Lana Del Rey has always been a collaborative artist, frequently inviting other musicians to appear on her own songs (like The Weeknd-featuring ‘Lust For Life’ or teaming up with Weyes Blood and Zella Day on ‘For Free’). She’s also returned the favour just as often, making cameos on tracks by Taylor Swift and Emile Haynie, or joining forces with Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande for the superstar collab ‘Don’t Call Me Angel’.
Her ninth studio album ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’ is no different, except this time, Del Rey is putting more focus on her collaborators. The main players on the record have their names listed in bold white font on the album’s front cover, while others are given moments on the album that can’t be missed. Here’s a who’s who guide to those who appear on ‘…Ocean Blvd’.
Melodye Perry, Pattie Howard, Shikena Jones
Who are they?: Backing singers who have previously worked with Nancy Sinatra and Diane Warren, and who all appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: The gorgeous harmonies and vocals on ‘The Grants’ – these are voices we hear that kick off the whole album.
Jack Antonoff
Who are they?: A man who needs no introduction to the Lana faithful. Antonoff first worked with Del Rey on ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’ in 2019 and has produced every album since, except ‘Blue Bannisters’. When he’s not working on LDR’s masterpieces, he’s producing the likes of Taylor Swift, St. Vincent, The 1975 and more, or writing and performing with his band, Bleachers.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Produced every song bar ‘The Grants’, ‘Sweet’, ‘Candy Necklace’, ‘Fingertips’ and ‘Let The Light In’. Performs on ‘Margaret’ with Bleachers and girlfriend, the actor Margaret Qualley.
Mike Hermosa
Who are they?: A film producer and director, and former partner of Del Rey’s. It’s likely him she refers to in the lines “Me and my boyfriend listen to the Chilli Peppers / We write hit songs without trying all the time / All the time” on ‘Peppers’.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Co-wrote ‘The Grants’, ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’, ‘Let The Light In’, ‘Peppers’ and ‘Taco Truck x VB’. Produced ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’.
Father John Misty
Who are they?: Former Fleet Foxes member and sardonic indie-folk icon.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Not the first time Father John Misty and Lana have collaborated – he features in the video for ‘Freak’ from 2015’s ‘Honeymoon’ and she covered his song, ‘Buddy’s Rendezvous’ in 2022. This time, FJM joins Lana on the chorus of the country-tinged ‘Let The Light On’, singing “Ooh let the light in / At your back door yelling cos I wanna come in / Ooh turn your light on / Look at us, you and I back at it again” in unison with the star on one of the album’s only guitar-led tracks.
Jon Batiste
Who are they?: Lauded R&B and jazz musician who swept the Grammys in 2022 with five wins from 14 nominations.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Batiste has a whole interlude named after him, on which he plays the tumbling piano lines, while he also appears on the same instrument on ‘Candy Necklace’. He is credited as a producer on the latter track.
Judah Smith
Who are they?: Leader of celebrity megachurch, Churchome. Smith is credited as one of the people who helped Justin Bieber see the light during his troubled period in the mid-2010s, and also counts the Kardashians among his famous flock.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: ‘Judah Smith Interlude’ is a recording of one of his sermons, in which he urges, “Quit lusting after your neighbour” and talks about love, as Del Rey edits her own interjections and laughter over the top.
Tommy Genesis
Who are they?: Canadian rapper known for her experimentalism and thrillingly filthy approach to lyricism.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Tommy’s 2015 song ‘Angelina’ – taken from her album ‘World Vision’ – is sampled on ‘Peppers’. “Hands on your knees, Angelina Jolie / Let me put my hands on your knees / You can braid my hair,” she raps between Lana’s breathy verses.
RIOPY
Who are they?: Jean Philippe Rio-Py – AKA French-British pianist and composer RIOPY.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: He provides the piano backing on ‘Grandfather Please Stand On The Shoulders Of My Father While He’s Deep-Sea Fishing’, reinforcing the beauty of Del Rey’s voice with gentle, twinkling melodies.
SYML
Who are they?: Washington musician Brian Fennell, formerly a member of indie band Barcelona and now a solo star under the SYML moniker.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: SYML appears on ‘Paris, Texas’, providing the waltzing piano backing to Lana’s vocals.
Bleachers
Who are they?: Jack Antonoff’s band and one of the best live acts in indie right now.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: The full Bleachers congregation appears on ‘Margaret’, a song that details Antonoff’s relationship with actor Margaret Qualley.
Drew Erickson
Who are they?: A producer who began working with LDR on ‘Blue Banisters’ and also counts The Killers, Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, Angel Olsen and more among his other credits.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Co-wrote ‘Sweet’ and ‘Fingertips’. Produced ‘The Grants’, ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’, ‘Sweet’, ‘Fingertips’ and ‘Let The Light In’.
Zach Dawes
Who are they?: A former member of Mini Mansions and a touring member of The Last Shadow Puppets.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: After working with Lana on ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’ and ‘Blue Banisters’, Dawes continues his collaboration with her here by producing ‘The Grants’, the title track, ‘Candy Necklace’ and ‘Jon Batiste Interlude’.
Sam Dew
Who are they?: A singer-songwriter from Chicago who formed the group Red Hearse with Jack Antonoff and Soundwave in 2019. He’s also worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Joji.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Dew helped co-write one of the record’s most adventurous songs, ‘A&W’.
Benji
Who are they?: A musician and composer who has featured on records by Adele, Beck, Brandon Flowers and more.
What do they do on ‘…Ocean Blvd’?: Benji appears on ‘Let The Light In’ and ‘Peppers’, both of which he has writing credits for, plus a production credit on the latter.
Read the ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’ review
