Pure Heroine
Lorde
Released by Universal Music
Lorde, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, may only be 16 years old, but she has already topped the charts with her hit single “Royals” and sets a promising future for herself with the release of her first studio album Pure Heroine.
Lorde’s vocal styling closely resembles Lana Del Ray in her relaxed melodic voice, however she brings something unique to the table that I believe we haven’t heard in a long time.
“Tennis Court,” the first song on the album, offers the listener an entrancing, almost dark tone that is completely contrasted by the third track, “Royals,” which provides an up beat powerful anthem that would have almost anyone humming the chorus halfway through.
Lyrically, Lorde hits the nail on the head. Almost every song is accompanied by poetic messages that show Lorde is an artist with something to say. The lyrics contain very mature ideals coming from a 16-year-old. They are completely opposite from every other young pop star we hear today, which is refreshing.
But while the album is good, it’s not perfect. By the second half of the album, everything started to sound familiar. Songs got a bit too repetitive I had to resist the urge to go back and listen to the ones that stood out more.
Lyrically, some of the other songs became predictable, showing that while Lorde didn’t always follow the pop artist stereotype, she also wasn’t immune to it. But this is a small fault for such a good album.
If you’re a sucker for albums that end on high notes, Pure Heroine does not disappoint. The final track, “A World Alone” creates a beautiful melancholy that finishes the album with a feeling of longing for one more song. It feels complete and well-crafted.
Despite it’s few flaws Pure Heroine is an ambitious, well-crafted first album from such a young artist.
Lorde has firmly established herself in the world of music with intriguing, mature, lyrically driven songs that compliment her unique voice. The album is the start of something good. A pop artist that can satisfy in terms of both melody and lyrics is someone to look out for.
This is only the beginning of Lorde’s eventual takeover as “Queen Bee” of the young pop artists.
