Christmas came early for Lana Del Rey fans on Dec. 7, when the pop singer unveiled her upcoming ninth studio album, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard.

Set to drop March 10, 2023 via Interscope Records, the new collection of songs comes more than a year after Del Rey’s incredibly busy 2021, which saw her release two albums: the spare, intimate Chemtrails Over the Country Club, and its moody sibling Blue Banisters.

Though she’s no longer on Instagram or Twitter, the enigmatic pop sensation born Elizabeth Grant shared a personal, type-written note along with the announcement: "What can I say! I’m so grateful to be present and feeling effervescent today. With a mind full of violets and a forehead warmed by the sun as I pray in the garden."

After taking a moment to thank all of her collaborators, friends and other people who made the forthcoming body of work possible, Del Rey closed the note with a message to her fans. "Thank you to you guys for listening!" she wrote, adding, "The music is for fun and for you and for me and not always free unless you’re streaming ha -but spirited with the best of intentions."

The Album Cover Exudes Brooding Hollywood Glamour

Del Rey channels vintage glam on the ‘70s-esque cover art for Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. With her chin resting in her closed hand and a giant satin bow in her hair, the superstar poses for a grayscale portrait shot by photographer Neil Krug that’s equal parts pouty and alluring. 

Balancing out the close-up, the singer follows recent collaborator Taylor Swift’s lead by including not only the aureolin yellow album title on the cover, but also the list of guest features, producers and other information. The whole affair exudes a nostalgic, throwback feeling.

The Title Track Is Also The Album’s Lead Single

Del Rey saunters into her newest era by asking the very question at the heart of the album’s title. "Mosaic ceiling, painted tiles on the wall," she teases, painting a picture of the hidden, underground space (possibly) beneath Long Island’s Ocean Boulevard before likening its depths to the beauty of her own secret spaces. 

All the hallmarks of Lana’s classic oeuvre are thankfully present and accounted for: her mournful, quavering soprano; a torchy, orchestral sonic palette; a sun-baked California setting (with a shoutout to Camarillo), crystalline nods to 1970s touchstones — this time Eagles’  "Hotel California" and an unnamed song by Harry Nilsson; carnality as a mask for pain and yearning and more.

"When’s it gonna be my turn?/ Don’t forget me/ When’s it gonna be my turn?" the singer-songwriter pleads over slow-burning piano as the song’s narrative builds to a gospel finish, replete with a spectral choir backing up her plaintive cries to be remembered. 

The Tracklist Is Stacked With Guest Features

Though Del Rey hasn’t revealed a single track besides the first single, the studio set’s vintage-style cover art promises a plethora of collaborations including Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Father John Misty and SYML, the solo project of former Barcelona frontman Brian Fennell. 

Interestingly, the list also includes appearances by more off-beat — and seemingly disparate — figures like Hillsong Church pastor Judah Smith and hyper-sexual rapper Tommy Genesis.

She’s Reuniting With Jack Antonoff

After being entirely absent in the credits for 2021’s Blue Banisters — which was largely helmed by Drew Erickson, Kassidy’s Barrie-James O’Neill and others — Jack Antonoff is back as a producer. Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard reunites Del Rey with the superproducer after working together on "Snow on the Beach" — the singer’s fan favorite, Janet Jackson-referencing contribution to Swift’s Midnights. 

Antonoff previously oversaw production on a string of Del Rey projects that included 2019’s GRAMMY-nominated Norman F—ing Rockwell!, the 2020 spoken world album Violets Bent Backwards over the Grass and 2021’s Chemtrails Over the Country Club. 

However, Antonoff isn’t the sole producer on Lana’s upcoming LP. The credits on the front cover reveal she’s also bringing past collaborators Erickson and Zach Dawes back into her musical sandbox along with film director Mike Hermosa and the cryptically mononymous Benji. 

There Will Be Multiple Vinyl Editions Of The Album

Shortly after unveiling the studio set’s cover art, Del Rey dropped another surprise on her unsuspecting fans: there would be four additional versions of the album available on vinyl, complete with unique covers, sleeves, gatefolds and photos.

The news is certainly great for collectors and superfans, but they’ll have to put in quite a bit of work to round up the LP’s many variations. The cherry red version will be exclusively available at retailers like Target and HMV, while indie record stores will receive a mint green vinyl with a saturated color photograph on the cover. The Amazon exclusive is light pink with the singer in a dark green cardigan and her exclusive web store is selling a white LP with an entirely text-free cover.

The Album Is Available For Pre-Order Now

Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd isn’t set to drop until early spring, but fans can pre-order the album in all of its vinyl variants on Del Rey’s official website now. 

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