ART & ENTERTAINMENT Exploring the tunnel under Ocean Blvd.

Lana Del Rey makes a return to the scene with her eigth full length studio album

Jacob Mc Millen STAFF WRITER

Did you know that there is a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Not literally speaking, but this is the title of the eighth studio album from the artist Lana Del Rey. Lizzy Grant, who performs under the stage name Lana, has been working hard on her music career for years.

Lana gained popularity with her first album “Born to Die,” with the songs “Summertime Sadness” and “Video Games.” The expansion of her career has led to an excitement from fans for what she has in store.

“Did you know that there’s a Tunnel under Ocean Blvd” (DYKTTATUOB) has a track list of 16 songs, which is one of Rey’s biggest albums, tied with “Lust for Life.” The album also has a great deal of features from other artists such as John Bastiste, SYML, Riopy, Father John Misty, Bleachers, and Tommy Genesis. This album contains a lot of firsts for Rey, including her ideas and inspiration for her album, influenced by her spoken word poetry. This album is a very experimental album for Rey, and sure to be an exciting one.

Track one on the album is a song titled, “The Grants.” “So many mountains too high to climb. So many Rivers so long, but I’m doin’ the hard stuff, I’m doing my time. I’m doin’ it for us, for our family life,” sang Del Rey. This song has a somber and gospel feel to it. Starting off with an audio clip of a rehearsal of a group singing gospel, and ending with the same angelic gospel sound. The song is primarily performed on the piano and classical stringed instruments. A classic Del Rey song, with a tiny twist in sound that feels fresh and new.

Track two is the album title track, “Did you know that there’s a Tunnel under Ocean Blvd.” “Harry Nilsson has a song, his voice breaks at 2:05. Something about the way he says ‘don’t forget me’ makes me feel like, I just wish I had a friend like him, someone to get me by,” sang Del Rey. This song features a more traditional version of her sound. The instrumentals feature strings, percussion, and what sounds like a synthesizer. A somber track that feels like my favorite Del Rey album, “Norman F**king Rockwell.” I like how she references something outside of the song. I can feel her spoken word poetry references.

The third track is titled “Sweet.”

“I’ve got magic in my hand, stars in my eyes, I’m a different kind of woman,” Del Rey sang. This song is very sweet sounding, accompanied by mellow and somber sounding instrumentals. It feels calm and, like any standard Lana Del Rey song, is, to its core, perfection.

The fourth track is titled “A&W.”

“I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine. I haven’t seen my mother in a long, long time. I mean, look at me, look at the length of my hair, my face, the shape of my body. Do you really think I give a damn what I do after years of just hearin’ them talking,” sang Del Rey. This song is a narrative told by Del Rey. She sings in a very spoken word feel, telling and describing things that talk about her life. The song transitions about halfway through to a more R&B style. This feels fresh for Del Rey, and it makes the song one of my favorites.

“Judah Smith Interlude” is the fifth track on the album. This track is a compilation of Judah Smith sermons. This is one of the two tracks on the album of this style. This is unlike anything I’ve seen before. I really like this inclusion. It’s nice to hear this, even if Smith’s views do not align with mine.

“Candy Necklaces” is the sixth track and first feature on the album. The song features Jon Batiste, using his bass vocal type to contrast with Del Rey’s. This song uses piano and simple strings to make a beautiful harmony. “You’ve been acting pretty reckless. Dancing like the young and restless. And I’m obsessed with this. All his candy necklaces,” sang Del Rey. This song feels simple, and the story is really easy to follow and fall into. The story of the song is nice too, being infatuated with someone and everything they do. I really like the way the piano dances with Del Rey’s voice; it is magical.

“The seventh, Jon Batiste interlude,” is another track where Del Rey isn’t the focus. This one is a simple instrumental with what appears to be Jon Batiste having a conversation. It wasn’t crucial to the album, but it was nice to listen to.

The eighth track is titled “Kintsugi.”

The title of this track is a marvelous one because kintsugi is the process of repairing broken ceramics, and it falls so cleanly into the lyrics. I love a good meaningful title. “So everyone was there, standin’ and laughin’, And I’m on the side with my tears streamin’ down,” sang Del Rey. This song evokes strong emotions and feels like sitting in a booth in the corner listening to a woman on the mic speak.

“Fingertips” is the ninth track on the album. This song sounds like pleading and wondering for something. The desperation in Del Rey’s voice while asking important questions is so impactful to me as a listener. “Will the baby be alright? Will I have one of mine? Can I handle it even if I do?” Del Rey sang. Unlike the other songs, this one’s story is definitely one of the strongest. The title, “Fingertips,” is something that has soft and caring implications , and it seems like she is in need of that.

The tenth track titled, “Paris, Texas,” is a fresh feeling song. I really like the rhythms that Del Rey has created and the little whispers that echo what she is saying add a lot to the song. “I went to Paris (Texas) With a suitcase in my hand, I had to leave.” Lyrically this song isn’t crazy, but the way it is presented is really strong. This song also features SYML as a co-writer, but there is a little sample of his instrumentals, “I wanted to Leave.”

The eleventh track is a classic Del Rey wordy title:“Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he is deep-sea fishing.” This song also features RIOPY, sampling their song “Flo.” “Three white butterflies to know you’re near. I know you think that it took somebody else to make me beautiful, beautiful,” sang Del Rey. This song feels standard for Del Rey. It’s a solid, great inclusion on the album.

“Let the Light in” is the twelfth track and has more of a country feel to it with a vocal feature from Father John Misty. This is a great song, I like how she incorporates the title throughout the entirety, something I think she is skilled at. “Pick you up at home quarter to three. Ask you if you want somethin’ to eat. Drive around, get drunk, do it all over again,” Del Rey sang. This is a nice listen, and I enjoy the additional voice types.

The thirteenth track, titled “Margaret,” features Bleachers. This song is a story that is clean and easy to follow. This is not Del Rey’s first collaboration with Bleachers, and I hope it isn’t the last. “‘Cause when you know, you know, and when you’re old, you’re old. Like Hollywood and me, the diamond on your ring,” Del Rey sang. I adore this song, and I love whenever these two collaborate. With its casual lines and phrases that cue you back into the song, this is one of my favorites from Lana.

“Fishtail” is the fourteenth track on the album. This song has great lyrics, showing how Del Rey has a way of creating a soft imagery with the tone of her voice, no matter what she is singing about. “Palm trees in black and white, I like to watch them sway. You’re so funny, I wish I could skinny dip inside your mind,” sang Del Rey. This song tells about worries from a person who is pleading with someone not to pretend to care about them. In addition to the sadder theme of the song, there is a light and fun R&B beat in the background. I really like the unique way this song is introduced.

“Peppers” is the fifthteenth track on the album and features Tommy Genesis, the first female feature on the album. This song has a trippy feel, almost like you let three songs play at once. The sound is groovy and has a beachy R&B vibe. This one is a favorite of mine from the her entire discography. “I threw caution to the wind, get on to the bike. Take a minute for myself, skinny dip in my mind. I’m in love, I’m in love,” Del Rey sang. This song feels fresh, like something you would hear at a party rather than a nightclub.

“Taco Truck x VB” is the final track on the album. “Oh, that’s why they call me Lanita. When I get down, I’m Bonita. Don’t come find me I’m in Reseda,” sings Del Rey. This song feels like a “kitchen sink” of a song. The way that Del Rey combines a variety of different sounds along with one of her old songs, and a personal favorite of mine, “Venice B**ch,” creates a new marvelous sound as a whole.

It’s a callback to the past to make something new and a wonderful wonderful way to end the album.