Lana Del Rey has just released her ninth studio LP, Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd through which she has allowed us to understand how she is flipping her narrative. The album travels through Del Rey’s procession of grief, ever-present loneliness, and heartbreak, all concerning a key familial theme. “The Grants” begins the album with a melancholic grief-stricken ballad before she moves on to contemplate life after death through a protective prayer for her father on “Grandfather Please Stand on the Shoulders of My Father While He’s Deep-sea Fishing”.
Notably, the album includes a sermon from Judah Smith, pastor to the stars. It is clear the track was recorded mid-speech, as he addressed the congregation as a whole. The inclusion of such a religiously oriented commentary in the midst of tackling emotionally distressing themes such as familial death and sexual liberation is incredibly on brand. Del Ray notoriously owns the poetic aestheticism of an angelic voice discussing the most aggressive topics.
Among the death motif, there is an exploration of self. “A&W”: named for the phrase American Whore, and “Fingertips” tackle the context of sexuality, an estranged relationship with her mother, and how childhood trauma carries through to adulthood. “A&W” tells her story through prior relationships and the media, while “Fingertips” leaves the singer questioning herself in her mirror and looking for support from her father and siblings. The blunt message of buying a single promotional billboard in Tulsa, Oklahoma (where Del Rey’s ex-boyfriend lives) certainly left fans thinking the album would be critically harsh, but Lana Del Rey explored self-pride over wrath, a noble path to take.
On the title track, she continuously begs the question “When’s it gonna be my turn?”. The track is an expression of a lonesome longing for the life it seems all others live before you. The life that feels content and full, rather than full of self-loathing for being alone. The track, like the remainder of the album, is sonically beautiful and haunting. Lana Del Ray continues to explore the questions many will not pursue and does so with the greatest poise.
Featuring artists Father John Misty, Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers, and Tommy Genesis, along with the interlude from her pastor and John Batiste, work to enhance the singer’s self-exploration. The undertones of well-practiced heartbreak culminate as yet another terrific album for her discography. Just as she released her preacher’s words to fans, Del Rey’s album is a tasteful soul-searching sermon in its own right, one her fans will treasure as art.