Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (song)

Last updated

"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd"
Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd song.png
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
ReleasedDecember 7, 2022 (2022-12-07)
Genre
Length
  • 4:45 (main version)
  • 4:02 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Mike Hermosa
Producer(s)
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Watercolor Eyes"
(2022)
"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd"
(2022)
"A&W"
(2023)
Licensed audio
"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" on YouTube

"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from the 2023 studio album of the same name, her ninth album. It was released as the lead single from the album on December 7, 2022. [1] [2] Del Rey wrote the song with Mike Hermosa and both produced it with Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, and Zach Dawes.

Contents

Background and release

The song was written by Del Rey and Mike Hermosa, with whom she also co-produced it, alongside Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, and Zach Dawes. The track is a slow dreamy ballad [3] described as baroque orchestral pop. [4]

In an interview with Billie Eilish for Interview , Del Rey revealed that "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" was the first song written for its parent album of the same name. She also shared that the song and title were inspired by a sealed tunnel under the Jergins Trust Building in Long Beach, California, and a 1974 track by Harry Nilsson titled "Don't Forget Me". She had read that "the [tunnel's beautiful] mosaic ceilings were still perfectly preserved, but no one could get in", and was compelled to write a song inspired by Nilsson's track using her own metaphors. [5]

There is no known connection to the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard at Sea Mist Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, built in the 1980s but no longer used as of 2022. [6]

Impact

The Jergins Tunnel that was referenced in the song received renewed interest after the song was released. [7] In November of 2023, it was announced that the Jergins Tunnel will reopen as a speakeasy that will be part of a new Hard Rock Hotel. The project will be completed in 2027, one year prior to the 2028 Summer Olympics. [8]

Critical reception

Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork described the song as a "slow, dreamy ballad filled" with "incidental moments" and found the tunnel in the title to be "less a geographic focal point than a window into the potential she sees in the most familiar scenes and well-traveled routes". [3]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Tidal. [9]

Charts

Chart performance for "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd"
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Greece International (IFPI) [10] 41
Ireland (IRMA) [11] 87
Lithuania (AGATA) [12] 94
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [13] 19
UK Singles (OCC) [14] 98
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [15] 23

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [16] Platinum40,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lana Del Rey</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1985)

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer and songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent references to pop culture and 1950s–1970s Americana. Her vintage Hollywood glamour aesthetic is showcased in her music videos. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards, two Brit Awards, two Billboard Women in Music, and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for eleven Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety honored her at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century". In 2023, Rolling Stone placed Del Rey on their list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", while their sister publication Rolling Stone UK named her as "The Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st century".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lana Del Rey discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey has released nine studio albums, three extended plays, 41 singles, 18 promotional singles, and one box set. She also has one leaked demo album, which was not released officially. According to Universal Music Group (UMG), Del Rey has sold over 41 million albums worldwide and has garnered over 58 billion streams worldwide. In the United States, Del Rey has sold over 48 million certified singles according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Billboard ranked her as the 37th Top Rock Artist of the 2010s. Del Rey has also sold 7.1 million singles units, and 4 million albums in United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Antonoff</span> American musician (born 1984)

Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. He was previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop rock band Fun and the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with the three groups, Antonoff has been prolific in songwriting and production for various music industry acts, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, P!nk, Sara Bareilles, the 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff is credited with impacting the sound of popular music throughout the 2010s and 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleachers (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Bleachers is an American indie pop band from New Jersey. Formed in 2013, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff was the only permanent member of the group until 2023, when longtime touring musicians Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu became official members.

<i>Honeymoon</i> (Lana Del Rey album) 2015 studio album by Lana Del Rey

Honeymoon is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter, and record producer Lana Del Rey. It was released on September 18, 2015, by Interscope and Polydor Records. Produced by Del Rey alongside longtime collaborators Rick Nowels and Kieron Menzies, Honeymoon marked a departure from the more guitar-driven instrumentation of Del Rey's previous effort Ultraviolence (2014) and a return to the baroque pop of Born to Die (2012) and Paradise (2012). Lyrically, the album touches on themes of tortured romance, resentment, lust, escapism and violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Dawes</span> Musical artist

Zachary Edwin Dawes is an American musician, producer, engineer, and technician, best known as the bassist for the bands Mini Mansions and The Last Shadow Puppets. He has also made contributions to music by Brian Wilson, Lana Del Rey, among other music artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venice Bitch</span> 2018 single by Lana Del Rey

"Venice Bitch" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on September 18, 2018, through Polydor and Interscope Records, as the second single from her sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019). The song was written and produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff. The song was met with unanimous praise from music critics and was ranked by numerous publications amongst the best songs of the year and decade. The song title references Venice, Los Angeles.

