In 2017 New Zealand Singer Lorde released her second album “Melodrama” which quickly rose in popularity. The album was made of eleven songs which Lorde stated were supposed to embody the feelings of solitude. It was obvious how much work the singer had put into the album even creating a color scheme for each song and setting up themes. The album was a hit in that it was different from her first album which felt more youthful and pop-like, this album instead grew with Lorde and her fanbase.
As an avid fan of Lorde, I was excited to hear her new album and I was not disappointed. Seventeen-year-old me spent hours listening to the album over and over again. My favorites were “Green Light” and “Supercut.” These were the anthems of my last years of high school and the summer before college. The beat and catchy phrases kept me enthralled until I had listened to each song enough that I became tired of them. It is not until recently due to the pandemic and burning through a majority of my playlists that I rediscovered my love for Lorde’s music. It was like a whole new experience. It’s my third year at university and I feel that in that time I have had more experiences that give Lorde’s music more weight. I’ve come to realize that her music, in my opinion, truly captures the solitude of being a young adult and all the loneliness and confusion.
“Perfect Places,” a song I had liked but not loved had suddenly become one of my favorites during this quarantine. I loved how it captured the feeling of inadequacy and the need to drown out insecurity and loneliness. It reminded me of my first year at college when I didn’t have too many friends so I tried to find other ways to stuff up the loneliness I felt. The line “all of these things we’re taking/’Cause we’re young and we’re afraid,” especially resonated with me when I think of how so many of us tend to try to find ways to mediate our insecurities. We all search for a space and people we belong to and often prefer to remain in superficial friendships or go to places that make us feel like we are part of something.
It’s interesting how experiences shape the way music impacts you and this is especially true with Lorde’s music. To me, it became more than just songs I used to like and now love, but soundtracks to certain moments in my life. Songs that capture what I couldn’t quite articulate at the time. It’s the type of music that helps you understand what you’re feeling and allows you to come to terms with said emotions. It is also quite interesting and catchy music. I would recommend anyone to listen to Lorde’s music. It is like bottled-up nostalgia.