If there is one thing I could say about Lorde, it’s that she is just down right cool. I wish I was as cool as this girl! From her style, to her sound, to her lyrics – and the fact that this girl is only 16 years old – this girl has been taking the stage by storm. Her debut song, “Royals,” is what got me hooked on this rising star.
Let’s start off with her sound. She kills the whole soft and effortless, super seductive tone that is reminiscent of Lana Del Ray. This is a style of singing that is very difficult to pull off, and I have definitely never heard it done so well by someone so young. Similar to Lana Del Ray’s music, it gives you a certain feeling of almost being high, just by simply listening. But if you’re not a fan of Lana Del Ray, don’t worry. While they have a similar sound, Lana tends to sound a little more dead and drugged up than Lorde who still maintains some passion in her voice.
Now let’s talk about what I think is the most impressive, her lyrics. Again, this is a girl of only 16-years-old. But she isn’t singing (or perhaps whining) about her crush not liking her back, which seems to be the end all according to many popular singers her age. No, instead she smacks popular culture across the face and says “what’s wrong with you guys??” “Royals” is all about how in today’s music, all we ever hear is people bragging about how rich they are and our “love affair” with material things. The chorus says “But everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece./ Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash./ We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair.” Its genius. She answers all the materialistic songs out there with a simple: “we don’t care.”
Her entire album is similar to this. It’s raw, its honest, and original. She isn’t afraid of people being offended by her songs; instead, she just says what she wants. I cannot wait to see what else Lorde comes up with in her many years to come in the music business. Check out the rest of Lorde’s album, entitled “Pure Heroin.” Notable songs include “Team,” and “Tennis Court.”