Girl, so confusing: Lorde's discography revisited (Part 1)
A short and sweet analysis of Lorde's music and legacy.
Introduction
From the teen-angsty āPure Heroineā in 2013 to the acid-pop, psychedelic āSolar Powerā in 2021, Lorde has always been a musical visionary and pop cultureās trailblazer, especially for those of us who actually grew up with her. So, letās revisit her body of work and describe what exactly made each era unique.
āPure Heroineā (2013)
By far her least mature work, but still extremely impressive and influential for every popstar to come. āPure Heroineā is Ellaās debut album, mostly electropop and dreampop in genre, with distinctively minimalist production, loops, deep bass and programmed beats. Awarded multiple times, critically acclaimed and a huge commercial success, āPure Heroineā contains some of her most popular tracks, such as āRoyalsā, āTennis Courtā, āRibsā, āBuzzcut Seasonā, āTeamā and āGlory and Goreā. Especially the first three songs mentioned were unavoidable for several years after their release, with āRoyalsā being the biggest debut single of a new artist, except maybe Billie Eilishās āOcean Eyesā. It is worth mentioning that it instantly became a cult classic among the edgy, alternative teens of the time, making Lorde the poster girl of Tumblr/indie sleaze subculture.
The album deals with themes of youth, and critiques mainstream culture, exploring materialism, fame, consumer culture, and social status. Classic teen pop themes such as social anxiety, romance, and "adolescent aggrievance and angst" are also present on the album. According to NME, its lyrics indicate that Lorde is "bored". In an interview with the magazine, she said that she used words of inclusion (such as "we" and "us") throughout the album. The singer's lyrics detail "the mundanity of teenage life" and celebrate the "often ignored intelligence of the next generation." Lorde also uses metaphors involving teeth, describing the "Hollywood smile", which several publications related to social class structures and economic inequality. In an analysis piece from i-D, writer Wendy Syfret states that Pure Heroine presented suburban dreams and a realistic teenage life, saying the record is "perhaps the most direct and eloquent statement about the eternal teen juxtaposition of wanting it all ā¦ but knowing deep down that to leave this stage is to make an exit you can never undoā.
Even though, I still love this album and recognise its artistic merit, and how much ahead of its time it turned out to be, I cannot help but notice how thematically immature and sonically dated it is. The themes are relevant and the lyrics witty and sarcstic, but the social commentary falls flat for me, since we know that Lorde is not the underprivileged rebel she considers herself to be. It is definitely a solid debut, especially for a teenager at the time, but when I compare it to other albums of the time period ( āBorn to Dieā and āUtraviolenceā come to mind), I can notice the early 2010ās effect. On the flipside, it is a hundred times more interesting than anything Taylor Swift released during these years.
Favourite songs: āTennis Courtā, āRibsā, āGlory and Goreā, āRoyalsā, āA World Aloneā, āBuzzcut Seasonā, āTeamā, āWhite Teeth Teensā.
āSolar Powerā (2021)
Her latest album, written during the pandemic and released right after in 2021. āSolar Powerā was her second collaboration with Jack Antonoff, after āMelodramaā in 2017, and a sudden change in her image, musical themes and sound. Classified by Ella herself as her "weed album", Solar Power is a psychedelic pop and indie folk effort driven by acoustic guitar arrangements, marking a departure from the synth-heavy, dance-oriented music of her previous works. The album's lyrics revolve around solipsism and summer escapism, mainly focusing on Lorde's leisure time in her homeland New Zealand, simultaneously expressing her disdain for fame and celebrity culture. Solar Power was met with very polarised reviews from music critics, who commended Lorde's matured vocals, but were divided over its songwriting and production; some reviewers praised the laid-back music and perceptive themes, while others considered its sound unfinished and lyrics dispassionate. Lorde later described the response to the record as "really confounding," and "painful".
