In a year full of surprise releases from artists of all kinds, Lorde has added to the already powerful year of music with her newest album, “Solar Power”.
Many people have been awaiting the return of New Zealand native Ella Yelich-O’Connor, better known as Lorde. The last time we heard from the pop-sensation was her critically acclaimed 2017 album, “Melodrama”. Since then, O’Connor had gone quiet, with very little social media activity in that time.
Now, after almost two years of the world being stuck in a pandemic, Lorde has delivered her third studio album, Solar Power. This album, produced by singer/songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff, is a far different record compared to the Lorde people have come to love. Although the sound is different from previous projects, the subject is still something people can relate to, especially the high school demographic.
The album kicks off with, “The Path.” Almost immediately, you can hear the difference in production and overall feeling. We no longer hear the 808s and keys of “Royals,” but instead, we get acoustic guitars and some light drums. Lorde’s typical background vocals appear on the track, helping the lyrics feel very impactful.
From here, we get the lead single and title track of the album, “Solar Power.” The song is another example of the Lorde we can expect throughout the album, featuring just an acoustic guitar and Lorde’s voice for the first minute. This track discusses a happy beach day with friends, a very different subject matter for O’Connor but a nice change of pace as well.
The following three tracks, “California,” “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and “Fallen Fruit,” discuss O’Connor’s feelings towards the stereotypical superstar life. In “California,” she discusses how she doesn’t want the “California love” or the bottles of alcohol or regretful times that come with being a superstar living in California.
“Stoned at the Nail Salon” is all about how she doesn’t want to fit in with the beautiful girls just to win the boy over. “Fallen Fruit” is her finding the guy she wants and how they dance on those fallen fruits lying beneath them on the ground. We also get a booming 808 bass in the background of this song, perhaps calling back to her roots. Maybe she’s getting comfortable with this new guy and letting her old self through for him to see.
“Secrets From a Girl” is a slight change of pace with a slightly faster beat. The lyrics are Lorde talking to her teenage self, warning her of the danger ahead. She talks about how she shouldn’t waste the days away and to make the most of everything. The outro of the track details everything her teenage self can expect and ends with her seeming to say that everything will turn out alright.
We take a look back at Lorde’s love interest in the next three tracks: “The Man with the Axe,” “Dominoes” and “Big Star.” “The Man with the Axe” discusses how O’Connor believed she was living the perfect life until she met this boy who changed her path. No matter how much she didn’t want him, she couldn’t help but love him.
“Dominoes” is all about how the boy has moved on now, going to festivals with this new girl, no longer doing the hard drugs he did in the past. He’s completely changed, and O’Connor has noticed, saying, “It must feel good to be Mr. Start Again.” Finally, “Big Star” plays as a backstory to the relationship as Lorde calls the relationship a “summer fling” and says all summers must come to an end. The boy has now moved on and has become a big star.
The final three songs are all about the future as Lorde looks to move on from this old life. On “New Regime,” she talks about the need for a leader of this new regime as she steps down to live out her dreams. “Mood Ring,” the eleventh track and perhaps most popular album release, discusses Lorde’s new life on her island, the one she’s wanted to escape to for years. Though the song is a happier sounding track with a catchy bridge and chorus, the lyrics are about how she keeps checking her mood ring to find her feeling as she can’t feel anything now that she’s finally escaped her life of stardom.
The closer for Solar Power comes in the form of “Oceanic Feeling.” This six minute, 39 second epic is a perfect wrap up for the album. In the song, O’Connor looks back at her past as a whole, wondering what could have been done differently. What if she had never dated that one guy? What has life brought me? She then looks at the future, questioning what her daughter will be like and whether she will look like O’Connor. The track comes to an end with Lorde accepting her new life on the island, with the help of some backup vocals from Marlon Williams.
Solar Power is all about Lorde attempting to move on from her old life, warning her past self about the troubles to come in her life, then finally moving on and living her dream island life with her friends and family. The record plays out like a high schooler moving on to college, regretting her past and finally moving on to her dream life. It’s a message that many teenagers can relate to right now. The album is an overall enjoyable experience, despite the different tone Lorde takes on the album. I give Solar Power an 8/10 as it is a great album to end your summer with, no matter what issue you may have faced in the summer months.
