Wild and Fluorescent: Review of Lorde’s Melodrama
June 28, 2017
I am floored by Lorde’s sophomore album, Melodrama.
Lorde has created a deeply personal, hard-hitting album that reveals much about herself as well as other young adults. It’s almost like she read my diary and wrote Melodrama about it. And the best part of this album is that she isn’t trying to come off as a relatable millennial; this album feels true and honest.
And don’t let her two singles, “Green Light” and “Perfect Places,” throw you off this album. If anything, they’re the two weakest songs off the album.
Take the song “Homemade Dynamite,” a funky, dynamic and playful track. Her vocals are breathy and smooth, moving along with the rhythm of the beat in an undeniably catchy hook.
“Our rules, our dreams, we’re blind / Blowing shit up with homemade d-d-d-dynamite / Our friends, our drinks, we get inspired / Blowing shit up with homemade d-d-d-dynamiteÛ
And while the song might be just an ode to her friends or to partying, Lorde creates something different–an anthem even–that feels intimate and inclusive.
Slowing down the current, Lorde creates slow, ethereal and light atmosphere with songs “the Louvre,” ballad “Liability” and “Writer in the Dark.Û
In “the Louvre,” Lorde makes a normal love song into something unique and experiments a lot with beating vocals, just like in “Homemade Dynamite.Û
“Broadcast the boom boom boom boom / And make ’em all dance to itÛ
And it’s through little moments like that, in the hooks or wherever, where Lorde let’s herself show and creates a pop record ahead of the game. One of my favorite lyrics off the entire album in “the Louvre.”
“Our thing progresses, I call and you come through / Blow all my friendships to sit in hell with you / But we’re the greatest, they’ll hang us in the Louvre / Down the back, but who cares, still the LouvreÛ
It’s simple yet so powerful. And that can be said for “Liability” and “Writer in the Dark.Û
“Liability” is a painful, heart-wrenching piano ballad about feeling alone. And while it might be hard to relate to a famous international pop star, Lorde touches your heart strings in this ballad and reminds you that she’s just a lost young adult.
And with “Writer in the Dark” we hear Lorde push herself even further in her music, going above her range and creating a real emotional piece about heartbreak.
“I am my mother’s child, I’ll love you ’til my breathing stops / I’ll love you ’til you call the cops on me / But in our darkest hours, I stumbled on a secret power / I’ll find a way to be without you, babeÛ
But my favorite track has to be “Supercut.” The song is energetic and powerful, and just like the lyrics in the song “wild and fluorescent.” This song is an anthem about replaying the moments that spark your heart and make you feel alive.
“Cause in my head (in my head, I do everything right) / When you call (when you call, I’ll forgive and not fight) / Because ours (are the moments I play in the dark) / We were wild and fluorescent, come home to my heartÛ
Lorde created a uniformed album that made sense and flowed beautifully from one song to another. And while Lorde is a pop star and made a pop record, this feels more than just any old album. For me, it’s one of the best records out this year.
This album is more mature and more personal, especially comparing it to her debut “Pure Heroine.” So, I’m excited what she’ll bring next with her albums to come, experimenting more with her sound and creating even better music.
Recommended: 3, 4, 5, 8, 9
RIYL: Haim, Kimbra, Florence + the Machine
Listen to the full album here.
