GeminiLanaFan

Way behind you guys on listening to this album (still just heard the two singles), so it’s way too early to include Ocean Blvd in my top 3 yet, but I’ll never have the problem of bumping one of my faves to include this album, because they are: NFR, UV = HM

So far, this album really seems to have two sides to it: - reflecting on heavy trauma; - some boppish songs lighter in tone. I haven’t heard anything apart from the two singles but read many of the spoiler tags, and God does she seem to process A LOT on the tracks that leaked.

Bought the two CDs of the variants I hadn’t bought yet Now all I need is the damn boxset

She once said in an interview that she likes to write about where she wants to be (or, at least, used to before Norman). With LFL, with its original concept, was to process darkness to head into this « im at peace » with my exes, my career and I found new love (Yosemite and BAR). But we know a lot happened and when she posted the handwritten tracklist, there was was this « Lost for Life? » subtitle that she wrote that embodied the album in the end. Norman continued exploring those I think while letting go / accepting how imperfect everything is. And now, Ocean Blvd seems to go very deep into the explorations and the hurts that she probably thought she’d never have again and yet happened in her life.

Another discussion maybe, but we collectively will have to revisit COCC and BB in a couple of years, to see how they all fit into a grander scheme. COCC is a bit the «Shangri-La and mystical headspace» she wanted to be, while creating LFL and for a time, during the pandemic, she might have been there in many aspects of her life. But with BB, we begin to see that she wasn't there yet and wanted to process some trauma from her past... But Ocean BLvd seems to be telling that things happened since these two albums that left her feeling a bit lost... and maybe carefree also? I dont if this makes sense.

Not sure what exploring darkness is, really, if it means scratching wounds, but to me, Norman is not trying to force happiness or trying to be in this mythical state of mind she wanted to be in while creating LFL, but rather acknowledging that it is what it is and embracing her flaws or choices, sorta letting go wanting to be uber-happy. Ocean Blvd might be more into that «scratching my wounds» type of head-space?! Either way, both attitudes have their place in finding happiness IMO.

I love this definition of happiness. It surely isnt something stable, and it comes and goes, in waves, with choices we make, people we meet and setbacks alongside the road. I see that Lana's work, as a whole, is about the search for happiness and American loneliness, told through chapters of her life: some are darker, some are lighter in tone. I'm really curious to hear how Ocean Blvd fits into all of this, but from I've read and heard, it's one of those setbacks she experienced, one where she feels lost and I kinda relate to that recently.

I have not yet heard The Grants, but maybe this is another part of the « old Lana » we need to let go of: the big-larger-than-life openers. Personally, the last of those was Love (even though many won’t agree with me). Since Norman, all of her openers are amazing growers but aren’t the biggest tracks of their album. White Dress is the one that stands out the most, but it’s not a Cruel World or Ride type of song at all.

We still on that?

Since QFTC, LB has been on the edge of her getting cancelled for whatever little thing she could be writing even though it’s often interpreted the way it should (except by two-cell brains on Twitter and TikTok).

Don’t worry, hun. We’re in the same boat. I read many spoiler tags, I’m so glad to have read some descriptions of the songs, especially of songs I was neutral about (Sweet and The Grants)… but I don’t know, I feel like I can still wait… Probably because this album really feels like a journey to listen from start to finish, in HQ… Even A&W feels like it belongs in something bigger. And snippets or heavily tagged leaks aren’t the way to experience a first listen, at least for me. plus I didn’t like the chaotic whatever that was that happened yesterday and that forced the mods to lock the thread to clean it up and give WP away. (Not trying to leak-shame anyone at all, to each its own, but I felt like yesterday might have gone too far)

In the three weeks, the tunnel opens Cant wait for this album anymore, can’t wait to hear Taco Truck 🛻

some of the darkest moments in LB history… although the passed weeks matched it I think.

And yet, why does it feel like I’m watching Rome burning?

Ok whoever is behind those leaks needs to 5150 themselves immediately

Last time I listened to one of her albums through leaks, I bought the boxset because I felt bad… Should I go try to find leaks to manifest the titty boxset?

One thing I do love is that she still challenges us as listeners with this album…