Lana del Rey’s Next Era: What’s Next?

By Gabriela Vasquez

Source: Wikipedia

We know and love her as the sad girl of pop. But to call Lana del Rey, “Born to Die” and “Norman F*cking Rockwell” signer a pop artist only scratches the surface of her storytelling capabilities through her music. She is sultry, sexy, and a dark, enigmatic voice in the music industry that doesn’t try to be trendy or TikTok’s next famous sound. For Lana del Rey, that’s child’s play.

Anticipating her new album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd Lana has once again entered a new era. This lengthy album title is representative of del Rey’s style. Either you’re a fan or you’re not. With age, del Rey and her fans ride their own wave, and if you can’t remember the album’s stretched out name, maybe it’s just not for you.

In 2021, del Rey released her two albums, Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Blue Banisters. In these albums, del Rey explored personal narratives and slower, acoustic and melodic sounds. With little advertisement for these releases and only promoting two music videos, Lana del Rey has proven that her reputation and style alone is representative of her brand.

In her newly released singles, “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” and “A&W,” Lana gives her listeners two teasers into the story of her next era. In “...Ocean Blvd,” del Rey brings back what she’s known for: her storytelling capabilities. Revisiting the familiar sirens and violins that appear throughout the background score of album Norman F*cking Rockwell and the soulful backup singers present in Chemtrails Over the Country Club’s “Let Me Love You Like a Woman” and Blue Banisters’ “Thunder,” Lana seems to continue her story right where she left off in her albums’ past.

In her popular, seven minute track, “A&W,” del Rey reignites her love for hip hop in the song’s second part, allowing her ballad to be followed by the strong bass and the hypnotic and rhythmic tempo that transforms the song from one of weakness, to one of resentment. Del Rey is known for her strong themes involving domestic abuse, drug addiction, and fatally toxic romances, but in this song she takes it a step further, commenting on a broader conversation about sexual assault and the backlash she faces for not maintaining a pristine public image in terms of her fashion or weight. It is clear that del Rey has reached a point in her career where she just doesn’t need to care anymore about looking paparazzi-ready or saving her deeper lyrics for her diary. She has reached a status that only comes with age.

In a music industry that brags about sexual prowess, female domination over men, and the sexual liberation of women, Lana del Rey offers a similar message, through a more introspective and saddened perspective. She writes about the realities of her sexual desires that are tied to romance, love, loss, and often compensation from relationships that are simply not enough. Lana del Rey needs more, and she’s not afraid of admitting that her faults make her human.

“It’s not about havin’ someone to love me anymore. No, this is the experience of bein’ an American whore,” she admits by minute three of her new song, “A&W.” Del Rey openly admits her weaknesses, offering a glimpse into her messed up desires to be loved, a theme Lana is known for exploring. “F*ck me to death, love me until I love myself” she begs. “Don’t forget me,” she sings in the chorus of “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.”

Lana finds power in her femininity and sexuality. She’s not afraid of calling things as they are and changing her mind. She doesn’t care if she sounds crazy, because that is simply something that women are characterized as, regardless.

“Did you know a signer can still be lookin’ like a sidepiece at 33?” she asks rhetorically. Love has failed her, but she’s not scared to admit it and call out her exes when necessary.

Produced by Jack Antonoff, scheduled to release March 24, Lana del Rey lets us in on her next era, featuring artists such as Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis, and others. Until then, we’ll be waiting in anticipation for Lana del Rey’s 9th studio album, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.