Lorde’s New Album Tells the Story of One House Party

Of Lorde’s few insights to date into new album Melodrama, a theme has been imagery relating to parties. In a note ahead of the LP’s announcement, she concluded, “The party is about to start. I am about to show you the new world.” She later described the narrator of “Green Light” as “that drunk girl at the party dancing around, crying about her ex-boyfriend, who everyone thinks is a mess. That’s her tonight and tomorrow she starts to rebuild.” Turns out these weren’t throwaway comments: The entire album depicts the trajectory of a single house party, Lorde’s latest New York Times interview reveals. The concept, apparently applied in a way that’s “impressionistic rather than schematic,” helped cohere the album’s themes, Lorde explained: “With a party, there’s that moment where a great song comes on and you’re ecstatic, and then there’s that moment later on where you’re alone in the bathroom, looking in the mirror, you don’t think you look good, and you start feeling horrible.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Lorde says that, after recording lead single “Green Light,” she consulted Max Martin. “He had a very specific opinion,” she said, “which had to do with the melodic math—shortening a part.” She added that Martin described “Green Light” as a case of “incorrect songwriting.” This wasn’t an insult, she said, “just a statement of fact. … It’s a strange piece of music.” Read the full interview at the Times.

Since sharing “Green Light” and announcing the record, Lorde has shared another track, “Liability.” She performed both songs on “Saturday Night Live,” wearing a wedding dress for “Liability.” Recently, she sang a parody version of “Green Light” about Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Read Pitchfork’s interview with “Green Light” video director Grant Singer.

Watch Pitchfork.tv’s “Best New Tracks of March 2017” featuring Lorde’s “Green Light”:

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