Oh, my Lorde.
Melodrama magic.
Poetic power.
Her lyrics are like nothing else.
Like nobody else.
Lorde is in a league all on her own.
So let’s explore the glory and beauty of Melodrama.
(1.) Green Light
Released as a single, Green Light takes electronic dance music (edm) to new heights.
Her verse lyrics create a vivid narrative.
I do my makeup in somebody else’s car
We order different drinks at the same bars
I know about what you did and I wanna scream the truth
She thinks you love the beach, you’re such a damn liar
We order different drinks at the same bars
I know about what you did and I wanna scream the truth
She thinks you love the beach, you’re such a damn liar
Those great whites, they have big teeth
Oh, they bite you
Thought you said that you would always be in love
But you’re not in love no more
Did it frighten you
How we kissed when we danced on the light up floor?
On the light up floor
Oh, they bite you
Thought you said that you would always be in love
But you’re not in love no more
Did it frighten you
How we kissed when we danced on the light up floor?
On the light up floor
The chorus, rather than use only emotional words, uses imagery, too:
But I hear sounds in my mind
Brand new sounds in my mind
But honey I’ll be seein’ you, ever, I go
But honey I’ll be seein’ you down every road
I’m waiting for it, that green light, I want it.
Brand new sounds in my mind
But honey I’ll be seein’ you, ever, I go
But honey I’ll be seein’ you down every road
I’m waiting for it, that green light, I want it.
(2.) Sober
Heavy chords open this number. The rock vibe is contrasted with light percussion. Lorde’s rich voice joins in. Her dark timbre blends with the instrumentation.
Chills.
(3.) Homemade Dynamite
The vocal line teases us a bit. The energy doesn’t quite release for that big high note. And that’s part of Homemade Dynamite’s beauty.
Sustained chords throughout the chorus add to the drama.
(4.) The Louvre
A fast driving rhythm. This song is one of the lighter tracks on Melodrama. Guitars provide the driving rhythm and give the song a fun shot of energy as Lorde sings. A slow pop drop draws the song to a close, backed by rhythm guitars. A feel-good song.
(5.) Liability
This ballad was also released as a single prior to the album release.
Tender, gentle and sentimental.
Lorde’s lyrics sing about a girl.
It seems like she could be singing about herself or a relationship with a girl.
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.
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.
Turns out she’s the girl.
(6.) Hard Feelings/Loveless
Bass guitar joined by a bass drum. Shivers. High-pitched synth strings contrast the low bass.
Lorde’s interval span during the song does not go that wide during the verse.
Her voice touches some of the pitches, giving the impression that she could rapping some of the lyrics.
She waits until the bridge for high-pitched notes, with fun edm sound effects.
When the song transitions to Loveless, a rapper opens, and Lorde joins in, singing. A hip-hop beat backs them. Heavy bass drum. And a fade out. That isn’t used as much in commercial music these days.
(7.) Sober II (Melodrama)
Sober II opens with sustained quarter notes. Sentimental drama.
Lorde starts singing. The instrumentation becomes sparse, one chord per bar during the verse and more instrumentation building during the chorus. Seductive slow jam.
(8.) Writer in the Dark
The lyrics will give any artist, any creative the chills.
Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark
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
Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark
I am my mother’s child, I’ll love you ’til my breathing stops
I’ll love you ’til you call the cops on me
But in our darkest hours, I stumbled on a secret power
I’ll find a way to be without you, babe.
Dark defiance? Maybe.
Confidence? Yes.
(9.) Supercut
The feels are riding high.
Lorde starts the song singing instead of an instrumental intro.
Fast-paced guitar starts playing underneath her vocal line. Drums kick in. Energy builds.
And the chorus. More drums kick in.
In my head, I play a supercut of us
All the magic we gave off
All the love we had and lost
And in my head
The visions never stop
These ribbons wrap me up
But when I reach for you
There’s just a supercut
In your car, the radio up
In your car, the radio up
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
Make you crazy over my touch
But it’s just a supercut of us
Supercut of us
Oh it’s just a supercut of us
Supercut of us.
Repetition of the song’s title, Supercut, is great. Catchy.
And Lorde’s ending? Vocalizing on the opening chord progressions?
Classy. Refreshing.
(10.) Liability (Reprise)
Lorde takes a musical theatre-esque approach to her album.
Musical theatre uses repetition of melodies throughout the duration of a show.
And in this reprisal of Liability, the lyrics don’t end the song on a hopeful note.
Feels.
(11.) Perfect Places
Lorde ends her album with an upbeat jam.
Lorde’s low voice and intense lyrics give a refreshing vibe to edm.
Her approach?
Make the everyday melodramatic?
Yes, please.
Stream this amazing musician’s latest LP.
Monika Weatherly 