"Norman Fucking Rockwell" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey from her sixth studio album of the same name (2019). The track was written and produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariners Apartment Complex</span> 2018 single by Lana Del Rey

"Mariners Apartment Complex" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019). She wrote the song after a late night walk with her then partner, while they were reaching an "apartment complex". Produced by Del Rey and co-writer Jack Antonoff, it combines country, psychedelic folk, and soft rock over a balladic production. Lyrically, the narrator assures her lover of constant support and guidance in their beautiful yet problematic relationship. The song was released as the lead single from the album on September 12, 2018, by Polydor and Interscope Records.

"Cinnamon Girl" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey from her sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019). The song was written and produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff.

<i>Blue Banisters</i> 2021 studio album by Lana Del Rey

Blue Banisters is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on October 22, 2021, by Interscope and Polydor Records, seven months after her previous record, Chemtrails over the Country Club. The album was produced by Del Rey, Zachary Dawes, Loren Humphrey, Mike Dean, Barrie-James O'Neill, Rick Nowels, and several others.

<i>Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night</i> 2021 studio album by Bleachers

Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is the third studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on July 30, 2021, by RCA Records. Jack Antonoff began working on the album in 2019 and finished it during the COVID-19 pandemic. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard 200.

"Snow on the Beach" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). It features background vocals from the American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. The two wrote the track with Jack Antonoff, who also produced the song with Swift. "Snow on the Beach" is a love song about two people falling in love with each other simultaneously. It includes a midtempo dream pop production containing synths, plucked violin, and a reverbed bass.

<i>Did You Know That Theres a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd</i> 2023 studio album by Lana Del Rey

Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Released on March 24, 2023, by Interscope and Polydor Records, the album features production by Del Rey, Mike Hermosa, Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, Zach Dawes, and Benji. It includes collaborations with Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis, SYML and Riopy.

"The Grants" is a song written by Lana Del Rey and Mike Hermosa, and recorded by Del Rey for her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023). Del Rey served as one of the song's producers, along with Drew Erickson and Zach Dawes. It was released through Interscope and Polydor Records on March 14, 2023 as the third single from the album. The song debuted on BBC Radio 1's Future Sounds with Clara Amfo as Radio 1's Hottest Record.

"Paris, Texas" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey featuring American pianist SYML from her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023)

"Let the Light In" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey featuring fellow American singer-songwriter Father John Misty from her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W (song)</span> 2023 single by Lana Del Rey

"A&W" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey for her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023). The track was written and produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff, along with its co-writer Sam Dew. The song was released on February 14, 2023, as the album's second single. The song's title not only references the American root beer brand of the same name, but serves as an initialism for "American Whore". The beat and tone shifts midway through for a brief instrumental, before shifting again into the second part, unofficially dubbed "Jimmy" by fans and critics based on the lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jergins Trust Building</span> Building in California, United States

The Jergins Trust Building was a 10-story Beaux-Arts style commercial building in Long Beach, California, built in 1919. The building contained office space and a ground-floor theatre and was known for its façade featuring terra-cotta shields and gargoyles. In spite of being one of Long Beach's designated historic landmarks, the building was demolished in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candy Necklace</span> 2023 single by Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste

"Candy Necklace" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey featuring American singer and songwriter Jon Batiste from her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023). It was released as a limited-edition picture disc on October 6, 2023. On November 10, 2023, the song was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

References

  1. Jones, Damian (December 7, 2022). "Lana Del Rey announces new album and single 'Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd'". NME . Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  2. Martoccio, Angie; Mier, Tomás (December 7, 2022). "Lana Del Rey Asks on New Album, 'Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (December 7, 2022). "Lana Del Rey: "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" Track Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  4. Griffiths, George (December 8, 2022). "Lana Del Rey's ninth album Did You Know There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd will be released early next year". Official Charts Company . Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  5. Lent, Caitlin (February 14, 2023). "Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish Fall in Love". Interview Magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  6. Williamson, Caroline (December 19, 2022). "Fact check: Is Lana Del Rey's new album referencing Myrtle Beach's Ocean Boulevard?". The Sun News . Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  7. Williams, Hannah (August 1, 2023). "Lana Del Rey: a great American poet". New Statesman. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  8. Richardson, Brandon (November 13, 2023). "Hard Rock Hotel plans 2027 opening in Long Beach; Jergins Tunnel to be a speakeasy, mayor says". Long Beach Business Journal. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  9. "Credits / Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd / Lana Del Rey". Tidal . Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  10. "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  11. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  12. "2022 50-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  13. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  15. "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  16. "Brazilian single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved September 2, 2024.