. “I apologize in advance for what they’ll say about the lines on your face/They’re a road map of your lovely life,” she sang, setting the tone for the night.

She rolled through a handful of unreleased songs, including "Quiet in the South,” where she threw out the sharp line, "Should I turn off the light or burn down your house?" She also debuted "57.5," a nod to her Spotify listeners at the time, slipping in, “I kissed Morgan Wallen/I guess kissing me kind of went to his head,” and adding, “If you want my secret to success/I suggest don’t go ATVing with him when you’re out west.”

Del Rey’s move into country was more of a natural shift than a rebrand. She told Vogue, “All my albums are somewhat rooted in Americana… so I don’t think it will be a heavy departure.” She’d said something similar back in 2021, telling MOJO, “I went back and listened to 'Ride' and 'Video Games' and thought, you know, they're kind of country.”

During her set, she brought out George Birge for "Cowboy Songs.” They even stripped it down for an acoustic pass that Birge said left his heart "beating out of my chest." The Secret Sisters also showed up for "Let the Light In,"  and when she kicked off a cover of John Denver’s "Take Me Home, Country Roads" with a full band behind her.

The singer has also covered “Stand By Your Man” in the past and collaborated with Nikki Lane on “Breaking Up Slowly.” Her next album, The Right Person Will Stay, is supposed to drop later this year. She’s called it “a little lighter lyrically, and more pointed in a classic country, American, or Southern Gothic production.”

Lana’s always had a hand in painting portraits of American life, but now she’s fully embraced it as her brand, and it works. "Husband of Mine" could easily soundtrack a backyard wedding: sweet, a little nostalgic, and traditional. 

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