Lana Del Rey, A&W | Track Review 🎵

Lana Del Rey surprises, showcasing innovative spirit on “A&W,” the lengthy second single from her ninth LP, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.

Predictability can make a musician become boring.  Sure, the motto goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ but sometimes, change is in order. 🏆 Grammy-nominated alternative pop singer/songwriter 🎙 Lana Del Rey is incredibly talented; her voice is heaven-sent.  That said, at times, Del Rey has proven to be predictable, at least in her approach. That said, Del Rey kicks off her ninth studio album, 💿 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (arriving March 23, 2023) with more unpredictability.  Sure, promo single 🎵 “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” finds Lana being true to self (which isn’t bad in the least), but 🎵 “A&W” expands the script.

Del Rey penned “A&W” alongside 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Jack Antonoff, who she also produces the track with. This epic, seven-minute-plus record is divided in two distinct parts.  Part I finds Lana being true to self. Even so, there is plenty to unpack, which is part of the genius. She is reflective, reminiscent, and brutally honest.  She recalls innocence in the first line: “I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine.” However, the sugar honey iced tea doesn’t take long to get real, as she depicts being an American Whore, as the abbreviated title suggests.  There are plenty of epic lyrics from Part I including the transparent “It’s not about havin’ someone to love me anymore / This is the experience of bein’ an American whore,” and the ultra-memorable, “Did you know a singer can still be / Looking like a sidepiece at thirty-three?”  So much more could be said of Part I, but Part II deserves love too. Here, she moves beyond alternative singer/songwriter pop to more of a trip-hop, minimalist sound.  This is where Del Rey showcases more innovative spirit, all the while flipping “Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop” to “Jimmy Jimmy cocoa puff.” In the process, the high is real. Interestingly, ole Jimmy boy has appeared in the Lana Del Rey catalog previously.

Final Thoughts 💭 

Just when you think Lana Del Rey has become totally predictable, she totally surprises on 🎵 “A&W”.  What makes “A&W” special is the songwriting, always a big-time selling point with Lana songs.  Furthermore, her voice is utterly sublime, as always.  The production on both parts is ear-catching as well.  Perhaps what most stands out about “A&W” is its experimental nature – it has that catch-you-off-guard, innovative spirit working in its favor.

🎙 Lana Del Rey • 💿 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 3.24.23

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Interscope; OpenClipart-Vectors, PIRO via Pixabay]