On Friday, June 16, 2017, Ella Yelich-O’Connor, better known by her stage name, Lorde, released Melodrama, her first album since 2013. After touring and promoting her debut album, Pure Heroine, the artist returned to New Zealand in an effort to avoid the publicity and fame that was no longer tied to her actual music. Personally, I’ve named Pure Heroine my all time favorite album for a long time for the sole reason that it was the only album that enticed me to listen to it from beginning to end without skipping a single song. I was not expecting Lorde to be able to pull this off again, not to doubt her talent, but because it is a lot to expect. Gladly and surprisingly, she pulled it off yet again with her recent release, in which the artist describes what adulthood, freedom, heartbreak, and solidarity mean to her.

The album begins with the radio-friendly lead single, “Green Light”, which was released three months prior to the album. It tells a story regarding the artist’s break-up with her long term partner, feeling as if she will never be able to get over them, but also ready for what her future has in store through lyrics sorrowful lyrics accompanied by an upbeat track. This song was particularly impressive because it was able to convey her pain, but also passed as a jolly, go-lucky song. The piano loop leading up to the song’s pre-chorus, is personally one of my favorite things off of the album, considering it has been stuck in my head since its release!

The track is followed by “Sober,” here the album takes a turn into the dark, with a more eerie sound, that leads into a trumpet and percussion filled track. Although it seems gloomier, it has lyrics opposite to that of the melancholy lyrics in “Green Light.” For example, it makes use of lyrics like “King and queen of the weekend, ain’t a pill that can touch our rush” and “these are the games of the weekend, we pretend that we just don’t care” all performed in a relatively low voice adding to the dark atmosphere that is “Sober”.

The third song off of Melodrama is Homemade Dynamite, which I’d consider a “feeling myself” sort of track as it makes use of lyrics like, “I’ll give you my best side, tell you all my best lines”. It describes encountering someone equally as lost as the artist and showing somebody else love. Lorde sounds effortlessly happy on this track in particular. “The Louvre”, unlike most of the other songs from the album, depicts a relationship that is going well, in its early stages at least, through lyrics like, “But we’re the greatest, they’ll hang us in the Louvre”. The aspect of this track that stands out the most would be the repetition of the words “Broadcast the boom, boom, boom, boom and make ‘em all dance to it”. I can already envision a crowd of people chanting these words back to the artist, in unison.

“Liability,” a somber and sensible ballad that was released prior to the album’s release, deals with the theme of self analysis. After parting ways with her partner, Lorde was left alone and somehow had to seek comfort in that. “So I guess I’ll go home into the arms of the girl that I love, the only love I haven’t screwed up”. It is later revealed that this girl is in fact Lorde herself. The song goes on to describe how others view the writer, as someone to get bored of, as a liability. Self analysis on this track evolves into self appreciation, the artist is now comfortable that everyone will see her prosper. This intense and emotional song is definitely one we can all relate to and learn from. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Lorde mentions Melodrama is about “being alone and celebrating that and absolutely hating that,” a message that is conveyed on “Liability”.

The following track, “Hard Feelings/ Loveless”, is a six minute combination of two totally opposite tracks, that end up being ironically compatible. “Hard Feelings” describes the very end of a relationship, where one is still waiting for the reality of it all to sink in. The track also alludes to the process of falling out of love and taking all the wasted love and effort and investing into oneself. “Hard Feelings” segues into the more upbeat “Loveless” with the use of a sampled recording of Paul Simon saying, “What is this tape? This is my favorite tape”. “Loveless” is a more sarcastic and cocky take on love, which sort of sounds like a 1990s or early 2000s track. “Loveless” shows that heartbreak can transform a person, sometimes make them colder. Lorde labels us as a “loveless generation” and even spells it out for us.

“Sober II (Melodrama)” is among one of my favorite tracks off of Melodrama. This is attributed to how intimate and emotional the chilling song is through the use of violins, vocal layering, sound effects, and the artist’s calming voice. The track obviously discusses the end of a party with lyrics like, “The lights are on and they’ve gone home, but who am I?”, but also appears to be a metaphor for a good thing coming to an end. “Sober II” vaguely resembles a political piece, with lyrics revolving around lovers, gunfights, glamor, and violence.

“Writer In The Dark” in particular is an impressive piece without even taking actual lyrics into consideration. This song is a perfect example that can attest to Lorde’s growth in regards to her vocals, especially in the chorus which is notably powerful and sure to send chills running down your spine. The track discusses the artists’ love for an ex-lover, but also the satisfaction that comes with realizing this love has come to an end. She describes this realization as “stumbling on a secret power”.

“Supercut,” similar to “The Louvre” describes the happy moments of a relationship without alluding to the toxicity of the union. It is one of the more lighthearted and upbeat tracks off of Melodrama that accompanies Lorde’s reminiscing on an old love and bringing a positive light to it, despite it being over. The passion and pain is also present, despite it being a cheerful song, and is clearly found in the yell Lorde lets out after saying, “We were wild and fluorescent, come home to my heart”. Lorde had to sneak in one last sorrowful song in between two relatively happy ones: Liability (Reprise), which is just as sad as the original, if not sadder. It is a more emotional take of the original and results in the questioning of reality and identity.

Lastly, this grand album ends off with an anthem that does it justice, “Perfect Places”. On this track Lorde describes a much more interesting and innocent take on a party, which she labels as a series of graceless nights that involves puking and hook ups. The what seems to be innocent song also discusses our generational problems, such as the headlines, politics, and feeling overwhelmed and powerless by all of it. These circumstances may lead to us seeking comfort in the party scene. “All of the things we’re taking ‘cause we are young and we’re ashamed sends us to perfect places,” yet another set of lyrics that compels you to sing back to Lorde that sends such a strong message.

Jack Antonoff, the front man for Bleachers, and Lorde produced the entire album between themselves and wrote mostly every song together, making it even easier to appreciate the little details found on the album. Examples include that lovely piano loop I described earlier is recycled on “Supercut” and the mimics of explosions on “Homemade Dynamite” and gunshots on “Perfect Places”. It is impressive how the artist manages to insert her high level vocabulary to create complex, yet catchy and relatable lyrics. It is gratifying to see the popularity and grand reception of an album that was so cleverly put together, but not for the sole purpose of ending up on the radio waves. Melodrama is not your typical album and did not conform to traditional pop guidelines, instead mainstream music seems to bend the rules for Lorde’s mellow and dark, yet catchy tunes.

Do me a favor – actually, do yourself the favor and pick up a pair of headphones and listen to this masterpiece straight through! Stream it here.