Friday, March 24, Lana Del Rey dropped her ninth studio album: Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. The album is among some of her best works. The moody, melodic songs reveal a new side of the singer-songwriter while experimental production and interludes keep true to the classic Lana style. Rolling Stone has called this “her most soul-searching album.”
The first two singles dropped in late 2022 and early 2023. “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” and “A&W” are authentic Lana songs. They both cut painfully deep with matter-of-fact lyrics that speak the truth perhaps too loudly for some. On the title track, she sings, “F*ck me to death, love me until I love myself.” With this one lyric, she is able to perfectly depict the state of mind of so many who found their worth in others.
In “A&W,” Lana continues to explore the pain that comes from being seen as a sexual object. With a sultry voice, she sings, “If I told you that I was raped, do you really think anybody would think I didn’t ask for it.” These lyrics are classically Lana Del Rey. There are no metaphors to hide the truth in her music. This album beautifully depicts Lana’s personal growth in the last several years.
The first song on the album is “The Grants.” The song title is a reference to the singer’s family name, Grant. Lana takes listeners on a beautiful journey with a metaphorical climb through her family history. The piano melody slightly references religion, a theme that she later expands on with two contrasting interludes.
“Judah Smith Interlude” is arguably the most controversial track. The song features a sermon by openly homophobic megachurch pastor Judah Smith. The hazy piano and Del Rey’s giggles accompany Smith’s spoken word on lust and love. Featuring a known homophobe on her album seems unusual for Del Rey, who openly supports the LGBTQ+ community. However, the point isn’t that she is suddenly an ultra-conservative. You can hear her poke fun at the sermon and almost feel her eyes rolling through most of the interlude. As stated in the Daily Beast’s article, the point is that much like Smith, Del Rey’s preaching is not about the audience but herself. This view is held throughout the whole album; this album is for her, and her art is now for her again.
The album closes in the most poetic of ways. “Taco Truck x VB” like most of this album, and some of her previous ones, is made with producer Jack Antonoff. The song feels like a call out to many of the singer-songwriter’s critics. However, about halfway through the song, we hear the familiar sound of “Venice B*tch” from her 2019 album Norman F*cking Rockwell! The call-out transforms it into a beautiful love song.
The mixing in of a fan favorite to round out this album is the perfect way for Lana to close the journey of Ocean Blvd. While phonetically, this album fits in Del Rey’s discography, it still marks a new era for the singer.
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