Lana Del Rey, review: compelling stuff from a maturing artist

Lana Del Rey hit the headlines this week after claiming to have put a hex on Donald Trump. She cast a very different spell over Brixton Academy, enchanting the crowd with her cinematic, sepia-toned balladry.

Having spent the majority of her career fixating on Fifties America, the former Lizzy Grant has changed tack on her latest album.

In Lust For Life, released last Friday, she takes a turn for the political, addressing war, feminism and Trump-era America.

She is accompanied by everyone from The Weeknd to Stevie Nicks and it’s her biggest, boldest and best record to date — so there was a genuine sense of excitement inside Brixton Academy for this one-off London show.

In front of a crowd that included Florence Welch, the 32-year-old New Yorker, pictured, began with Cruel World, accompanied by a four-piece band, two dancers and the 5,000 fans on backing vocals.

New song Cherry told of love gone sour, while Blue Jeans was a glacial ballad about Mr Wrong. So far, so familiar.

Yet last night was not without its surprises. New song Love was performed a cappella, Del Rey proving that behind the style and posturing she has a brilliant voice.

Elsewhere, Video Games, the song that propelled Del Rey to superstardom, came with a revelation: “When I play this song, I always think of London, possibly because I wrote it here.”

During the most melancholic moments — Born To Die, Ultraviolence, Summertime Sadness — Del Rey could feel gratuitously glum, while the one-paced nature of the set caused it at times to drag.

On the whole, though, this was compelling stuff from an artist who is maturing, cheering up and sounding better than ever.