Lana Del Rey Releases Controversial Single Art; 'American Idol' Performance Confirmed

No stranger to controversy, Lana Del Rey is stirring up some more of it with the cover art for her new single, "Blue Jeans." 

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The sexy singer was photographed lying down on a beach, her eyes closed and a tattooed hand reaching for her neck as if to check for a pulse. 

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A love song about a relationship falling apart, Del Rey coos in the lyrics: "But when you walked out that door, a piece of me died / I told you I wanted more / But that's not what I had in mind." She also references death, cancer and James Dean in the song, which she performed on Saturday Night Live in January -- an appearance that would polarize the TV audience while at the same time transforming the singer from much-hyped It Girl to much-mocked internet target.

Lana Del Rey will also make her American Idol debut on March 22. She's due to pre-tape the performance following the March 15 elimination show, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Del Rey has a powerful ally in Interscope Records chief and Idol mentor Jimmy Iovine, who has made her a top priority on his impressive roster of artists (see: Lady Gaga) and even compared her "haunting" voice to that of Stevie Nicks.

Twitter: @THRMusic