96. Lorde - Pure Heroine (Universal, Lava, Republic, 2013)
“I'm going to invite somebody up here... who is in-tense. She's passionate, so she's perfect for the job. She has her whole future ahead of her in front of her too.” - Krist Novoselic, introducing Lorde, lead singer of Nirvana for one night, before she sings “All Apologies”, Nirvana's last single before the suicide of Kurt Cobain
Lorde is likely the youngest artist on this list at the time of recording their album; she was seventeen. Growing up in Takapuna, New Zealand, she was snapped up by an English talent hunter (later revealed as a predictably horrible individual) working for Universal, who signed her at thirteen and became her manager after seeing her sing a Paloma Faith song at a talent show. Years of label mentorship later and the debut record is ready. Universal already knows they have something. They pay for her omnipresence. She doesn't disappoint.
The instrumentation on Pure Heroine mostly pairs Lorde's voice with the smallest number possible of the hugest sounding synths possible. Taken on the road, it was largely played by a single keyboardist and a drummer, as well as a choir for those occasional moments when Lorde's voice needs to stand beside two mirrors and project itself into “Bohemian Rhapsody” infinity.
Lyrics are interesting. Much room is left for abstraction, but the general theme is power, potential, fascination with the economic other half, the gambit of being transplanted into the Illuminati and either finding the rejection of a lifetime, or stranger still, acceptance. Lorde's voice is a modern construction, showcasing suitable fatigue and ennui, without skimping on the energy and microdetail of the best “tired” singers. An issue with the record is that minimalism is a fundamentally ugly thing. The album is short, but still risks wearing out its welcome by being just a little too barren and samey from start to finish.
Lorde's launch proved a successful one, ditto for the album. Several of the songs on 'Pure Heroine' achieve escape velocity too, most conclusively “Royals”.
What Kind Of Splash Did It Make?
This album probably affected Billie Eilish's singing choices on her debut. Songs like “Teams” likely influenced Taylor Swift's “Blank Space”. Pop music generally bent more in Lorde's direction in the latter half of the 2010s with vulnerability, candour and aural stagecraft supplanting the constantly climactic dancey fullness of Pink and early Gaga, but this movement was definitely a group effort. Katy Perry is perhaps the artist most left in the dust by this: in 2024 she is again trying to reinvent herself as a self-aware product and it isn't going over so well.
Where To Go From Here?
Lorde has released two more albums. Aesthetically they are distinct from the debut and each other. 2017's Melodrama opens with a great single, “Green Light”, which applies her talents to the song writing style of Robyn. It ascends in intensity throughout, to the point where it sounds like Trent Reznor was asked to produce the track's ending. The rest of the album expands the palette of the debut, introducing piano songs, house songs, and general night time vibes. 2021's Solar Power is a clever about turn from here, piling on the (sinister) good time sunshine and exploring “wellness” with needly precision.
If you're into knowing how the sausage is made, Lorde's main collaborator at the time of Pure Heroine was Joel Little of the pop punk band Goodnight Nurse (a bit too Blink 182 for me). He has spent the last decade helping the pop set with their hits and trying to make NZ band Broods an international success. They are now, if having fame in both New Zealand and Australia counts.
Jack Antonoff was another collaborator down the line. His band Bleachers launched right after Lorde with celebrity-studded vids and a not-dissimilar approach. They're just ok. He is primarily a behind-the-scenes man, co-penning on Lana Del Ray, Sabrina Carpenter, Florence and the Machine, The Chicks, St. Vincent, Taylor and Kendrick. That oeuvre goes a lot of good places.