Lana Del Rey Live Performance: A Postfeminist Analysis
This paper proposes a concept for a Lana Del Rey live performance rooted in the imagery of "Born to Die" and analyzes it through two theoretical lenses: Rosalind Gill's seven features of postfeminism and Richard Dyer's notion of stars as specific images. The performance design — featuring American flag backdrops, gendered costume juxtapositions, a mechanical bull, and surveillance-themed staging — is interpreted as a postfeminist reclamation of sexual power. The essay argues that Del Rey's fabricated, highly sexualized persona allows her to internalize and redirect the male gaze, appropriate masculine symbols, and assert female individualism and empowerment within the structures of patriarchal popular culture.
- Performance Concept Overview: Proposed stage design blending Americana and gendered symbolism
- The Body, Beauty, and Sexual Power: Del Rey's body as postfeminist source of power
- The Gaze: Internalization and Control: How Del Rey controls and redirects the male gaze
- Surveillance, Irony, and Independence: Surveillance imagery and ironic reclamation in performance
- Stars as Media Texts and Structured Polysemy: Dyer's theory applied to Del Rey's constructed persona
- Manufactured Identity and Postfeminist Reclamation: Del Rey's self-invention as postfeminist act
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Seamlessly integrates two distinct theoretical frameworks — Gill's postfeminism and Dyer's star theory — applying both to a single, unified performance concept rather than treating them as separate analyses.
- Grounds abstract theoretical claims in concrete, specific performance choices (the mechanical bull, rocket launcher imagery, costume juxtapositions), making the argument accessible and well-illustrated.
- Maintains a consistent analytical voice that neither uncritically celebrates nor dismisses Del Rey's persona, instead treating it as a deliberate, ironic construction worthy of serious cultural analysis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied cultural criticism: it takes an existing theoretical framework (Gill's postfeminism) and uses it as a checklist-style scaffold, moving systematically through multiple features and mapping each onto specific elements of the proposed performance. This technique shows how theory can guide the design and interpretation of a creative artifact simultaneously.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief creative proposal describing the performance concept, then transitions into a contextual essay that provides the theoretical justification. The essay moves from body and beauty, to the gaze and sexual hunger, to surveillance and irony, and finally to Dyer's star theory and identity construction — building cumulatively toward a concluding claim about postfeminist reclamation of power.
Performance Concept Overview
Drawing from the imagery and themes celebrated in "Born to Die," the proposed live performance presents a pastiche of patriotism. An oversized American flag provides an ideal backdrop for a set of songs, during which Lana dons a series of outfits that invoke several different elements of American culture and history — including cowboy- and western-inspired fringed leather jackets and skirts, elegant but classic denim, and a 1950s retro look complete with old roller skates. Lana also uses a variety of headdresses and accessories, including her iconic flower crown and a Kentucky Derby-worthy hat. All outfits and sets juxtapose classically feminine aesthetics, such as the flower crown, with traditional symbols of masculinity including guns and sporting gear. Throughout the set, Lana dances provocatively with both male and female dancers and rides a mechanical bull and a motorcycle on the stage.
The Body, Beauty, and Sexual Power
Lana Del Rey epitomizes what Gill calls "postfeminism," which consists of seven core features. First, postfeminism is qualified by an "obsessive preoccupation with the body," as the core feature of femininity, as opposed to nurturing or motherhood (Gill 149). It is therefore critical that the live performance for Lana Del Rey include a strong focus on her body and how she uses it. A sexy body defines one's gendered identity; Lana Del Rey wears tops that expose her ample cleavage and pants or skirts that display long legs. At times she appears almost cartoon-like, as if to exaggerate her sexuality in the tradition of Betty Boop or Marilyn Monroe. Lana Del Rey capitalizes on her classically sexy body, full lips, and long hair to present an idealized vision of feminine beauty in a live performance. Because the performance is live, it can immediately titillate audience members who either choose to imitate her physical nature or lust for it.
Her beauty is her "source of power," but it requires "constant monitoring, surveillance, discipline, and re-modeling," as with the consumption of makeup and cosmetic surgery products (Gill 149). This is why Lana Del Rey manipulates her body, hair, and features in order to present a look that is fabricated and bordering on artificial. The fabricated look of Lana Del Rey is nevertheless sexually compelling. As Gill points out, postfeminism is highly sexualized. In this proposed live performance, Lana Del Rey not only sexualizes all aspects of American consumer culture on display, but also does so within the constraints of pre-defined idealized feminine beauty. The mechanical bull symbolizes the sexual potency of masculinity, of which Lana herself is the female counterpart. She rides the bull because she is in control of both her own sexuality and male sexuality. By being sexy, she possesses a degree of tacit power over men. Lana manipulates patriarchy in this live performance by taking the male-constructed vision of idealized feminine beauty and using it to gain access to wealth and power traditionally reserved for men. Like Madonna, Lana Del Rey is in control of her image, her music, and her finances.
The Gaze: Internalization and Control
Another feature of postfeminism is the combination of female sexual hunger with the internalization of the male lusty gaze. Lana has internalized and therefore controls the way men see her. She does the same for the way women see her — lesbian or not. Women viewing Lana Del Rey either want to be her or criticize her for perceived fakeness, when in fact Lana deliberately manufactures her identity to get what she wants in terms of wealth and power. Whereas the feminist recognizes the problems of performing for a male gaze, the postfeminist recognizes that a narcissistic gaze at least attempts to reclaim sexual power.
A perfect icon of postfeminism, Lana Del Rey proudly admits to her sexual hunger but does not conform to the passive princess identity. In this live performance, as in "Born to Die," Lana Del Rey chooses to mate with a man who is not traditional — he has stretched earlobes and full body tattoos. He does not appear to be a wealthy businessman who will care for Lana like a doll; on the contrary, he represents freedom on multiple dimensions. Because the theme of the live performance is American, the concept of freedom remains central to the imagery and symbolism. Lana is free to choose her image, her mate, and her destiny. To do so, she must practice discipline and use the "self-policing, narcissistic gaze" (Gill 151).
Works Cited
Dyer, Richard. "Stars as Specific Images." Chapter 6 in Stars. New Edition. BFI Publishing, 1998.
Gill, Rosalind. "Postfeminist Media Culture." European Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 147–166.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.