Lana Del Rey reminds everyone that you cannot outdo the doer on her folk-rap slow-burn single, “A&W,” produced by long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff. Released the same day as Lana Del Rey’s March cover story for Interview Magazine, Billie Eilish gushed that Lana “really paved the way for everyone.”
Jack Antonoff even coined the new single as “my favorite we’ve ever done.” Hear it also on Lana’s ninth studio album “Did you know that there is a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?” is out 03/24!
Long gone is the languid title track sound. This 7-minute track journeys the misadventures of “American Whore” (the original title) and covers an array of jarring sonic shifts. However, the intrinsic experimentation and mystery “Jimmy” character dusted off the long-lost persona Lizzy Grant, an early iteration Del Rey.
The piano beginning catalogs her adolescence and dysfunctional family, resulting in an awkward, sex-driven love. However, the last two minutes see this ‘princess’ spiral into burnt 808s, bold guitars, and trap beats as she gives Jimmy a good talking-to.
“It’s not about havin’ someone to love me anymore / No, this is the experience of bein’ an American whore.”
Excerpt of “A&W” chorus by Lana Del Rey
She chews out her sensuality and independence to reveal the more intimate, unbridled root.
“If I told you that I was raped / Do you really think that anybody would think / I didn’t ask for it? I didn’t ask for it / I won’t testify; I already fucked up my story.”
Exert of third verse from “A&W” by Lana Del Rey
The magic behind Lana’s pen game is that it is not always about her. She uses the space to ask questions that she brushes against in America. In this case, Lana streamlines how the societal mistreatment of rape culture impacts the validity of American Whore’s experiences.
“A&W” feels like Born To Die and Honeymoon Lana met Lust For Life‘s “In My Feelings” then, amplified by the introspective pen game of Blue Banisters. After two records of lush piano and country production, this funky hip-hop feels like a climax within Lana’s discography. It’s a lot and quintessentially Lana Del Rey.
