Within one week, Lorde released two new songs that might just be your new jams.
She released the first one, “Green Light,” on Mar. 2 with a music video. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of it at first. It didn’t have the same feel as some of my other favorite Lorde songs. Some even criticized it, saying that it sounded too much like a Taylor Swift song. However, in the music video, she did stick to her “I don’t care who’s watching; I’m letting lose” dance moves that, in my opinion, made her Yellow Flicker Beat music video so great.
It wasn’t until I listened to the song again a few days later that I really started to like it. Does it sound kind of Taylor Swift-ey? I would say so. This isn’t necessarily because Swift is “corrupting” her. The producer of the song was also involved with Swift’s 1989 album, so that could explain some resemblance of the tune. But I also think that it’s perhaps just another layer of Lorde that we haven’t seen. Lorde described 2016 as a colossal year in which she grew and matured. I’m inclined to believe that she’s smart and strong enough to refuse to do a song that she didn’t think sounded like her. Not to mention, saying that an artist like Lorde, who graced us with “Royals”, was so easily impacted by another artist devalues the musical genius that she’s already proven she is.
Once I listened to it again, and paid more attention to what she was saying instead of just the way it sounded, I began to love the melody, as well. It’s a coming-of-age song that shows her readiness to experience life and hit the gas pedal when the green light flashes. Lorde has always seemed to have an old soul, but hearing this made me realize that she’s only 20 years old and has so much ahead of her.
The other song, “Liability,” was released on March 9. Unlike “Green Light,” it sounds a lot like what we’d expect from her. It’s a soft, mellow and very emotionally-charged ballad that Lorde said was inspired by Rihanna’s “Higher.” This track deals with heartbreak and the struggles of feeling like a liability rather than a partner in a relationship. Lorde talks about having qualities that people seem to love, yet when it’s time to get serious or when she tries to get closer, they tell her that she’s “a little too much” for them, or they get bored with her. She’s come to realize that she needs to be more comfortable with herself before anyone else can accept her. “I was like, you know what, I’m always gonna have myself,” she said in an interview, discussing the song. “so I have to really nurture this relationship and feel good about hanging out with myself and loving myself.”
Lorde’s new album, Melodrama, will be released June 16th.