1 minute read
ARTS & CULTURE Ocean Blvd is Lana Del Rey’s ode to creative nostalgia
The singer’s newest studio album shows every side of her persona
Very rarely do we see an artist use their past wrongdoings and controversies as fuel for new art. Lana Del Rey does just that in her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (Ocean Blvd).
Advertisement
Since her first studio album, Born to Die (2014), Lana has built a reputation for being creatively ambitious, almost dangerously so. She was deprecated for her romanticization of drug usage and abusive relationships, as well as her full ownership of her own sexual promiscuity.
Ocean Blvd perfectly balances her glamorous persona of a Hollywood legend with the vulnerabilities which can be revealed
Pop culture report card
through the metaphors her lyrics provide.
The album perfectly captures this duality in the two lead singles, “Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” and “A&W.”
In “Ocean Blvd,” Lana captures the curse and isolation of status, beauty, and money, juxtaposing the longing for beauty in her 2013 hit “Young and Beautiful.” In “Ocean Blvd,” Lana’s voice floats over the lyrics, “Mosaic ceilings, painted tiles on the wall // I can't help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul // Handmade beauty sealed up by two man-made walls.” The seemingly obscure metaphor, actually a reference to the Jergins Tunnel, is a staple of Lana’s music and distinguishes her as a lyricist who uses poetry to her advantage.
“A&W” completely contrasts this: split into two halves, Lana croons about her real experiences from childhood and, guided by the slow yet sudden change in instrumentals and an addition of electronic bass, captures the evolution into adulthood, describing her “experience of bein’ an American Whore.” Lana uses this song as a way to show no shame for her sexuality, which has caused her to go under fire on the internet. “A&W” stands out not only because of its musical interest but also because of her full acknowledgement of her reputation and sexuality.
Lana immediately follows the track with a spoken-word interlude in the form of a sermon about lust and spirituality performed by controversial pastor and leader of the Hollywood Churchchrome
