Digital Media Concepts/Mariner's Apartment Complex (Lana Del Rey song)

Mariner’s Apartment Complex (Lana Del Rey song)
“Mariner’s Apartment Complex” is a song by American singer Lana Del Rey. The song was written by Lana Del Rey, produced by Jack Antonoff and engineered by Laura Sisk. Del Rey premiered the song on BBC Radio 1, one September 12, 2018 and a music video was released moments after. Through her record labels Polydor Records and Interscope Records, as her First single of her upcoming album expected to release in early 2019.

Background and release
On September 7, 2018, Lana Del Rey posted a Photo on her instagram page of herself which later became the single cover art for “Mariner’s Apartment Complex ”. Captioned the post, “Two end of the summer jams for ya out next week...The first is called Mariners Apartment Complex”. Hours later posted a teaser video on her instagram as well.

Interscope Records and Polydor Records told Del Rey to debut the single on BBC 1 Radio. Del Rey’s team released it there following it with an interview about the new single and possibly a future album in 2019.

Composition and lyrics
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/n56rpp “Mariners Apartment Complex” is reminiscent of a night walk with a guy she was seeing. They stopped at his friend’s apartment complex and Lana’s boyfriend said, “You know I think we’re together because we’re both similar, like we’re both really messed up.]” Del Rey thought that was the most saddest thing she heard. She Replied back, “I’m not sad. I didn’t know you were relating to me on that level. I’m actually doing pretty good.” He was upset and things fell apart further.

Lana Del Rey had an epiphany and realized she has been in this situation too often. Where she is in a position that she has to show the way and had to be the brighter light in these relationships with toxic men. She’s tired of constantly putting their mental health before her own.

Music Video
The music video was entirely shot on a Kodak 8mm camera with a collection of stock footage of waves crashing on an island of rocks, a point of view of someone swimming in the middle of the ocean, and footage from a drone flying over a low tide beach. The music video released right after the single debut on her youtube channel. Directed and edited by her sister, Chuck Grant shot entirely in black and white.

The video opens up with a picturesque aerial shot of an island of rocks with rapid waves crashing on it, slowly the camera spins counter clockwise while zooming out smoothly. The next following clips include Lana Del Rey herself accompanied by her two backup dancers/singers from her previous three tours. The music video was shot in Venice, California at an empty parking lot and an electrical power plant off of a busy freeway. First, Del Rey appears to be talking on the phone then follows the video by clips of her two backup dancers with butterflies on their hands examining them. More clips of Del Rey at the electrical power plant staring into the distance towards the freeway and walking and talking to the camera. What she is saying in those clips are inaudible but appears to be having a conversation with the person she was filming with. The outro shows stock footage of ocean waves and Del Rey ends off the video with a bird’s eye view of the same island but without the waves crashing due to the low tide. The video started with rough waves attacking the island of rocks then it ends with the same island but now it is at low tide. Fans tried and have made many speculations of the meaning for the video from all the hidden symbols.

Critical reception
Sonically, Marc Hogan from Pitchfork described it as, “a somber 1970s-style rock ballad with piano, acoustic guitar, and swooping strings.” and noticed that the lyrics, “...whispers as much as sings, are sly and sphinx-like as usual, referring to pop culture like it’s a modern Greek mythology.” Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone called the song, “feels like a spiritual sequel to Cohen’s classic.” The Musical Hype wrote, “‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ is an alluring record with some great moments that should appeal to Lana Del Rey fans.”

Cross-references

 * The "I ain't no candle in the wind" lyric references to the Elton John 1974 song, "Candle in the Wind". A song dedicated to Hollywood starlet Marlyn Monroe, one of Lana Del Rey's greatest influences in music. Also, references an unreleased song that Del Rey was supposed to put out called "Yosemite": "I'm no longer a candle in the wind".
 * Direct Reference to following single "Venice Bitch".
 * Lyrics "And who I am is a big-time believer. That people can change, that you don't have to leave her..." compliments two songs from her previous album Lust For Life:
 * Change: "Change is a powerful thing, people are powerful beings. Tryin' to find the power in me to be faithful."
 * Heroin: "I'm getting on that aeroplane, leaving my old man again, I hope that I come back one day, to tell you that I really changed, baby."
 * Similar themes of being the more optimistic/brighter light in the relationship in "Black Beauty".

Credits
Writer: Lana Del Rey

Producer(s): Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey

Engineering: Laura Sisk

Director: Chuck Grant

Charts
Mariners Apartment Complex

iTunes: