For my debut post on this blog, I picked something that would force me to put a decent amount of effort in and not just lazily put out a mediocre review. To start this blog right, I'm going to review Lorde's Melodrama.
To give some background as to how I got here, I first heard Lorde the way many people did; With her #1 single, Royals. I didn't like that song at the time because it was a modern pop song, and I hated that stuff. I was the kind of kid who listened to 70s and 80s rock to be "cool" and "different" (I've expanded since, obviously, although I still love a lot of that stuff). There was a pop song or two that I enjoyed here and there, but that was it, and Royals was just another pop song to me, so for years, I passed off Lorde as just another mediocre pop artist. Then I started to watch YouTube videos saying her music was great, and particularly her second album, and the album we're here to talk about, Melodrama. I heard clips of songs from the album, and they actually sounded kind of good to me, so I looked up the album on YouTube, expecting to maybe respect it for what it was and just kind of like it, because it wasn't my primary genre. Then, I heard the whole album. Then I listened to it again. And again. And again. I was floored.
It was completely unique from anything I had heard before, and in the best way possible. This album isn't just another pop record, it's a riot of emotion, stunning production, and maturity. From the opener, Green Light, I could tell this was something special. The lyrics are a typical topic of modern pop; From that perspective, it's a break-up song, but it's done well. Lorde's vocal delivery commands presence and the lyrics themselves are just dramatic enough to grab your attention, but they don't feel over dramatic; They strike a great balance. The energy of the production is also infectious. The piano, the background vocals, and the drum beat create a great atmosphere and rhythm to get behind and make the song not as depressing as the lyrics make it out to be, which is unlike some of the more emotionally brutal cuts on this record, which, when they around, really hit home.
Continuing the album is the track Sober, which does not have the faster tempo and feel of Green Light, but still remains a great song nonetheless. It opens with these bizarre vocals from Lorde which lead into the beat and verses fluidly. Lorde seems like she's found her way into partying here, but she's questioning whether or not it's good for her throughout the track, with her mentioning how she doesn't know what will happen when they're sober and how she's out of air throughout the song. What I love about this track is that it's not your typical song that glorifies partying, but it rather suggests that it may not be good for you, which is a message that I find well-presented here through lyrics which describe the chaos of partying extremely well and the beat on this track, which is a mix of Lorde's bizarre opening vocals and a simple beat, which builds up throughout the song into the chorus and the bridge.
Homemade Dynamite is an interesting choice to continue the record because it appears to hold a different meaning from Sober. This one seems to be more about embracing life and having fun at parties, which is obviously much different than what Lorde was trying to get across on the last track. I believe this was because that was one part of her thinking, while this one was devoted to her enjoying the party life. Lyrically, while solid, is probably the weakest track in that department on the entire record. What makes this track pop is Lorde's delivery, which is especially great in the pre-chorus and the magnetic production, which fuses a simple, fun beat with electronic effects and it creates a great fun track, and remains one of the few moments of actual "fun" on this record.
The beautiful, atmospheric The Louvre follows up with a lyrical exception on this record; A relationship actually going well. It depicts the relationship of one of genuine excitement and love, and it may be my favorite track on the entire record. As this song builds from the opening few seconds, it was already something special. It's hard to describe, but this song has this lush atmosphere that made me lost in the moment, especially in the chorus, which brings an incredible mix of background vocals, bass-heavy background noise that isn't overwhelming, and Lorde's speak-singing. I'd recommend listening to this song through headphones at a loud volume and shut your eyes and focus only on the song. It's transfixing, which can be said for this record in general, and the next track on the record as well, which is transfixing in a different way.
It's impossible for me to talk about Liability negatively. It's a piano ballad that's the most minimal in terms of production on the record. While some of the more stripped-down cuts have at least some sort of showy production, this one doesn't. This cut is all about the lyrics and the vocal performance, which work perfectly. This track is about Lorde feeling like she's just a toy people use to get temporary satisfaction, and you feel the emotion. The lyrics have some really beautiful illustrations and Lorde feels destroyed here, like she's on the brink of giving up, and it gets me every time. Every time I listen to this track, I get emotional, and not just in a "Oh, that's kind of sad" way. I get close to tearing up every time I hear this track, because I feel this song. There are songs that I connect to and never forget, and this is one of them. It's on a whole other level of good song. This is one the greatest songs of the past few years, and if I were to show someone a song to prove why Lorde is such a talented artist, it would be this one. It goes between this one and The Louvre for my favorite song by her, and it's close. If you listen to this song or the entire record, be cautioned that this one may be a hard listen for you.
