by Eva Araujo, photography editor
Lorde (real name: Ella Yelich-O’Connor), the young and riveting 16-year-old from New Zealand, has taken her rightful place as queen atop the 100 Billboard mark, becoming the youngest solo artist since 1968 to make #1. Ironically, she is now pop royalty, which is rather interesting, for she writes in the global smash song “Royals” that “[royalty] don’t run in our blood,” but oh, Lorde, it does.
The artist’s first full album, Pure Heroine, released Sept. 27, has everybody talking…yet she’s just “bored?” With the first album track, “Tennis Court,” we immediately find out what Lorde is all about.
“Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk / making smart with their words again / well I’m bored,” she sings whilst yawning proudly, waving her big voluminous curls away from her face so that we might admire her big, droopy, grey, nonchalant eyes.
As the album goes on, track by track, we get to know Lorde a little better: she is a lyrical-born genius with no filter and no problem with voicing her opinion on the world’s “love affair” with money and the disgusting nature of pop culture. Her lyrics are dauntless, sincere and incredibly relatable.
Lorde is young. She’s a teenager–naturally she’s going to sing about “teenagery” things like doomed relationships, the juvenile cliques and groups, sneaking-out, long drives, growing up and laughing “till your ribs get tired”.
Lorde’s voice is liquid gold, and the beats behind her precious metallic lyrics are just as enchanting. She has a very “Lana” feel to her songs, yet her vocal talent and lyric quality pull the curtain on Miss Del Rey. However, comparing Lorde to any pop star does this young artist a great injustice–as written “Team,” she is “tired of being told to put [her] hands up in the air,” and finding a pop artist that has not commanded their audience to do so is quite the challenge.
The best song on “Pure Heroine” is nearly impossible to choose considering the quality. However, the songs that do stand out and give an almost-required feel to turn up the volume as high as possible include: “White Teeth Teens,” “Glory and Gore,” “Tennis Court,” “Ribs” and, of course, “Royals” (surprise, surprise).
All in all, “Pure Heroine” is a quality album, Lorde is a quality artist, and her future is looking bright.
