Lana's lacking live performances - a discussion

[electra 20,630]

Her peak was the endless summer tour and from there everything just went downhill

I feel like only people who never saw the paradise tour think EST was her peak and honestly? no.

 

If you think EST was her best tour it was probably your first time seeing her

[LanaFlowers 8,751]

I really miss her passion, if she's still expressing the same passion when on stage I'm personally missing it every time. It doesn't look like she's overwhelmed, or having fun, or nervous. She's just there- like Clampi said she used to be out there cry-singing or smiling with certain lines and it didn't matter that there were no dancers or props because she was so present and expressive. It's like her own lyrics don't effect her anymore, her own story doesn't effect her anymore- and if it doesn't that's fine! She's years away from Lizzy, so I wish she would fill sets with songs she connects with, that bring out emotion in her now.

 

I loved when she would dance around the stage but it wasn't choreographed, when she just did what she felt and went with the moment. I loved seeing her at Lolla Brazil last year, I think we got a little taste of that Lana back. She looked like she was having fun and not trying to hit choreographed or pre-planned movements around the stage.

 

I know I'm out here beating a dead horse lmao

I completely agree with what you said here, I think she's lost her spark and it shows. You could tell at first she was so shocked & grateful to be performing for all these people, to have so many adoring fans screaming her name, shouting how much they love her -and I bet she was also worried she'd lose it all if she didn't keep fighting for it. But the very thing she spent years chasing, fame, ended up making her miserable instead of happy. Negative and often spiteful criticism, the typical invasion of privacy from paps all celebs have to deal with, stalkers, creeps, backstabbing hoes and clout chasers.... I think they ruined it for her. And I'm sure a lot has happened that we don't even know about, both in her personal and professional life. She spent years fucking with mostly younger, less successful men, who treated her quite badly. She hasn't had a baby yet, which is something she has wanted for years. Several projects of hers have fallen through, and she hasn't achieved half of what she should. We can only speculate as to why that is. It could be laziness/flakiness, it could be anxiety, or there could even be people in the industry causing her problems and actively sabotaging her. A lot could be going on behind the scenes that could have her feeling frustrated, tired, and doubting herself. I hope it's just a phase she will eventually get over <3

[Fetish 284]

^this right here is what I think about when I see fans gush about "new, confident lana" vs "old, nervous mess lana"

 

like did y'all completely miss 2013-2015 and actually most of 2012 too? she did seem quite shy and anxious on stage during the first few months of the BTD tour but i honestly can't think of more than a handful of instances where she messed up. and 2013-2015 lana was fucking KILLING IT

 

i think some people are confusing boredom & aloofness with confidence, bc the last thing she seems to me is confident these days

Lana needs to be left alone to do her thing. I think when too much happens on stage, she loses her 'vibe'. She needs to be at the centre of everything. And also, singing the same damn songs must bore her to hell and back. I know it's her job, but when your music is written during very emotional times, singing them can bring up old memories and it can be very draining.

 

And years and years, people kept questioning whether she was an artist, her authenticity, etc. Now she's just 'meh' @ everything.

 

I wish she'd be meh @ everything except her live shows where her fans come to see her. She can avoid the media and social media all she wants but her fans come to see her to support her.

 

What you said about her movement on stage is also so true. Before, I think she moved...Lana-ish. Like it was her thing to be kinda awkward, cute and sensual at the same time. She just had something about her. Now she's just yikes.

[poetic jess 2,257]

I dream of the day she does a small intimate venue tour. The backing track has to go. Her back-up dancers are fine to me- but only with the more upbeat songs. What she truly needs is back-up singers like others have said. Video Games can be the BTD staple, and like you guys said she can rotate b/w Born to Die, Blue Jeans, and Summertime Sadness as the second BTD song (throw in Million Dollar Man if she does the intimate venue thing). Idc how popular that album may be, but it's no excuse to ignore the 5 albums after that   (I'm including Paradise~ I just wanna hear a live version of Bel Air). 

 

As for her vocals, although I enjoyed her performances when I went to see her three times, and I think she did improve during the LATTMT, I still think having a vocal coach wouldn't hurt. My show was great, but those recent live streamed festival shows reveal the flaws in her performances when she's having an off day. And she's been having a lot. It's confidence- but there's also that comfort zone that she settles into too much. It's disappointing when she relies too much on the backing track or points the microphone to the audience during half of a song. It's the same with meeting fans during the barricade. I'm happy she gets to see the same faces that make her feel at home whenever she tours, but what about the people who wait for hours to meet her for the first time, who want to give her gifts, or express how her music makes them feel in passing? Why ask the audience for a song request when she's going to sing whats already planned on the setlist? Also, maybe it was off camera, but why doesn't she give input when creating the setlist? Why does she leave it up to her band and dancers? 

 

I know it's scary to get out of your comfort zone when you have some form of anxiety, but this is a recent thought I've been having given my personal circumstances- sometimes we have to do what we're scared of in order to overcome it. Not challenging yourself means hindering progression. It doesn't happen over night, but things get easier to do. And I think that's what happened with Lana- whether it's in the studio or on stage, she's still having problems because of her internal issues. She's confident in her demeanor, but not in her decision-making. And because of that, others who may not have her best interest, or who gave in being "yes men", allow these issues to go on. That could probably be said about other artists too. And I'm sure we could give her credit for changing it up with dancers and putting more thought onto the stage design, but do those things matter when fans start to notice something's off about the effort shown in your performance? Anyway... idk maybe I'm thinking about this too much. lol  

[Beautiful Loser 45,689]

Also, maybe it was off camera, but why doesn't she give input when creating the setlist? Why does she leave it up to her band and dancers?