So, how do you follow up an incredible track like Liability? You follow it up with one of the most experimental cuts you've done to date in Hard Feeling/Loveless. While Lorde isn't an artist that's particularly "Experimental", this is about as close to that as you'll get. It's a two-part track that focuses on two sides of a break-up; The more dramatic, emotional side (Hard Feelings) and the more sarcastic, "Getting over it" side (Loveless). When you think of a Lorde song, Hard Feelings fits the feel of one, and, of course, it's good (If you've read this far, what did you expect?). It feels honest, the lyrics are well-written, and the production is different in parts than normal. When I talked about this track being experimental for Lorde, this is one of those parts. There's a weird part in between the chorus refrain and bridge that feels industrial and it just fits with the vibe that it built up. Loveless is also different, in the sense that this is easily the simpliest track lyrically on this record. It's basically about after the break-up how she's bugging him non-stop, and that's about it. Even though this part of the track is only two minute, it still stand on its own well. It's a surprisingly fun listen that lightens the mood after Liability and part 1 of itself, and it prepares for another few depressing songs on here.
That turn was needed on Loveless, because Sober II: Melodrama, the (Sort of) title track, is depressing. When you hear this song is a follow-up to Sober, it really does feel like it. It feels like what Lorde figured out what happens after the party in this track, continuing some sort of loose narrative with the first track. This is the track where she faces the aftermath of the party of being alone and questioning whether or not it was a good idea in the first place. It makes for interesting lyrical content, and the production on this is interesting at say the least. It starts out with these dramatic strings, then it transitions into Lorde singing over a piano, and then they throw in a trap beat in the middle of the song, which surprisingly adds a good amount of tension to it. This is definitely a unique Lorde track, and one of the most distinct on the record for sure.
Writer In The Dark follows this track up, and it has always been one of my favorites from Melodrama. It's a piano ballad in a somewhat similar vain to Liability, and while I prefer that track to this one, it doesn't mean it doesn't work. What really sells me on this track is the pre-chorus and the chorus on this thing, which is one the most gut-wrenching moments on this album, because of the vocal delivery. Lorde sounds like she's about to explode into tears here. The lyrics follow her as she goes through a former lover moving onto someone else, a cliche lyrical topic, but it's conveyed in a way that's unique and distinctly emotional. I also love the strings on this track on the chorus and throughout the second half of the track.
After a few slower tracks, the pace picks up with Supercut, which, while not as emotional as some of the other tracks, works as a great pop track to lead towards the end of the album. It's not the strongest lyrical track on here, but it works well enough and the production is strong, especially the fade out, which reminds me of The Louvre earlier on the record. There's not much a whole lot to say here except that it's just a really fun track.
The Liability: Reprise starts a two-part conclusion to the record and its themes in my opinion, because here and the closer Perfect Places (We'll get to that one in a second) appear her abandoning or at least controlling those habits that put her in this place of isolation that you see throughout the record by telling off her old habits or friends or whatever they are and they leave. Other than the lyrics, I love how this song slowly builds into something subtly beautiful through the whole with Lorde's vocals towards the end, which leads perfectly into the closer, Perfect Places.
Perfect Places is definitely one of the most energetic songs on all of Melodrama, and of the most fun to listen to on repeat, and it works so well as an album closer. The production is fun, albeit maybe not as unique as some other tracks, but it still sounds fantastic. From a lyrical standpoint, it feels like a recap on what the party life was in the verses, saying how every night is graceless, despite it seeming so extravagant (A bit Pure Heroine-esque lyrically there). Then on the chorus and the bridge, she talk about going to these so-called "perfect places" and she wants them, but she doesn't know what they are, and I like that the album ends on this note. It leaves you feeling emotional, but there's also some closure when you know she's looking for this something that will help her in life. It's not the deepest lyrically here, but it works so well, and every time I hear Lorde sing the final lines and the piano goes out, I get a bit emotional because not just of this journey I went on through this music, but that this album is over.
There's a reason why this is one of my favorite albums of all time; It takes a genre that's typically filled with meaningless, over-produced, and pandering songs/albums and it actually goes for emotion and subtly to create an experience that leaves an impression. When I first heard this record, I was blown away because of how real and honest it felt. Most reviews I'll write for albums won't be this long, but I felt this one needed to be because of how good I feel this album is. I wanted to talk about every track and why I feel it begs to be heard. For me, this is one of those rare "Perfect records". I wouldn't change a thing on it. The pacing is perfect, the production is flawless, Lorde sounds greater than ever, and the album has honesty that I appreciate on all types of albums. If modern pop is your thing, I encourage you to check it out (Just be aware there is a decent amount of swearing). You'll love it. Even if you don't care for that style, I'd say give it a shot. It's well worth your time, and hey, even if you don't like it, that's fine. This is just some dude on the internet's opinion anyway.
Favorite Tracks: Basically every song, but my 5 favorites at the moment (This will be subject to change): The Louvre, Liability, Green Light, Hard Feelings/Loveless, Writer In The Dark
Least Favorites: n/a
A+
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