Lana Del Rey sings ‘I kissed Morgan Wallen’ during festival performance

US artist reportedly sparked a wild reaction from her audience as she performed the song for the first time

Roisin O'Connor
Saturday 26 April 2025 13:08 BST
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Lana Del Rey surprised audience members during her set at Stagecoach festival, as she unveiled a song that includes a lyric about controversial country star Morgan Wallen.

The US artist apparently sparked laughter as she performed the track, titled “57.5”, which takes its name from the number of listeners Del Rey had on Spotify when she wrote it (57.5 million).

Her set took place in the Palomino tent at the country music event in Indio, California, in between headline performances from Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll and Luke Combs.

Variety reports that Del Rey vowed to sing one line only once before uttering it: “I kissed Morgan Wallen.”

The response from the crowd was so loud it reportedly drowned out the next lyric, which some listeners said was: “I guess kissing me kind of went to his head.”

The noise then died down enough to hear her sing: “If you want my secret to success, don’t go ATVing with him when you’re out west.”

Del Rey is known for working autobiographical details into her songs. The Independent has contacted Wallen’s representatives for comment.

Lana Del Rey name-checked country singer Morgan Wallen in her new song
Lana Del Rey name-checked country singer Morgan Wallen in her new song (Getty)

She married alligator tour guide Jeremy Dufrene in September last year, a month after the couple made their relationship public.

The ceremony took place in the same bayou in Des Allemands, Louisiana, where they first met on one of his boat tours in 2019.

She recently announced that she had pushed back the release date of her forthcoming 10th album. Originally titled Lasso, its name was then changed to The Right Person Will Stay.

In an Instagram video shared on Friday 11 April, the Grammy-nominated musician thanked fans for their support of her recent single, the country-tinged ballad “Henry, Come On”.

At the end of the clip, she revealed that the album would no longer be released on 21 May, and that she had changed the title again.

Lana Del Rey played the song from her forthcoming 10th album
Lana Del Rey played the song from her forthcoming 10th album

“You know it’s not going to come on time, right?” she said. “Should I even tell you that the name changed again? Should I tell you that now, while you’re so happy that you even have a song? Yeah, maybe I’ll wait.”

Del Rey did share some positive news, that her next single “Blue Bird” would be released on Friday 18 April. The track did indeed come out as scheduled.

All of her last three albums, 2023’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, 2021’s Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Blue Bannisters, were delayed for various reasons.

Del Rey is due to begin her UK and Ireland tour with a show at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 23 June, before concerts in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Dublin.

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