Since the early stages of her career in 2009, Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor has released music under the stage name “Lorde.” Set apart by her unconventional instrumentals and meaningful albums, she has accumulated nearly 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Her most recent album, “Virgin,” is one full of experimental tracks and gut-wrenching lyrics that make listening to it a true emotional experience.
Before the release of the full album, she released three separate songs from the album as singles titled “Hammer,” “Man Of The Year,” and “What Was That.” The trifecta of songs was released nearly a month apart from one another and worked as a way to prepare fans for the release of the entire album.
The album opens with “Hammer” as its first track; the song encapsulates self-discovery and finding freedom, which Lorde has described in numerous interviews as “an ode to the city.” The song is truly engaging to listen to. Using the uneasy sound of an MRI machine to create an engaging, energetic chorus, the track is a perfect opener to the whirlwind of an album. Lorde speaks out the lyrics “Some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man,” giving insight into her journey with gender identity and the idea of finding her masculine side within her femininity.
Three songs later, the track “Man Of The Year” brings a sudden melancholy energy to the album, as it opens with a simplistic bassline that eventually builds to a chorus of crashing symbols. Following the quiet, reserved introduction is a series of calm and straightforward lyrics sung in a rant-like manner. The chorus of the track is one that I can only describe as furious, driven by loud percussion and vulnerable lyrics; the song is full of raw emotion.
As the album progresses, the song “Current Affairs” sets itself apart from the rest. The track features a dramatic synth wave and poetic lyrics that revolve around her fear of intimacy and feelings of guilt. The song features a sample from the song “Morning Love” by Dexta Daps, where the deep voice of the sample works in tandem with the more feminine qualities of Lorde’s voice.
For the listener’s final impression, the song “David” wraps up the album. With both gut-wrenching lyrics and angsty verses, the track tells a story of a power dynamic within a relationship. Lorde sings out the lyric “I made you God, ‘cause it was all I knew how to do.” Where Lorde describes a relationship in which she began to center her life around a significant other. The middle of the track becomes messy and unresolved, with fast-cut stuttering effects in the music; following the chaos is a moment of calm reflection, as Lorde sings “Am I ever gon’ love again?” repeatedly in a weak, soft-spoken voice.
The album’s ending leaves the listener with a touching, yet hopeful, sense of wonder about what’s next for Lorde. The listener hears Lorde’s transformative reconnection with herself after a failed relationship, where she poses a question about her future with love. With an unpolished and intricate ending for the album, Lorde leaves listeners curious as to what’s next in her career. As of now, Lorde has given little to no information regarding her next steps with her music, leaving fans wondering where her story will take her next.
