Lorde’s rising star has already reached incredible acceleration off the back of two winning singles, a surprise hit at Splendour In The Grass as a late addition to the bill, and her ongoing exposure overseas.
Now the New Zealand sensation is breaking records, becoming the first woman in 17 years to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, breaking a drought that’s lasted since before the 16-year-old was even in nappies. “Not since we launched Gotye have we seen such instant reaction,” rock promoter Dennis Blair tells Billboard.
‘Royals’ has pushed Lorde to the top of the American chart, becoming the first solo female performer to claim #1 since Tracy Bonham’s ‘Mother Mother’ hit the pole position back in June 1996. Not only that, but Lorde is part of an exclusive club of females who collectively have posted just ten #1’s in the Alternative Songs Chart’s nearly quarter century, including Tori Amos, Suzanne Vega, Kate Bush, Sinead O’Connor, and Alanis Morisette – who achieved three #1 hits between 1995 and 1996.
Billboard emphasised that the chart hasn’t been exclusively male in the upper ranks, with “female-fronted groups like Evanescence (led by Amy Lee), Florence + the Machine (Florence Welch) and Paramore (Hayley Williams) [having] logged top 10s.” Then of course there’s neo-soul singers Kimbra and Janelle Monae, who have featured in chart-conquering hits from Gotye and Fun.
Speaking of the Belgian-born multi-instrumentalist, Lorde has also gained that most popular stamp of cultural approval – the viral YouTube hit, with Walk Off The Earth, best known for their five person-one guitar cover of ‘Somebody That I Used To Know‘ having now recorded a quirky tribute to ‘Royals’, which has amassed 320,000+ views in just a few days. “Not since we launched Gotye have we seen such instant reaction.”
Lorde’s debut EP The Love Club is also swiftly climbing the US charts – having sold 51,000 copies to date – while closer to home, the 19 minute, six-track long EP hit the #2 spot on the ARIA Singles Chart this week (eligible thanks to a strange set of conditions in the ARIA Code of Practice); while her follow-up single ‘Tennis Court’ is backing up at #32 on the charts. Both singles are still performing strongly in the singer’s home country as well, with ‘Tennis Court’ at #15 and ‘Royals’ at #31 on the New Zealand Charts.
All which sets the scene nicely for her debut album, with the teenage musician announcing details of her LP, entitled Pure Heroine, to her fans yesterday. The record features ‘Royals’ and ‘Tennis Court’ among its 10 tracks and is due for release 30th September via Virgin Records.
Her in-roads overseas are also enhanced by a series of international dates, starting with a recent New York show that won rave reviews, as well as earning Lorde celebrity approval from the likes of Grimes, Moby, and even the Backstreet Boys and Selena Gomez.
But even as she reaches certified ‘next big thing’ status, the 16-year-old Lorde, real name Ella Yelich-O’Connor, is keeping her head about her, declaring that it’s her smarts that are her appeal. “Pop music doesn’t have to be stupid, and alternative music doesn’t have to be boring; you can mesh the two together and make something cool,” she says.
“I’ve seen people compare me to just about every female slightly alt female musician because people feel the need to put females with other females,” she told the Huffington Post in a recent interview. “I guess I understand, but I think I’m different because my music is accessible, but it’s also smart and those are two things that don’t often go together musically.”
“I think it’s probably because I’m an Internet kid. I’m watching Adventure Time but I’m also reading Allen Ginsberg,” she continues. “I’m a mesh of references – fun and smart? I don’t know where I’d put myself. I’d like to think I’m doing something different.”
Artwork subject to change
Pure Heroine Tracklisting
1. Tennis Court
2. 400 Lux
3. Royals
4. Ribs
5. Buzzcut Season
6. Team
7. Glory And Gore
8. Still Sane
9. White Teeth Teens
10. A World Alone
