Lana Del Rey has insisted the "madness" of Donald Trump's presidency was necessary to spark change in the United States

Speaking to BBC Radio 1 presenter Annie Mac this week, she said: "The madness of Trump, as bad as it was, it really needed to happen.

"We really needed a reflection of our world’s greatest problem, which is not climate change, but sociopathy and narcissism.

"Especially in America. It’s going to kill the world. It’s not capitalism, it’s narcissism.

"I was surprised we didn’t have a live-television psychopath crazy person as a president a long time ago because that’s what we see on TV and that’s what we see on Instagram."

The 'Video Games' star also opened up on the recent Capitol riots on January 6, which were sparked by the Commander-in-Chief's repeated claims of election fraud.

She added: "If I go to the Brentwood Country Mart barefoot or whatever, I’m not insane; I’m connected to the earth... I think people are having to re-evaluate what is strange and not strange.

"Like watching the people storm the Capitol, everyone gets to go look at that and figure out what Capitols they’ve been storming this year in their own freakin’ lives. 'Cause everyone’s running amok.

"You know, half the people I know are just jerks. Like I could picture them being like, 'Well, we need a change.'

"And the other half of the people I know are like watching them with tears in their eyes, in disbelief. And it is sad, it is scary. But it could happen in any country."

Meanwhile, this week Lana defended her choice of cover art for her upcoming LP, 'chemtrails over the country club'. which features the singer and her "amazing friends", some of whom are people of colour.

Part of her statement on Instagram, which addressed the recent riots in Washington D.C., read: "As it happens when it comes to my amazing friends and this cover yes there are people of color on this records picture and that’s all I’ll say about that.

"These are my friends this is my life. We are all a beautiful mix of everything- some more than others which is visible and celebrated in everything I do. In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without even trying to.

"My best friends are rappers my boyfriends have been rappers. My dearest friends have been from all over the place, so before you make comments again about a WOC/POC issue, I’m not the one storming the capital, I’m literally changing the world by putting my life and thoughts and love out there on the table 24 seven. Respect it. (sic)"