Lana del Rey’s ninth studio album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? was highly anticipated and became critically acclaimed, scoring an 80 with critic reviews and 9.4 in user reviews, according to Metacritic.
The album received five Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
The first single of the album, released Dec 7, 2022, served as a title track.
Del Rey sings about her fears as an artist, losing recognition and being forgotten, which is where the album title stems from (“Don’t forget me / Like the tunnel under Ocean Blvd”). Her melodies are accompanied by orchestral instruments, synths, and drums.
The second single, however, received high praise and positive reaction. Released on Valentine’s Day 2023, A&W spans seven minutes, beginning as a poignant, personal psychedelic-folk ballad which spins into a trap beat for the remaining two minutes.
Del Rey pours her heart out to critics, ex-lovers, and fans like in the song, serving as a representation of moving past the music industries harsh criticisms of her earlier career. The latter half of the song served as an opener for her return to the stage at the MITA Music Festival in Rio De Janeiro.
The final single off the album, The Grants, is dedicated to her family and utilizes her beliefs of Heaven and love to create an album opener.
With a runtime of one hour and seventeen minutes, Ocean Blvd is del Rey’s longest album yet. Notable tracks include Kintsugi, a reference to the Japanese art of repairing broken objects with gold, and Taco Truck x VB, a closing track which samples from her 2019 album, NFR!.
Fans of del Rey can look for her upcoming summer 2024 festival dates, an upcoming cover of Blue Skies by Irving Berlin, and may enjoy listening to Red Moon in Venus by Kali Uchis, Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood, or Soft Sounds from Another Planet by Japanese Breakfast.
Final Review: 10/10
