Mariners Apartment Complex

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"Mariners Apartment Complex"
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Norman Fucking Rockwell!
ReleasedSeptember 12, 2018 (2018-09-12)
StudioConway (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length4:06
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jack Antonoff
  • Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Woman"
(2018) 		"Mariners Apartment Complex"
(2018) 		"Venice Bitch"
(2018)
Music video
"Mariners Apartment Complex" on YouTube

"Mariners Apartment Complex" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019). She wrote the song after a late night walk with her then partner, while they were reaching an "apartment complex". Produced by Del Rey and co-writer Jack Antonoff, it combines country, psychedelic folk, and soft rock over a balladic production. Lyrically, the narrator assures her lover of constant support and guidance in their beautiful yet problematic relationship. The song was released as the lead single from the album on September 12, 2018, by Polydor and Interscope Records.

Critics lauded "Mariners Apartment Complex" for its songwriting, production, and Del Rey's vocals. It was listed as one of the best songs of 2018 by Consequence of Sound and Rolling Stone. The song entered on the national charts in Australia, Croatia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Release[edit]

On September 7, 2018, Del Rey announced that she would be releasing two new songs, with "Mariners Apartment Complex" being released the following week. She subsequently shared a snippet of the song and its accompanying music video, which was shot by her sister, Chuck Grant.[1] The song was released on September 12 after premiering on BBC Radio 1.[2] In an interview preceding the premiere, Del Rey stated:[3]

"The song is about this time I took a walk late at night with a guy I was seeing, and we stopped in front his friend's apartment complex, and he put his hand around my shoulder, and he said "I think we are together because we're both similar, like we're both really messed up" and I thought it was the saddest thing I'd ever heard. And I said, "I'm not sad, I didn't know that's why you thought you were relating to me on that level, I'm actually doing pretty good". And he was upset, and that's when I wrote the song. I thought, I had to do so many times, where you know like I had to sort of step on that role where I was showing the way and I was sort of being the brighter light. But that's why it's so cool that you’re playing it. 'Cause I thought that I'd just put it out and it would be one of those things that I'd put out just to have there for myself, but it's cool being able to share it with people too."

Music video[edit]

A music video for "Mariners Apartment Complex" was released on September 18, 2018, six days after the song's release.[4] The video was filmed by Del Rey's sister, Chuck Grant.[5][6]

Composition[edit]

"Mariners Apartment Complex" was characterized by Rolling Stone's Ryan Reed as a folky psychedelic song.[2] Pitchfork critic Marc Hogan described the song as "a somber 1970s-style rock ballad with piano, acoustic guitar, and swooping strings."[7] Mark Beaumont of NME called it "a classically Del Rey smoulder of silken acoustic country music and orchestral washes."[8]

Critical reception[edit]

The song received widespread acclaim from music critics. Billboard's Starr Bowenbank wrote that the song "features Del Rey's lush vocals against a beautiful backdrop of country-influenced guitar work, with her singing in wondrous whispers and dreamy layered harmonies about a beautiful, yet tumultuous, romance."[9] In a review for Pitchfork, Marc Hogan stated that the song "posits a Lana Del Rey who is not only a fully rounded character but also a port in a storm, as recognizable and reassuring as the old AM radio staples the song updates."[7] Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos opined that the song "feels like a spiritual sequel" to Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2", stating that "Negating her earliest works, growing out of her previous attitudes and forsaking the image of the Good American Girl looking for a figure to make her feel wanted, desired and cool, this Del Rey has 'become the daddy.'"[10] Anna Gaca from Spin noted that Del Rey "asks your understanding... your forgiveness... your grace... and in return, she offers everything: her power as a cypher and her vulnerability as an individual, bottled up tight in the character of Lana Del Rey and cast into the waves."[11]

Critics' lists[edit]

Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound ranked "Mariners Apartment Complex" at number 6 and number 29 on their respective lists of the 50 Best Songs of 2018.[12][13]

