If you were reading any major music magazine reviews section this summer, it was inevitable to see Lorde being praised for his sophomore album. Since I remember the hype that was also crated around her debut album back in 2013, I have decided to check out both Lorde's work and critics' perspectives and evaluate whether the hype is justified. So, this week's SundaySpotlight is more like a SundayInspection.
When Royals, her debut single, started topping charts all over the globe, everyone found it impressive that the artist behind it was only sixteen years old. We all know Royals, although the lyrics were a bit difficult to hear as Lorde's style of singing is more like mumbling. However, I can not deny that this song wasn't good and it kind of succeeded to upheave the mainstream's status quo. On the other hand, was the song brilliant? I don't think so. Yes, I get it that Lorde was only sixteen when she wrote it, but I have heard many teenagers playing in local bars or performing on spoken poetry nights who could pull off more reflective verses and capture the zeitgeist and Weltschmerz in slightly more authentic manner. I call reverse ageism. The sole fact that you are sixteen should not be a reason to call one The Future Of Music, as media claims David Bowie referred to Lorde. I mean, come on. This second hand accolade is probably a disgraceful PR stunt.
I have listened to Lorde's debut album Pure Heroine back in the day, and I remember thinking that it's cool that type of indie pop arrangement is now permeating to mainstream radio, but I didn't find her music particularly fresh. The kid was ripping off many semi-alternative electro pop and indie artists. The twist was in her ability to adapt indie to mainstream. Now, the question naturally arises - what does her sophomore have to offer? Scrolling through reviews of Melodrama, I found that the key characteristic everyone seems to glorify is the same one they emphasized with Pure Heroine. Critics claim how Lorde has a unique ability to articulate the spirit of millennials while maintaining a healthy distance from hackneyed, banal descriptions.
Melodrama is conceptualizer as an album that takes you to a one party night with Lorde. Or something like that, I am not sure. At least that's what the critics are claiming. I found Green Light to be a cool track due to its unconventional rhythm and return to the 90s house. The first single was certainly not playing-it-safe single and it payed off for Lorde in the domain of music reviews, but not so much on the charts. So, I gave the rest of the album a shot. The second single Perfect Places has a valid question incorporated - What the fuck are perfect places anyway? It refers to our generation's tenacity to seek a good club like one good party night is going to change anything. However, I don't find the single's production particularly unique. It sounds like a rip off of obsolete last.fm playlist by any electropop fan. In my opinion, the same applies to the rest of the record. Homemade Dynamite has a value of a demo or b-side, and title track's instrumental fails to appear as original. The only ballade, Liability, shows Lorde can also write straight to the point, but it lacks necessary emotional touch. It tries too hard to be touching.
I don't know. Maybe I am just getting to old to understand why all relevant music magazines still collaborate with record labels to promote mediocre music artist as groundbreaking. Every now and then, Lorde produces a squeal or any other sound not typical for mainstream radio. But, does that count as originality? Think for yourself. Throw the spotlight on Lorde's Melodrama and check yourself whether the hype is valid
