Del Rey may be demure but she's no less of a star for it

The singer's smoky vocals and undeniable stage presence more than compensate for a patchy set-list, writes Ellie Muir

- Ellie Muir

On paper, Lana Del Rey is not what you might call a stadium performer. For all her Grammys and No 1s, she is not a singer who trades in viral dance routines, elaborate costume changes and confetti cannons. Instead, Del Rey is characteristically demure on stage; the most choreography you'll get out of her is a polite sway of the hips.

It wasn’t for the first time, then, when she kicked off her UK and Ireland tour this week, that her subdued performance became the subject of torrid discourse. The words “lacklustre” and “unbothered” cropped up more than once. Thankfully, neither applies to Thursday night’s triumphant show at Wembley Stadium.

Del Rey is glamorous and delicate as she pads across the porch of a wood-panelled house enveloped by twinkly constellations and faux trees. She pauses at its centre for orchestral opener “Stars Fell on Alabama”, an unreleased song from her forthcoming (and much delayed) country record The Right Person Will Stay. No one knows the lyrics, but no one cares — so totally in thrall is everyone to the singer uttering them.