Lorde first made waves in the music world when she was 16 years old with the release of her debut album “Pure Heroine.”
She drew listeners in with a grungy style, creating catchphrases in her music that everyone listening could relate to, singing about misfits and rebellion. After her singles “Royals” and “Tennis Court” took off, the entire world was introduced to the eclectic teenager from New Zealand.
“A lot of it is not about specific experiences but about something more broad -- the feeling of being my age and living in a suburb, and feeling as if there's absolutely nothing to do,” Lorde said about her debut album in a 2013 interview with Billboard. “There's the weird social issues that come with being a teenager. It's a general picture of it all.”
Lorde, the stage name of Ella Yelich-O'Connor, made music that was something Hollywood had never seen before, especially from someone so young. It was honest and real in a way that other artists hadn’t achieved. Lorde made no apologies for her music or her personality, even going so far as to decline to open for Katy Perry on tour and insulting now best-friend Taylor Swift.
These qualities pushed Lorde into the spotlight in a way that most 16-year-olds aren’t used to, and it resulted in Lorde taking a break from making new music of her own — for four years.
“For me it was kind of about processing what I want to say next and I knew it just couldn’t be any old thing,” Lorde said in an interview with Zane Lowe from Beats Radio 1. “It had to be really special and really singular and it couldn’t sound the same as the old stuff and there was a lot of discovery that went on.”
Though Lorde fans have had to wait four years for her sophomore release, at least they can rest easy knowing that Lorde spent time on this album, perfecting it and her experiences in order to satisfy and represent her changed perspectives.
But, Lorde is finally back and better than ever as she prepares for the release of her next album “Melodrama.” Two singles have already been released, and if they are any gauge for the rest of the record, listeners can expect an older, more experienced Lorde. In fact, she even introduced her fans to her first single “Green Light” in an Instagram post that ended with “welcome to the new world.”
“Melodrama” will show a new chapter in Lorde’s life, one where she learns from heartbreak and loss and comes back thriving. Though fans have only seen a small hint in “Green Light” and “Liability,” this music is already proving to be brighter, louder and more vibrant than “Pure Heroine.”
Lorde is taking a step into the light, discarding her grunge-exterior and moving forward in a way that shows her growth and self-confidence as an artist.
“i'm thankful you wanna know what story i'm gonna tell next, regardless of what colours i use to tell it. won't ever take that for granted,” Lorde told her fans in a tweet.
And, with a release date planned for June 16, fans of Lorde are certainly ready to hear the rest of this new story.