Femininity, vulnerability, and grief on Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey
Fans of sad-girl staple artist and Fordham alum Lana Del Rey have been anticipating her new album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, since what seems like the day of release for 2021’s Blue Banisters. Heavy and dramatic, with tinges of vintage flair, Del Rey’s nine studio albums and other EPs released under her real name, Lizzy Grant, have a sadness and painstaking lyricism that have established her distinct style. Her songs are immediately recognizable, and the sixteen tracks on her new release are no different. The singer’s musical development from her first album, Born to Die - with its classic Americana, red lipstick, and Cherry Coca-Cola summer backdrop - to now, showcases her consistent style while moving toward discussing heavier topics than those associated with BTD. Her change in style starting with her 2019 release Norman F***ing Rockwell! has been fairly divisive among fans due to her outlandishness, both as a public figure and in her music. That being said, I was eager to dive into this album after not necessarily loving the past few (what can I say–I still have the red plastic heart-shaped shades Lana influenced me to buy when I was 12 years old).
The album opens with “The Grants” and a gospel choir singing references to country and folk legend, John Denver. A theme throughout the album, culminating with the fifth track recording of the eponymous preacher’s sermon “Judah Smith Interlude,” worship and church-adjacent choirs feed themselves through many of the tracks. Just from the first song, it’s clear this album still has the classic Lana sound, with mellow lyrics and a soft instrumental.
Del Rey’s music always has a certain longing melancholy to it, and both the second track and title track reflect this. An incessant, anxious desire, waiting for some or any sort of recognition from a partner flows throughout the song. This song reminds me of “Ultraviolence” (coincidentally, it’s the title track of its own album) particularly the lyrics: “Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself” which mirrors “He hit me and it felt like a kiss” on “Ultraviolence.” The romanticization of abuse has always been a point of contention for listeners and music critics alike, but it seems that Del Rey isn’t letting go of that imagery anytime soon.
“Sweet” has a similar Del Rey-esque longing and desperation for romantic attention, but the energy quickly changes as “A&W” queues up. The track was the second single released for the album and was incredibly popular among her online fanbase. With the first half strummed on an acoustic guitar and the second with more digital production than most other songs on the album, the song strays away from the singer’s typical laments on relationships and towards her family, mother, and experience as a young woman in a culture that treats them both wrong.
Easily the most divisive track on the album is “Judah Smith Interlude.” As I mentioned, the entire album sounds to me like it’s influenced by Christian church music, but that could just be my Catholic school upbringing in the back of my head. This track, however, takes the religious undertones much further. Listeners can hear Lana and her friends laughing and mocking Smith, a preacher known for his homophobic comments and odd figures of speech (among others, Smith uses the phrase “rhino designer” to describe a divine entity). Smith’s history is what made the song such an unpleasant surprise for the LGBTQ members of her fanbase, but it is fairly evident that the track is a mockery of his words rather than praise. Regardless, it is a fairly random choice and reflects Del Rey’s offbeat style.
“Candy Necklace,” featuring Jon Batiste, and his interlude that follows, have a Born to Die, old-Lana sound to them. The former sounds strikingly like “Video Games” to me, one of my favorite tracks on her first album, and thus was a quick favorite. I had been keeping track of my ranking as I listened, and this song, though beautiful, was quickly topped by what was to come.
“Kintsugi”, the eighth song on the album, is named after the Japanese word for putting together broken pottery with the goal of making it look like no cracks had ever been there. The song talks about grief and the journey through and out of it. I had been listening to the album as I cleaned up around my dorm, but when “Kintsugi” began to play, I had to sit down with the lyrics pulled up in front of me and just listen. Lana Del Rey is known for singing in riddles, something I joke about often, but this song was clear as day to me. It’s raw, atmospheric, and painful, striking a chord within me.
“But I can't say I'd run when things get hard
It's just that I don't trust myself with my heart
But I've had to let it break a little more
'Cause they say that's what it's for”
On “Fingertips,” long-time colleague of Del Rey and Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd producer Jack Antonoff showcases both his personal talent and his familiarity with Lana’s style. His choice to include strings and cracks of thunder on this track suits the eerie atmosphere that is created by lyrics about fear, grief, abandonment, and the role that family plays among them. Antonoff is the principal producer for this album, and he’s one of my favorites in the industry. Famously working with industry frontrunners Taylor Swift and Lorde, his style is distinct but molds to fit the aesthetic of artists he works with.
The lyricism of “Paris, Texas” is completely genius to me. Referencing small American cities named after their international counterparts like Florence, Alabama and Venice, California feels perfect for a song talking about who and what home doesn’t feel like and needing to be anywhere else. My first thought when hearing the song was that it sounded like “Exploration” from the soundtrack of Tim Burton’s Coraline, which made it move even faster to the top of my ranking.
A classically long Del Rey title, “Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing,” talks more about family and grief and the reminders we hold with us of our loved ones. This theme is clear and profound throughout this project and brings Lana back down to earth and to humanity from countless albums focused solely on love, sex, and relationships.
What I predicted to be my favorite song on the album just upon seeing who was featured on it takes the number one spot of the ranking. “Let The Light In” features indie-folk artist Father John Misty, the artist behind my all-time favorite song, “Chateau #4 (In C for Two Virgins).” His vocals mix with Lana’s incredibly well, and though I like nearly everything that he puts out, it’s safe to say this song has been on repeat since my first listen through the album.
On “Margaret,” Jack Antonoff steps into a feature beyond his production role, and “Fishtail” pleads against being used and misled. “Peppers,” however, comes from fairly far out in left field. With a feature from pop artist Tommy Genesis and TikTok viral lyric “hands on your knees, I’m Angelina Jolie,” this track samples Genesis’ “Angelina” and references the Red Hot Chili Peppers, making it the most odd and upbeat song on the album, but also one of my favorites for those very reasons.
The closing track of the album displays Lana's dedication to sharing every thought that pops into her head into her songwriting, and honestly, it’s one of the things I love most about her music. She says such obscure things that one can only assume that each track is a continuous string of thoughts disguised as poetry. Her honesty hit a new level on this project, with conversations of family, parental relationships, and grief mixed among discussions of love and identity. While I cannot say it tops her older albums in my personal ranking - or whether or not the question of Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd has been answered - I love the direction that her music is going after a few albums that weren’t my favorite. It’s honest, it’s emotional, and completely aligned with her signature sound: it's Lana.
Ranking
Let The Light In (feat. Father John Misty)
Kintsugi
Paris, Texas (feat. SYML)
Peppers (feat. Tommy Genesis)
Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing
Margaret (feat. Bleachers)
Candy Necklace (feat. Jon Batiste)
A&W
Taco Truck x VB
The Grants
Fingertips
Fishtail
Sweet
Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
Jon Batiste Interlude
Judah Smith Interlude