Publication List Rank Ref.
Consequence of Sound Best Songs of the 2018
29
[14]
Rolling Stone 50 Best Songs of 2018
6
[15]

Credits and personnel[edit]

  • Lana Del Rey – vocals, songwriting, production
  • Jack Antonoff – production, songwriting, drums, programming, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, piano, recording engineering, mixing
  • Laura Sisk – recording engineering, mixing, additional programming
  • Jon Sher – assistant recording engineering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • John Hanes – mix engineering
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering
  • Will Quinnell – assistant mastering engineering

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2018–2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[16] 93
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[17] 35
Canadian Digital Songs (Billboard)[18] 34
Croatia (HRT)[19] 66
France (SNEP)[20] 35
Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI)[21] 37
Hungary (Single Top 40)[22] 39
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 74
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[24] 11
Scotland (OCC)[25] 72
Spain Physical/Digital Songs (PROMUSICAE)[26] 14
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 78
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 89
UK Singles (OCC)[29] 79
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[30] 27
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[31] 13
US Digital Songs (Billboard)[32] 42

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2020) Position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[33] 42

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[35] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[37] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States September 12, 2018
[38]
November 4, 2019 Triple A radio [39]
November 5, 2019 Alternative radio [40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (September 7, 2018). "Lana Del Rey Teases 'Mariners Apartment Complex,' One of Two New Singles Releasing Next Week". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Reed, Ryan (September 12, 2018). "Lana Del Rey Recruits Jack Antonoff for New Song 'Mariners Apartment Complex'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  3. ^ "Lana Del Rey Hottest Record, Radio 1's Future Sounds with Annie Mac". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  4. ^ "Lana Del Rey - Mariners Apartment Complex". YouTube. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Lana Del Rey shares new song/video "Mariners Apartment Complex"". The FADER.
  6. ^ Gottlieb, Steven. "WATCH IT: Lana Del Rey "Mariners Apartment Complex" (Chuck Grant, dir.)". VideoStatic.
  7. ^ a b Hogan, Marc (September 12, 2018). ""Mariners Apartment Complex" by Lana Del Rey Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  8. ^ Beaumont, Mark (September 14, 2018). "Lana Del Rey's new 2019 album – everything we know so far". NME. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  9. ^ Bowenback, Starr (September 12, 2018). "Lana Del Rey Delivers 'Mariners Apartment Complex' Song & Video". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  10. ^ Spanos, Brittany (September 19, 2018). "Song You Need to Know: Lana Del Rey, 'Mariners Apartment Complex'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  11. ^ Gaca, Anna (September 12, 2018). "Lana Del Rey "Mariners Apartment Complex" Track Review". Spin. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  12. ^ Spanos, Brittany; Sheffield, Rob; et al. (December 13, 2018). "50 Best Songs of 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  13. ^ Melis, Matt (December 11, 2018). "Top 50 Songs of 2018". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  14. ^ Melis, Matt (December 11, 2018). "Top 50 Songs of 2018". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  15. ^ Spanos, Brittany; Sheffield, Rob; et al. (December 13, 2018). "50 Best Songs of 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  16. ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #491". auspOp. September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  17. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Mariners Apartment Complex" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  18. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History - Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  19. ^ "Croatia ARC TOP 100". HRT. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  20. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 38, 2018)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 18, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 37/2018". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  22. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  23. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Lana Del Rey". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  24. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 24, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  25. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  26. ^ "Spain Digital & Physical Songs Sales". spanishcharts.com. September 23, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  27. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Mariners Apartment Complex". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  28. ^ "Lana Del Rey – Mariners Apartment Complex". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  30. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  32. ^ "Digital Song Sales : Sep 29, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  33. ^ "Adult Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  34. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  35. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Mariners Apartment Complex" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  36. ^ "British single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Mariners Apartment Complex". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  37. ^ "American single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Mariners Apartment Complex". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  38. ^ "Mariners Apartment Complex - Single by Lana del Rey". 14 September 2018.
  39. ^ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". AllAccess. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  40. ^ "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations". AllAccess. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
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