When her debut single, “Royals,” starts to play, Lorde’s vocals sound like a misanthropic pop star, upset with the lyrical make up of her fellow singers. However, finding out Lorde is a 17-year-old New Zealand teenager without a major record contract may be a bit of a shock.
Lorde’s debut album, Pure Heroine, was released Monday. What’s most surprising about this newcomer’s rise to fame is her humble arrival. At 17, her first single has topped the Billboard 100 chart. Beating out the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, Lorde’s rise has been well-noted from fellow artists to music critics. However at every turn, especially when “Royals” hit the top spot on the iTunes charts, she was grateful, not boastful, taking to Twitter to thank those who have found her music.
On first listen to Pure Heroine, Lorde sounds beyond her years, like an established singer trying to find new direction for her work. Lorde blends smooth pop melodies seamlessly with up and down tempo electronic beats. The album on a whole is a reserved symphony of teen angst to which anyone who has been a teenager in the last few decades can relate.
While “Royals” is a definite stand out and excellent first single, her two follow up singles, “Tennis Court” and “Team,” both show a different side of the album. Lorde’s layered vocal track on “Team’s” chorus, along with “Tennis Court’s” hip-hop vocal tempo and rhythm, highlight her versatility, penning songs that are catchy but never monotonous. Even the call and response make up of “Ribs,” the album’s fourth track, brings a sense of an ethereal choir, instead of the usual drone of the most repetitive corners of pop.
Lorde’s arrival brings out the inevitable comparison to current female singers. When “Royals” was first released, many started throwing around an amalgamation of two or three alternative or pop sirens, the likes of Fiona Apple, Florence Welch and Adele. It’s hard for up-and-coming female singers to escape the pigeon holing of their talent, but as Lorde rises, and discovers more about the music world, it will be interesting to see where she goes next.
Rating: B+
