Hey, all teenagers and twenty-somethings: Lorde-- in all of her gothic, awkward, yet still somehow way-cooler-than-you glory-- has probably written a song straight from your diary at some point in her career, and her sophomore album Melodrama hits all of the feels once again. Instead of writing about love and growing up like she did on her dark, laid-back first masterpiece Pure Heroine, on Melodrama, Lorde focuses on heartbreak and growing up on a quirky, surprisingly upbeat record that's almost addicting. Lorde understands that love and life's transitions make absolutely no sense, and honesty seeps through each track she pens. Lorde is awesome because she's genuinely, unapologetically unique and weird, and it shines through her dances, albums, and overall aura. Her sound is simultaneously pleasant, groovy, and unexpected, and her lyrics (which frankly are sometimes outright strange) possess the same qualities. Here are some of Melodrama's best lyrics:
"Will you sway with me?/ Go astray with me?” --Sober
Isn’t this really what we all want in life? We want friends and significant others to stand by us as we make mistakes, experience new things, and learn about life. This is just the simplest, loveliest suggestion.
"Well, summer slipped us underneath her tongue/ Our days and nights are perfumed with obsession” --The Louvre
I love the poetry that makes summer a beautiful seductress who makes bad relationships seem like a good idea.
“Well those rumors, they have big teeth/ Hope they bite you/ Thought you said that you would always be in love/ But you’re not in love, no more” --Green Light
This makes less sense than the earlier lyric that says that great whites have big teeth, but that’s precisely why this version is so cool. It tells a story that kind of makes sense, exactly how a story that leads up to a breakup only kind of makes sense.
“Are you lost enough?/ Have another drink, get lost in us” --Perfect Places
It’s just playful and fanciful.
“I know this story by heart:/ Jack and Jill get fucked up and possessive when it get dark” --Sober
Oh yeah, that’s how I remember that story, too. Dark, man.
“Because ours are the moments I play in the dark/ We were wild and fluorescent, come home to my heart” --Supercut
This lyric features darkness, fluorescent light, longing, and probably a dramatic scene of a pretty girl staring out the window at the rain.
“Okay I know that you are not my type/ Still I fall” --The Louvre
It happens! Love is weird; but yeah, it happens. Embrace it.
“So I guess I’ll go home into the arms of the girl that I love/ The only love I haven’t screwed up/ She’s so hard to please but she’s a forest fire/ I do my best to meet her demands, play at romance/ We slow dance in the living room, but all that a stranger would see/ Is one girl swaying alone, stroking her cheek” --Liability
Never forget that you have yourself and you're enough for you.
“Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark/ Now she’s gonna play and sing and lock you in her heart” --Writer In The Dark
Admittedly, I might have a soft spot for these lyrics because I don’t recall Lorde ever singing such high notes. But still, this rings true for all writers and singers.
“Cause I remember the rush, when forever was us/ Before all of the winds of regret and mistrust” --Hard Feelings/Loveless
Before a relationship has time to get weathered, it seems like it’ll last forever. The goal is just to be “forever,” forever.
“A couple rebel top gun pilots flying with nowhere to be/ Don’t know you super well, but I think that you might be the same as me/ Behave abnormally” --Homemade Dynamite
Okay first of all I love the fact that upon meeting someone, Lorde immediately thinks of the two of them as “rebel top gun pilots,” because that’s both random and badass. But also I love the idea of immediately knowing that someone might be the same type of weird you are. It’s charming.
“I hate the headlines and the weather/ I’m nineteen and I’m on fire/ But when we're dancing I'm alright/ It's just another graceless night” --Perfect Places
Is it okay for me to say that this is the most relatable lyric on the album? Although Lorde is probably referring to headlines about herself, I also sometimes (oftentimes) hate the headlines; I, too, complain about the weather; I’m also nineteen; my life is oftentimes on fire; graceless can sometimes sum it all up; but dancing seems to clear the head. However, it doesn’t sound so bad when Lorde lays it all out there; enjoy life despite its hardships.
“I overthink your punctuation use” --The Louvre
Who hasn’t done it while texting a crush? We’ve all done it.
“I light all the candles/ Cut flowers for all my rooms/ I care for myself the way I used to care about you” --Hard Feelings/Loveless
Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
“We keep trying to talk about us/ I’m someone you maybe might love/ I’ll be your quiet afternoon crush/ Be your violent overnight rush” --Supercut
The contrast between innocence and lack thereof suggests that sometimes, you just want that person to stick around, regardless of what you actually are.
“Please could you be tender/ And I will sit close to you/ Let’s give it a minute before we admit that we’re through” --Hard Feelings/Loveless
Lorde writes about those details of relationships-- and breakups-- that you probably haven’t even considered.
“Oh, I wish I could get my things and just let go/ I’m waiting for it, that green light, I want it” --Green Light
Moving on and letting go isn’t easy. Wouldn’t it be nice if all it took was a for a green light to signal that you’re now over it? Her lyrics strike me as so whimsical.
“These are the games of the weekend/ We pretend that we just don’t care/ But we care/ But what will we do when we’re sober?” --Sober
Let loose, forget about the problems, and then wake up sober and realize that the weekend party didn’t solve anything. The idea of trying so hard not to care is an interesting one.
“Might get your friend to drive, but he can hardly see/ We’ll end up painted on the road/ Red and chrome, all the broken glass sparkling/ I guess we’re partying” --Homemade Dynamite
Scary. This presents a different side of the concept of partying. PSA: don’t let someone who’s drunk drive.
“We’re the greatest/ They’ll hang us in the Louvre/ Down the back-- but who cares-- still the Louvre” --The Louvre
Two people finding and loving each other is pretty much art. Even if it’s not a perfect relationship, it still deserves to be framed.
“Bet you wanna rip my heart out/ Bet you wanna skip my calls now/ Well guess what? I like that/ Cause I’m gonna mess your life up/ Gonna wanna tape my mouth shut” --Hard Feelings/Loveless
Lorde isn’t messing around, and I love it. Spill the tea.
“But in our darkest hours, I stumbled on a secret power/ I'll find a way to be without you, babe” --Writer In The Dark
At some point you’ll accidentally realize that you don’t need anyone but yourself. It might not be easy, but it’s possible. Stay strong.
“I know about what you did and I wanna scream the truth/ She thinks you love the beach, you’re such a damn liar” --Green Light
This is a direct, specific callout. How does the burn feel, Lorde’s ex?
“Blow all my friendships/ To sit in hell with you” --The Louvre
Don’t do the thing. I repeat: don’t do the thing. It may seem tempting; however, hell won’t reward you, and your friends won’t be there, either.
“All the nights spent off our faces/ Trying to find these perfect places/ What the fuck are perfect places anyway?” --Perfect Places
Thinking that the perfect situation might be waiting for you at the bottom of that bottle? Sorry, but according to Lorde, it might not exist anywhere.
