To capture both the elation and anxiety of an entire generation with a single album is no simple feat. Lorde, however, is no simple artist. After bursting onto the scene with her teenaged debut ÔÇÿPure HeroineÔÇÖ, she then proceeded to leave us hanging for what seemed like an unimaginable amount of time. Four years later, she has finally returned to us,and what a statement she has made. In the early, hazy days of this yearÔÇÖs summer, the master of indie pop took us all by surprise when she suddenly announced the release of ÔÇÿGreen LightÔÇÖ, which was to be the lead single from her latest anguish laden piece: ÔÇÿMelodramaÔÇÖ. Having been a fan of Lorde since ÔÇÿPure HeroineÔÇÖ, I expected her new work to be incredible, but I found myself totally unprepared for the sheer power of ÔÇÿGreen LightÔÇÖ. The song opens with a biting statement from an embittered Lorde, as shestates, with a fury that is initially shocking, that she now does ÔÇÿher make-up in somebody elseÔÇÖs carÔÇÖ. This uncontainable kind of anger continues throughout the first verse of ÔÇÿGreen LightÔÇÖ, until it finally culminates in a pulsating riot of a chorus, with a stunning key change and a sudden poignancy in the lyricism. While the piano beat rapidly growsmore uplifting, LordeÔÇÖs words begin to feel increasingly heart-breaking.She sings, in a desperate tone, of how she can ÔÇÿcome get her thingsÔÇÖ but ÔÇÿcanÔÇÖt let goÔÇÖ. It is a terribly sad song, yet its melancholy nature isconcealed by the electrifying, joyous chorus. Much like Fleetwood MacÔÇÖs ÔÇÿSecond Hand NewsÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿGreen LightÔÇÖ is a deceptive track, and has us dancing with ecstasy while simultaneously contemplating a break-up and wondering if we are ever going to be able to truly move on.
The rest of ÔÇÿMelodramaÔÇÖ focuses heavily on exploring key themes of young adulthood and often reflects on the remnants of past relationships. This is never clearer than in ÔÇÿPerfect PlacesÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿWriter In The DarkÔÇÖ, where the former depicts the beauty of adolescent confusion while the latter woefully considers the reasons for the breakdown of a relationship and attempts to remain hopeful about the future. In ÔÇÿPerfect PlacesÔÇÖ, Lorde manages to effectively portray the feeling of absolute terror that comes with making the transition from child to adult. In the verses, she talks of uncertainty, of monotony and of release. She claims that she ÔÇÿhates the headlines and the weatherÔÇÖ, and asks us if we are ÔÇÿlost enoughÔÇÖ, just before breaking into a pounding chorus that has us searching for imaginary places, where we can escape from the anxieties of growing pains by drinking too much and thinking too little.In contrast, ÔÇÿWriter In The DarkÔÇÖ finds no such release in partying, and instead serves as the albumÔÇÖs most heart-wrenching track. It is the kind of song that leaves us devastated on LordeÔÇÖs behalf, furious with whoever it was that could hurt her in such a manner. It is filled with sombre lyrics, as we are told in the first verse that LordeÔÇÖs former lover ÔÇÿstood on her chest and kept her downÔÇÖ, and that he ÔÇÿhated hearing her name on the lips of a crowdÔÇÖ. Such brutality makes for a song so gut-wrenching that it feels raw, and conveys a kind of sadness that I didnÔÇÖt know was possible.
ÔÇÿMelodramaÔÇÖ is unlike any album I have ever heard. It achieves so much, and has had me so enthralled that IÔÇÖve hardly been able to listen to anyone but Lorde since June. These kinds of records donÔÇÖt come around very often, and it would be a disservice to yourself not to listen to it. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Ultimately, its ability to perfectly portray teenage woes, self-discovery and emotional destruction with such relatability means that ÔÇÿMelodramaÔÇÖ is my favourite album of the year.
Hannah Ryan
If you enjoyed that then have a gander at our end of year playlist!!