New Zealand has been pumping out some nice acts in the past 2 years or so, but no artist comes close to what Lorde is doing right now.
Lorde is one of the youngest solo singers to ever have a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at age 16. She holds the record for having the most weeks (7) at #1 on the Alternative Songs chart, surpassing Atlantis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know” which lasted 5 weeks at number one.
She’s also the first women to rule the Alternative Songs chart since Tracy Bonham in 1996, and is the first New Zealander to be #1 in America as a solo act.
Her debut album “Pure Heroine” is quite stellar and surprisingly dark for her age. I guess you can say she came out of nowhere this year and is an example of how alternative music is changing the musical landscape today.
The first song on the album is “Tennis Court”. The sound is pretty minimalistic with hip hop beats blended in well with her bluesy voice. It will most likely be her official second single to be released in America.
At first I thought the song “400 Lux” was about a relationship with a boy as the song is basically about “kicking it back” on the road and taking pictures with each other, but in recent interviews she stated that boys aren’t a subject matter for her songs. “Royals” you’ve probably heard a hundred times. It’s about pop stars and the luxurious lives they live, and how she would prefer not to be in the spotlight like this. While writing it, she listened to hip hop and Lana Del Rey which is quite evident in the song.
“Ribs” is one of my favorites. It’s very low tempo, but with a lush sound. The message is about afraid of getting old which just adds a darker feel to the simplistic lyrics. Other standouts are “Team” and “White Teeth Teens” which will likely become fan favorites in their own rights.
I believe Lorde will become the new face for women in Alternative music, similar to Alanis Morissette in the 90’s. The album has a consistent minimalistic “trip hop” background that seems to fall into the “chillwave” genre. It works because her mature voice overrides the instruments and sucks you into the lyrics. “Pure Heroine” will probably win some major awards in the coming months. There is no stopping Lorde at this point, and I believe that’s a good thing!
