After almost five years of very little new music, the Indie pop musician Lorde released her newest album "Melodrama" on June 16th. The album was no surprise, as Lorde had previously released a few singles to bait the crowds for the release date. And after a half a week to soak the album in, this is a conclusive review of "Melodrama," by Lorde.
The album starts off with it's first released single "Green Light." This more upbeat song brings the listener's focus to the difference between this album and her previous album "Pure Heroine." This song sets the tone for the whole album, and so begins the story of a young woman trying to find herself in unsteady and odd times. It's lyrics flow well together with a new and interesting sound not before heard from Lorde. Moving into the second piece, "Sober," the listener is shown her uncertainty through dark and questioning lyrics. This song sounds similar to "Royals" from "Pure Heroine," in the stacking of the voices and the use of the lower register throughout a majority of the song. As the lyrics in this song speak of a party, the following song "Homemade Dynamite" shows the progression of the party which is continued through the rest of the album.
"The Louvre" resonates deeply with the feelings of a summer road trip song. The song speaks of traveling and seeing and experiencing. It talks of being idolized in the Louvre and recalling past feelings. The song "Liability," released as the second single from the album, gives the listener a peek into Lorde's softer and quieter side. With simple backgrounds and clear vocals, the message in the lyrics is really accentuated and brought to life. "Hard Feelings/Loveless" work together as two separate songs blending together in perfect harmony, framing the rest of the album. Their similar tempos and unique sounds act as a signifier of a change in the party the album portrays. While they are similar in some ways, the two pieces differ in huge ways. The second piece, "Loveless," carries a light and playful tone that the first piece does not. In addition to the lightness, it carries weight at just the right moments to add the extra 'oomph' the song needs.
Moving onto what appears to be the decline of the party, "Sobber II(Melodrama)" carries a 2013 Great Gatsby-esque tone to it. Acting as almost an intermission in a play, Lorde almosts taunts the listener, saying "The title of the album is 'Melodrama' what else did you expect?" (We told you this was melodrama/Oh how fast the evening passes). The next song on the album is "Writer In The Dark" and is my personal favorite. The lyrics carry a dark but also uninterested tone. She admits that it took her time to get used to a place where she did not need him even though she would always love him(I love you till my breathing stops/I'll love you till you call the cops on me). She seems to sing as though she really is over him, even if she'll never stop loving him.
"Supercut" is like her looking back on their memories, looking back on the laughs and smiles and their love. It almost seems to take back what she said in "Writer In The Dark" and she asks him to come back, but then she realizes they will never have what they had again. She sees that her memories are all she has from him, even though she wants more. "Liability (Reprise)" revisits the fifth song of the album, and accentuates the synthetic and vibrant backgrounds of both songs. The almost choral sound to the vocals adds a warmth and weight to the song that helps the bring the album to a close. The final song "Perfect Places" revisits the idea of a young lost girl, feeling used and taken advantage of. The beat closely resembles that of the opening song and the lyrics of looking for better places to be all help to end the album on a higher note. It almost seems like the party has ended as Lorde walks off into the sunrise to a brand new day, full of new adventures.
This new album helps to show a side of Lorde that listeners have not yet seen. All the songs on this album work together to create a masterpiece full of melodrama. It's striking differences yet quiet similarities help to set the tone for a new stage in Lorde's musical carreer, and who knows what will come next.
