Born to Die, one of the most anticipated albums of 2012, has so far sold 800 000 copies, topping charts in six European countries including France, Britain and Germany, and ranking second in the United States.

Eighty million people have viewed the 25-year-old's videos on YouTube, their number rising by 10 million every week, said her record company Universal.

Lana Del Rey: Video Games 

Del Rey's cinematic looks and haunting video clip Video Games, which went viral on the Internet last year, saw her hailed as much as a musical revelation as a style icon, with spots in Vogue and Rolling Stone.

The singer's world is a blend of hip hop tinged modernity and retro Hollywood glamour in the spirit of the cult TV series Mad Men.

Lana Del Rey: Born to Die 

Dey Rey was caught in a media storm late last year after bloggers unearthed a past life as Elizabeth Grant, an unsuccessful musician they said was trying to rebrand herself as an edgier indie artist.

But enthusiasm for her music has trumped the controversy with critics broadly giving the thumbs-up to Born to Die, which flickers between soaring, atmospheric tracks and more hip hop-infused numbers.