Lorde: The Teenager With An Old Soul

Ella Yelich-O’Connor AKA Lorde

By: Aphiwe Khambule

At the age of sixteen most teenage girls are writing in their diaries about the boy they are crushing on and panicking over the pimples on their faces. However this doesn’t seem to be the case for Ella Yelich-O’Connor better known as Lorde, who has become the first New Zealander pop artist to have a number one single in the United States. Her first single Royals which she wrote in only half an hour in her house has suppressed singles by popstar champions Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Kiwi popstar sensation broke through the music scene when she released her EP (Extended Play) titled The Love Club on SoundCloud last year November giving us a taste of what to expect from her on her debut album. The EP received positive reviews from many critics and the long-awaited studio album entitled Pure Heroine was released on the 27 September 2013 by Universal Music, where she co-wrote all ten songs. The album was welcomed warmly by audiences from around the world, the lead single Royals has already sold over 1 million copies in the United States alone. With her authentic writing skills Lorde has definitely set herself apart from the other musicians of today, being an artist who didn’t have to write about relationships, partying or drinking patron to our get attention. She has shown the world that although she is a young, under-age teenager, mentally she is someone who has a very old and mature soul and her work has shown to resemble those of musical geniuses Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones.

Throughout the album Lorde sings about her perspective on the modern world where she expresses how in this modern age people are too absorbed in living a materialistic lifestyle. The third single off the album titled Team is a bittersweet track where she criticizes the glitz and glam lifestyle, referring to friends/fans being more essential, with the lyrics saying “And you know we’re on each other’s team.” She also writes about the craze obsession with mass media amongst young people. The track Tennis Court  belittles the idea of gossiping, opening with the lines “Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk? Making smart with their words again, well I’m bored.” Her powerful and mature voice, along with the electronic/pop beats of the song immediately draw the attention of the listener.

The plodding finger-snapping lead single Royals is the third track on the album where she once again expresses her anti-materialism attitude, making reference to the hip-hop artists who live in luxury singing , “But everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece. Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash” with its catchy chorus and alternative melody it’s no wonder the song has become a crowd favourite.

Each song on the album has its own identity and the whole production mainly seems to use percussion instruments allowing for her listeners to enjoy her soulful and majestic voice. Lorde has cooked up an interesting recipe by mixing pop and alternative genre together to produce a delicious album. My personal favourites on the album are definitely Tennis Court and Buzzcut Season which are timeless songs, if you ask me.

Lorde is certainly a pure heroine who has come to the rescue and saved pop music. The brunette beauty has unquestionably established herself in the music scene. Her next studio album will no doubt be an exquisite masterpiece!

Website: http://lorde.co.nz/

Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/lordemusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lordemusic

Tumblr: http://lordemusic.tumblr.com/

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