Living up to its title, Lorde’s newly-released Solar Power is sonically effervescent, decadent and a stark contrast to her 2017 Melodrama project. It’s particularly crossing the threshold into a new era for the artist with symbolic nods to a harmonious balance with nature and life, along with a new drift into an heightened anti-commercial perspective towards her craft. In tandem with the premiere of her long-awaited opus, Lorde is rightfully declaring that she is no longer ascribing to the traditional aspects of the pop star mold.
This retreat from the ultra-spotlight centers a new focus on an intimate relationship with her supporters. Downsizing from her previous tour, which include two roughly 19,000-capacity venues in the New York area, the concert tour for Solar Power will be housed in small venues.
“It’s exactly where I want to be,” the 24-year-old, who first launched into unparalleled stardom with her 2013 smash hit “Royals,” told The Wall Street Journal. “I would much rather have a room with 5,000 people in it who know every word to every song and are passionate about me as an institution—than have 18,000 people who heard two songs on the radio and liked them.”
With cheeky album cover art, Solar Power is a return after a four-year break; fans of the singer surmised that the album would encompass a change of sorts. In her opening track, “The Path,” guides listeners through her reckoning with the unwieldy platform of being idolized — a culture that celebrities as of late have been increasingly transparent about.
“A lot of people look to people like me for spiritual guidance, and starting the album like that was my way of saying, ‘I’m just as (messed) up as you are. Don’t look at me. But if we all look up here, maybe we’ll find out something interesting about ourselves,’” Lorde continued to WSJ.