Musically, āSolar Powerā is more of an indie folk, folk-pop, and psychedelic record, specifically the psychedelic folk and psychedelic pop styles. It emphasises guitars, usually acoustic, complemented by soft rock and electronic elements. Eschewing the prominent 808s, dance, and synth-focused sounds of Lorde's past works, Solar Power opts for a more "organic", "earthier", unplugged sound, with stripped-down arrangements, unpredictable chord progressions, sparse percussions, and minimal drums. The album's subject matter expresses escapism, retrospection, introspection, and solipsism, discussing topics like social life, celebrity culture, grief, climate crisis, and reconnection with nature. In an interview with Viva Magazine, Lorde said on the topic of being naff that "Thatās my biggest achievement with this album and I feel like no one got it. I say, āLet the bliss begin.ā I say a lot of crazy naff shit on this album."
One of my favourite questions to ask of any piece of work is, āWho is this for?ā I asked it a lot of Solar Power and the answer was always, āIt's for meā. And in willfully choosing to make this really weird, sprawling album that admittedly asks more questions than it answers, I think that's not going to be for everyone, so Iām content with that.
āāLorde, Interview with Viva Magazine
In a newsletter published in June 2022, Lorde wrote that she agreed with a friend who said that "itās clearly one of those works that gets made between peaks, the kind thatās necessary for makers sometimes, no less precious, in fact, there canāt be peaks at all without such works."
I have extremely mixed feelings about this release. On the one hand, āSolar Powerā is one of my favourite albums of all time, I consider it very worthy of a revisiting especially during the summer and spring. It is definitely a grower though and requires somewhat of an acquired taste. I do understand that the earthy, chill vibe Lorde was going for, can seem kind of lazy or simply underdeveloped, but I consider it a very intentional choice, it signifies a natural minimalism, the state of being and feeling as one with nature and cosmic forces, that you donāt need to pretend or truly make an effort. However, I understand everyoneās criticism, as its themes and lyrics sound so pretentious and stand-offish, the social commentary Ella tried to make here fails dramatically. Especially, in songs like āThe Fallen Fruitā, āThe Pathā and āMood ringā, the call is truly coming from inside the house; Lorde has isolated herself so much from society that she has become so out of touch with reality, and doesnāt even notice it. I appreciate the commentary on colonialism, wellness culture and how new age spirituality feeds of ancient indigenous practices, but isnāt Ella the very person she wants to point her finger at? This level of sarcasm requires education, unlearning, humility and the ability to connect with and listen to someone outside of your echo chamber. I just fail to see how an extremely wealthy white woman from a colonised country, with new age-y, witchy beliefs and a tendency to isolate from us common peasants, is the right person to convey this message. Itās also worth mentioning that I havenāt seen a fandom with a holier-than-thou attitude worse than hers; itās wild to believe that a musical artist is exempt from just failing to convey an idea, and that there must always be a deeper meaning, which the commonfolk is unable to see. This is cultish behaviour and an extremely myopic view of the music industry as a whole.
I must say though, the one thing Iām keeping from the entire āSolar Powerā era is definitely the visuals; stunning sets, amazing outfits, music videos with a complete artistic vision, we love to see it. Especially in āThe Fallen Fruitā, āMood Ringā, āOceanic Feelingā and āThe Pathā, the vibes are earthy, hazy and refreshing and the feeling is truly oceanic. However, my heart belongs to āSolar Powerā forever; the music video feels so dreamy and illusive, almost hypnotic, the vocals are solid and down-to-earth, but the best part is by far the outro. Inspired by George Michaelās āFreedom!ā and assisted by Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo on the backing vocals, Solar Powerās ending feels otherwordly and mystical, but also optimistic and full of hope; itās truly a celebration of life on earth, and a hymn to the sunās transformative, life-giving abilities. Released during a solar eclipse, it just always makes me feel purified and excited for the future, I really felt the solar power kicking in.
Favourite songs: āThe Pathā, āSolar Powerā, āCaliforniaā, āStoned at the Nail Salonā, āThe Fallen Fruitā, āMood Ringā, ā Oceanic Feelingā, āDominoesā, āHold No Grudgeā.
~To be continued