Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey’s ninth album released and hit streaming platforms on March 24. The album follows the release of Blue Banisters in 2021 and has a tracklist of 16 songs. It opened at number three on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to have millions of streams. 

The songs cover a variety of pop genres such as art pop, alternative pop and traditional pop, rejecting the standard record format of a comprehensive tracklist. Del Rey is admired by her fans for her ability to transcend past norms established in the music industry and is viewed as a feminine and eccentric woman but also a brilliant songwriter whose lyricism projects her fans into a multitude of emotions.

‘The Grants,’ the opening track of the album, is a tribute to her family as she recalls memories of those who were vital in her formation as an artist who may no long be with her, singing “My pastor told me when you leave, all you take oh-oh is your memory and I’m gonna take mine of you with me.” I loved the ability this song has to connect directly with its listener as Del Rey sings beautifully with vulnerability about a difficult subject. 

Track 12 is ‘Let the Light In’ which features Father John Misty, an established indie artist. Genius Music explores a possible interpretation, claiming it may follow two singers having an affair with one another, a trope becoming prevalent as seen in the new Amazon Prime adaptation of the novel ‘Daisy Jones and the Six.’ In the scenario of this song, the male singer is being unfaithful, leading to a sense of secrecy in his relationship with the female singer. Musical instruments such as the piano and acoustic guitar further establish the romantic tone and enhance the song. 

My favorite track from the album is ‘Fishtail.’ It was written with three other songwriters, including Jack Antonoff of the rock band Bleachers. Antonoff has aided in production with other large artists such as Taylor Swift, Lorde and Clairo, and his influence is apparent on this track. 

Del Rey uses something so simplistic as braiding one’s hair as a metaphor for the presence or lack of trust in a relationship. She portrays braiding one’s hair as an intimate act and uses it to convey the degree of connection. However, alternate interpretations have also been discussed by users across social media sites. 

Ultimately, listeners loved Del Rey’s quick return to music with the 77 minute album. Del Rey is expected to return to US performances starting in Chicago for Lollapalooza with her presence at the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco to follow. 

 

*Editor’s note: Lauren Alcantar is a student writer. All views expressed in the commentary are her own and are independent of the district, Rouse High School and the publication.