Lana Del Rey Weathers the Storm on Complex Cover

Is Lana Del Rey really an average girl who can't sing when your strip away the makeup and see her perform live on stage? Not at all, according to her cover story for the February/March 2012 issue of Complex. Del Rey weathers the storm on the cover, appearing in a short 'n' sexy khaki trench coat while holding a big black umbrella to shield her from the rain. Cue the Rihanna song, stat! Lana, can we stand under your umbrella?

The pelting rain is certainly symbolic of the torrential downpour of criticism that's landed at Del Rey's doorstep as she navigates the stormy existence that is "It" girldom.

In the feature, the fact that Del Rey sings -- and that's it -- is addressed. She's not gyrating with fans and providing lap dances a la Brit or going crazy with the fake blood and maniacal piano playing like Gaga. So if you were unimpressed when she was static during her much-maligned (and harshly judged) 'SNL' performance earlier this month, Del Rey has news for you!

"My real fans know I’m not a showstopper on stage," she said about her perceived lack of stage presence. "I don't have f---ing circus lights. I just don't care. My fans are there because they want to hear the record live. Everyone else is just there to see what happens."

Del Rey also shared the fact that she was not driven to make the world listen to her pop songs.
She says, "It wasn’t sing or die. I was also passionate about my community. I felt like I could have gone in several different directions."

She also revealed that she did not lead a charmed life growing up, either. "I know how to go from being a non-functioning member of society to a functioning one," she said. "I was crazy."

Crazy? How so? Turns out LDR didn't want go there. She declined to discuss, saying, "I won’t go into it. It’s not helpful to know. I was just reckless. But that was a long time ago. Being human is difficult. Some people make it more difficult than others. I was one of those people." We're waiting for someone from her past to show up with stories about the "crazy" period. That's bound to happen sooner or later as her fame multiplies.

Still hating and think Lana Del Rey is a fake, label-created pop star? Del Rey has an answer for that, too. She said, "I write my own songs. I made my own videos. I pick my producers. Nothing goes out without my permission. It’s all authentic."