I think (hope) she was letting them decide this time just for fun, and maybe for them to play the songs they enjoy playing (and suspect the audience wants to hear).

[MoonAgain 872]

i think everyone agrees SS needs to go but is anyone else tired of blue jeans

[Beautiful Loser 45,689]

i think everyone agrees SS needs to go but is anyone else tired of blue jeans

Only when she lets the audience sing the “ooh” in “say you remember, oh baby, ooh”. She sings it so nicely.

[kitschesque 9,847]

I don’t quite understand why she won’t play these “fan favorites” - it’s her fans in the crowd after all, no?

 

Sometimes I get a feeling that she thinks she's a one hit wonder. She always hangs onto Video Games in interviews and at one point at a LATTM show she said something like "if you're a real fan, I know some people had been brought here by friends, you know..." blah blah. Like. It's your tour. Your fans are here, stans or not!

 

I genuinely get a vibe that she herself thinks she burned out in people's eyes. Idk

[PARADIXO 31,441]

I agrih that the National Anthem performance is a mess

[kitschesque 9,847]

I agrih that the National Anthem performance is a mess

 

LATTM National Anthem with that weird voice filter in the verses needs to go. It was such a cute concept but the execution was horrible.

On the other hand I'm so in love with 2016 festival tour Lolita I can't let BTD songs go for long. But on the other hand when I hear Blue Jeans I literally roll my eyes everytime no matter if attending or seeing a livestream

[naturalbornloser 434]

I love Lana to death but it's so noticeable she's just done with live shows and that stuff, besides she always sings the same songs and takes pictures with the same people over and over again, it's boring imo.

[Doll Harlow 12,349]

i think everyone agrees SS needs to go but is anyone else tired of blue jeans

She should start singing it like she did on SNL

[LanaFlowers 8,751]

Another thing she could do is play different versions of the songs she seems to be obsessed with. I'd love a slower, sadder version of Summertime Sadness, a heavier, more hard rock version of OTTR, and I mean I'm in love with the orchestral version of Born To Die. She could change up the lyrics a little bit, consciously this time... It would be cool imo.

[Beautiful Loser 45,689]

Sometimes I get a feeling that she thinks she's a one hit wonder. She always hangs onto Video Games in interviews and at one point at a LATTM show she said something like "if you're a real fan, I know some people had been brought here by friends, you know..." blah blah. Like. It's your tour. Your fans are here, stans or not!

 

I genuinely get a vibe that she herself thinks she burned out in people's eyes. Idk

Baby has to know that we all love her and she's fantastic and amazing and brilliant and that she has nothing to doubt regarding herself. I hope she doesn't think like that.

[PARADIXO 31,441]

LATTM National Anthem with that weird voice filter in the verses needs to go. It was such a cute concept but the execution was horrible.

On the other hand I'm so in love with 2016 festival tour Lolita I can't let BTD songs go for long. But on the other hand when I hear Blue Jeans I literally roll my eyes everytime no matter if attending or seeing a livestream

Blue Jeans and Born To Die will always be highlights. Idk why y'all want her to stop singing those

[Gone user 5,367]

i think everyone agrees SS needs to go but is anyone else tired of blue jeans

 

YES

[Sugar Venom 9,651]

i haven’t had enough time to read through this whole thread so i probably will tonight then add to this response, but i think i remember her saying something like she realized she was reliving moments on stage while singing her songs? she might be trying to keep a distance from that, i imagine it’d be really emotionally exhausting considering how into her performances she used to be (i know some of you hate those “whale vocals” but those performances are so magical to me, they’re my favorite ) . but anyways yeah especially if she’s trying to get to a new place in her life i can totally see why she would be a little reluctant to put effort into some of her older catalogue. but then i don’t see why she doesn’t just update her set list with her newer music like every other artist does, she can play more hits at festivals since it’s a more general audience but when she’s just on tour by herself and we’re all clearly coming to see her specifically i don’t see why she can’t play more of her recent stuff. i think we can all agree the btd songs are worn out by now; she clearly doesn’t enjoy performing them as much as she used to. i think that’s part of the problem, she’s stuck performing this stuff that she’s kind of done with, it might’ve been cathartic for her when they were newer but now that she’s past it it’s like she’s just... over it. i think her shows would improve if she played her newer stuff that she’d clearly be more passionate about. but like idk if she has full control over what she performs or if her label does, idk any of that stuff . so yea here’s my 2 cents for now lol sorry if someone already said this like i said i haven’t read much yet

[kik 1,563]

She almost apologized for singing her two new songs because they are folk... 

[ilovetati 15,295]

She almost apologized for singing her two new songs because they are folk... 

 

Somebody has convinced her that singers need upbeat music and dancers to be interesting. It's really sad how she has lot her x-factor and effortless cool on stage, and now relies on playback and the dancers. I'd give anything to have 2013-2015 live Lana back. 

 

She used to be so magnetic, filled with emotion and swaying to her song. There was so much atmosphere, and now she just dials it in each time.

[godsmonster 13,761]

does she not perform Dark Paradise anymore?