Lana Del Rey performed on the ‘American Idol‘ stage last night (March 15), only we didn’t see it. That’s because the much maligned singer pre-taped her performance due to scheduling conflicts (!) which prevented her from signing live.

Now, her appearance is confirmed to air on March 22, during next week’s elimination results episode. Sources who were on set commented on LDR’s performance, noting that if she was a contestant on the show, her voice wouldn’t get her deep into the competition. Yikes. It’s ironic, considering this is a show known for its belters.

The live audience got to watch Del Rey’s performance, but still. Taping it meant that there can be plenty of post-production editing. And a taped performance doesn’t feel authentic on a live results show, especially when you are LDR and have something to prove.

E! reports that Del Rey sang her song ‘Video Games’ twice. Wearing a white dress and Converse sneakers, the singer was accompanied by a 16-piece orchestra and a piano. The ending was high drama, with rose petals falling on the singer.

Those who watched her sing said she seemed nervous before rehearsing and then loosened up as the song progressed. They also insinuated that if she was competing, she’d likely have been sent home already.

But back to that whole scheduling conflict thing. Do they really expect us to believe that? Del Rey has been raked over burning hot coals for her ‘SNL’ performance (which, for the record, we didn’t hate simply because she was low key and immobile) and for canceling tours, leading to much speculation that she can’t sing live. At all. The fact that she taped her ‘Idol’ performance doesn’t bode well for our confidence in her live abilities.

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