Lorde spilled facts when she sang “it feels so scary getting old” on her debut album Pure Heroine, which turned 10 years old on Sept. 27. This crazy milestone for a true pioneer of bedroom pop is filling me with so much nostalgia, I might start ugly crying. Lorde has paved the way for a now-thriving alternative scene — seriously, people who draw inspiration from her, like Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo, are now taking the world by storm. Her unapologetic grit, daring creativity, and unfiltered penning provided a breath of fresh air among the bubblegum pop earworms that dominated 2013. Instead of representing the life in the fast lane which fans want, Lorde allowed people to see themselves and their internal battles in her. At just sixteen years old, she fell in the same age range as most of her fans, which helped her put an authentic perspective on the table.
As if that’s not enough, Lorde wrote a sentimental letter to fans, thanking them for their support through her rollercoaster of an artistic journey. For her day-one supporters, she gave an unmatched glimpse into her teenage mind and early creative process. “A lot of stuff isn’t good after ten years. But I am still totally touched by this sweet record. I have deep respect for the vision of the little one making it,” she wrote of her younger self. “Pure Heroine exists because I had the tiniest inkling of what I’ve now come to see as one of my guiding principles: that each of us have a handful of songs inside us that are ours, and only ours, to sing.”
In honor of Pure Heroine’s 10th anniversary, the singer dropped a limited line of merch, on which she includes names of those who inspired her in the Pure Heroine era. These include her producer and longtime collaborator Joel Little, as well as fellow alternative singer Lana Del Rey.
Lorde also shared some previously unseen photos of her sixteen-year-old self, including these bedroom pictures taken on her computer’s Photo Booth app. (Remember those days?)
And here’s some scrapped lyrics from her breakthrough single “Royals,” as well as fan-favorites “Buzzcut Season,” “Team,” and “Ribs.”
Those who grew up with Lorde have been sharing what Pure Heroine and its anniversary mean to them – so I’ve compiled some of my favorite fan posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) here!
It seems I’m not the only one who can’t believe it’s been 10 years since Pure Heroine dropped. Where has the time gone?