Lana Del Rey Fully Embraces Her Sensual Side on 7-Minute ‘A&W’: Listen

Lana Del Rey is back with yet another track to precede the release of her forthcoming album. On Tuesday (Feb. 14), the “Born to Die” singer returned with “A&W” the second single from Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.

“A&W” — an abbreviation of “American W—e” — sees Del Rey reflecting on the trappings of her youth as she takes a sensual step into adulthood, appreciating and admiring her own body and the desires it allows her to indulge in, though true love or passion is not on the table.

“Call him up, come in to my bedroom/ Ended up we f–k on the hotel floor/ It’s not about having someone to love me anymorе/ This is the experiеnce of being an American w—e,” she croons on the chorus of the simmering track.

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The track takes a turn by the four-minute mark, with its acoustic guitar getting swapped out for booming, down tempo trap beats as she sings of a mysterious man named Jimmy, whose way of living she can’t help but be captivated by, despite knowing his behavior is potentially destructive. “Jimmy, if you switch it up, you should light it up/ Jimmy, if you leave the house, find me in the club/ Your mom called, I told her ‘You’re f—ing up big time,'” she teases on the second half of the track.

Though Del Rey has yet to comment on the track, producer Jack Antonoff said in an Instagram post last year that he is fond of “A&W.” “Can’t wait for everyone to hear this album – ‘american w—e’ is my favorite we’ve ever done,” he wrote at the time.

Ahead of the March 24 release of Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, Lana Del Rey will be honored with the Visionary Award at Billboard’s Women in Music event on March 1. Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson will host the event; tickets are available to purchase here.

Listen to “A&W” in the video above.

Starr Bowenbank

Billboard