There’s a certain buzz in the air whenever Lorde releases an album. With her 2013 debut, Pure Heroine, it felt as if the music world was being revived from a long slumber; now nearly four years later for her sophomore record, Melodrama, the wise-beyond-her-years singer has turned the page on her teenage youth and entering the tumultuous twenties. Melodrama delves into more mature topics while still maintaining the singer’s signature mystique and fascination with the small stuff, once again showcasing how the tiniest detail can often produce the loudest sounds.
While the singer has refrained from writing about love and all the things that go along with heartbreak in the past, “Green Light” dives right into that once-forbidden topic with an angsty bite, later flipping the script into something joyous that has become an anthem of sorts for those who have dwelled in the pain of the past for too long & are ready to move on.
“Sober” touches on the subject of being young and careless but – in true Lorde fashion – being aware of it. For a self-proclaimed introvert, partying plays a major part in the Lorde spectrum, which I’ve always found pretty fascinating considering most introverts cower at the thought of being at any social gathering. In this case, it works and it might spark some interesting debate on the topic, especially with tracks like “Homemade Dynamite,” “The Louvre” and “Perfect Places.”
There’s often a price for fame and “Liability” goes straight to the heart while capturing the essence of self-doubt and loneliness; possibly the lowest we’ve ever witnessed the singer while crawling its way right into our own worlds.
Album highlight and massive step up, “Hard Feelings/Loveless,” is everything you’ve ever felt after a break up and then some, featuring all the stages and emotions one might go through during that period set to the best pop/R&B sensibilities you’ll experience this summer. This one’s going to be HUGE live!
“Sober II (Melodrama)” sounds exactly how the album cover looks, once again showcasing the singer’s impeccable attention to detail while “Writer In The Dark” continues the lay-in-bed-and-be-dramatic-all night vibe, adding in a bit of obsessive nature for good measure.
“Supercut” is a mixture of a Coldplay meets Taylor Swift hooky, pop jam that has the potential to be the album’s sleeper gem while the reprise of “Liability” gives the original a glowing edge better suited for an album hidden track.
One thing’s for sure: there is literally nothing this girl cannot do well. But I think that was pretty evident four years ago. Let the melodrama commence. We’re ready for it.
Melodrama is available now here.
