Lorde’s Newest Album ‘Solar Power’ May Tell the Stories of Her Life, but it Speaks to a Large Population of Young Adults Who are Feeling Very Lost
By Meghan Connors
If you’re a recent grad, currently having an existential crisis, or just generally feeling a little lost, you should try listening to Lorde’s newest album, ‘Solar Power’. Though the album tells the stories of her own experiences, Lorde wrote the songs far away from the land of fame and riches, which might in fact be why every one is so damn relatable.
Lorde begins the album with an incriminating bout of self reflection. Referencing her night at the 2018 Met Gala, but mentioning her unplanned accessory of an arm cast, and models dancing with artifacts to illustrate the bizarre nature of her night out. Immediately we come to understand how surreal her life has become. She acknowledges all that she is not as well as how lost in the world she has found herself. While Lorde was alone when she wrote the song, the chorus has a way of binding her listeners to her in this shared emotion. “We are all broken inside / where are the dreams that we had” before her listeners can wallow in despair, Lorde becomes hopeful, “Let's hope the sun will show us the path.” And thus, ‘Solar Power’ begins.
The next two songs off the album are easy listens filled with a coziness similar to basking in the sunshine. Tales of beach days and reasons for leaving California. However, don’t be fooled by the title of what’s to come. “Stoned at the Nail Salon” will sneakily begin your spiral into the overwhelming sadness that comes with the recognition of growing up. She sprinkles the song with advice filled lines like, “Spend all the evenings you can with the people who raised you.” I see Lorde in this song as a girl (ideally an older sister) in a coming-of-age movie, realizing just how much she’s grown up in the blink of an eye. “Cause all the music you loved at 16 you’ll grow out of.” This song is a time capsule to herself, filled with advice, and memories, and all the other things she can’t bear to lose to time.
“Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” While the last song was a time capsule, this one is a love letter. Though, less sad and more the fun upbeat stylings of a late 90s / early 2000s rom com ending. A nice reflection on everything she’s (and most every other girl) learned from growing up. Lorde guides her listeners through heartbreak, teen angst, and assures them that one day they too will grow up and whatever they’re experiencing now will become ever so trivial. Being the girl that grew up, I can say, her advice is pretty solid.
“’Member all the hurt you would feel when you weren't desired? (Doing anything for more touch)
’Member what you thought was grief before you got the call?
Baby girl, no one's gonna feel the pain for you
You're gonna love again, so just try staying open
And when the time comes, you'll fall
Yeah, when the time comes, you’ll fall”
The 11th song on the album was inspired by the modern obsession with wellness culture and the, “practices we dabble in to try and feel physically and spiritually happy.” As empathetically satirical as Lorde claims to be with this song, she is heavily resonating with a large population of people who are currently doing anything and everything they can to feel “better.”
“Can't seem to find what's wrong / The whole world is letting me down / Don't you think the early 2000s seem so far away?” In these lines Lorde is referencing a large group of people who romanticize the times in their lives - when most of us millennial/gen-z’ers were too young to experience the evils of the world - and how life has become something other than what we were told it would be.
The chorus of ‘Mood Ring’ references looking to outside (nonfactual) sources like a mood ring to show someone how they feel because they can no longer determine such a thing for themselves. The song is upbeat, breathy, and lighthearted, yet touches on something most of us are feeling but don’t want to admit. We don’t feel right: we are often unsettled, and unfulfilled - but we can’t figure out why, so we look to unfounded and often outrageous practices in hopes that they’ll help. Later in the song, Lorde sings a line, “plants and celebrity news, all the vitamins I consume” alluding to the idea that within all of this wellness, we still can’t stray from our toxic vices (ie. celebrity gossip). Though the song may be satire, it simultaneously honors a truth that is both laughable and bonding. We live in a world that is constantly trying to convince us that we need to be better, feel better, and do better. Why wouldn’t we expect to end up a little bit irrational?
Lorde ends her album with one more song of reflection and contemplation. This time considering not only her past, but what her future will bring. She references things that once made her happy, like cherry-black lipstick or the aforementioned 16-year-old’s music, and how though she can still remember them fondly, the things that now make her happy have changed. It is a true testament to her growing up.
Lorde leaves her listeners with a final note. She still has a lot of learning left to do in her life, and when the day comes that she has learned it all, she’ll be ready to move on. It is a humbling end to a wonderful experience of self reflection and discovery.
If you began this musical journey looking for guidance, I hope that you’ve learned that you are still young, there is always more life to live, and better lessons to be learned. It’s not over yet, you’re just getting started. Also, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re probably just stoned at the nail salon ;)
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