Why Lana Del Rey Stopped Performing on TV After Her ‘SNL’ Appearance

Over a decade after the incident, Lana Del Rey's now-infamous 2012 performance on Saturday Night Live still has an impact on her musical choices.

Back then, a fresh-faced Del Rey delivered shaky renditions of her songs "Blue Jeans" and "Video Games" and received swift and severe backlash from viewers around the world, some even calling her "the worst musical guest in SNL history." The show itself even made fun of the moment with Kristen Wiig impersonating her during Weekend Update three weeks later.

She discussed the performance and criticisms in a new profile with The Hollywood Reporter.

The 38-year-old singer revealed that while she has received offers to return to the small screen over the years, she's declined almost all of them. The only one she accepted was for The Tonight Show in 2020. She sang "Let Me Love You Like a Woman" from her album Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not filmed in front of a live audience.

"Maybe [performing on TV is] something else I’ll grow into more, like touring," reflected Del Rey. "You know in your heart when it’s the right time. And it’s never been the right time."

Del Rey was unsure how another TV performance would be perceived by audiences. "I didn’t know if it would be received well," she said. "But there’s a lot of weirdos out there now, so, we’re fine. We’re in good company."

Now, she said, maybe she would return to a TV performance. "Even if I didn’t feel confident, I would do it anyway. But there was a reason not to feel confident."