ICYMI: Lana Del Rey releases new single ‘A&W’

Lana Del Rey releases a new single titled ‘A&W’ (American Whore) last Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023.

The 33 year-old singer sings of “not having someone to love me anymore”. The song is said to reference an American root beer brand A&W. The title, then, also serves as an acronym for American Whore.

Upon release, many fans drew speculations on what it is about. A somber rumination about her confusion between sexual desire or trauma or both.

Ask me why, why I’m like this / Maybe I’m just kinda like this

All the while expressing a critique of the prevalent rape rhetoric;

If I told you that I was raped / Do you really think that anybody would think I didn’t ask for it, didn’t ask for it? / I won’t testify, already fucked up my story.

Meanwhile, many are intrigued about the second half of the song with Lana’s seeming return to trap. Lana routinely featured trap elements before venturing out to piano ballads during her past albums like her classic debut album Born to Die and Lust for Life. Some fans also pointed out a string section reminiscent of Lorde’s Hard Feelings from her 2017 album Melodrama (also co-produced by Jack Antonoff).

A&W is from her upcoming ninth studio album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. The track was written and produced by long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff. Antonoff also co-produced her most recent albums Norman Fucking Rockwell (2019) and Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021).

After the release, Pitchforked also labeled the song “Best New Track”. “A psychedelic collagist freakout that rides from exasperation”, writes D’ Souza for Pitchfork.

Lana’s 9th studio album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd will be released on March 24, 2023.

Listen to the song here.