New Zealand sensation Lorde recently celebrated her 17th birthday, with the girl born Ella Yelich-O’Connor penning a graceful open letter about leaving sweet sixteen, and now she’s ready to continue her globe-conquering ‘Royals’ reign by ruling the world.
Don’t stress, the Kiwi songstress isn’t literally planning global domination (though given her huge chart-straddling success we don’t blame you for speculating), instead it’s lyrical, as Lorde releases her first new material since her debut album, Pure Heroine.
The brand new track is a cover of ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’, by 80s-era pop maestros Tears For Fears, written and recorded by Lorde for the soundtrack to Catching Fire, the latest entry in The Hunger Games movie franchise, as MTV News reports.
Lorde transforms the bouncy, optimistic original for the film with a darker, introspective take on the tune that showcases her trademark sultry vocals in giving the lyrics a dramatic new lick of meaning as she curls the chorus of: “All for freedom and for pleasure/Nothing ever lasts forever/Everybody wants to rule the world.”
Curt Smith, one half of Tears For Fears, says he’s chuffed with Lorde’s take on the band’s 1985 hit, “I think it’s absolutely amazing. But then I love her, I think she’s brilliant,” enthuses the musician, saying that the New Zealand singer has hit upon the song’s themes in an inherently darker angle.
“The concept is quite serious — it’s about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes,” describes Smith. “We love it when other people cover our stuff. Sometimes we steal them and use their version live.”
Alongside Lorde’s cover, the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack also features new material from blockbuster acts like Coldplay, The National, Of Monsters & Men, and Australia’s own Eminem collaborating, royalties-donating Sia.
Previous to her Tears For Fears tribute, Lorde completed a sold out Australian tour recently, concluding with two packed dates at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel, where our Tone Deaf reviewer remarked that the singer’s “future burns brightly,” adding that: “Lorde is readymade brilliance. At 16, she has the mind, class and nous to say what we all think. At 16, she has the talent and reach to inspire others to take her lead.”
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The singer-songwriter was in the country to promote her debut record, Pure Heroine, which was largely co-written with musician Joel Little, who’s now used its success to turn his attention to other projects, including the debut solo album from Silverchair’s Daniel Johns.
which was recently crowned as the second fastest selling album of the year after it debuted at the #1 spot on the ARIA Albums Chart, adding to Lorde’s fistful of historic accolades, including becoming the longest reigning female on the US charts while peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Royals’.
Backing up her commercial dominance, Lorde – real name Ella Yelich-O’Connor – is whip-smart to boot, tackling sexism and industry hype in her own wizened words in an insightful editorial piece recently.
The New Zealand sensation will next check in Down Under as part of the Laneway 2014 festival lineup next February alongside a strong female-centric lineup of Haim, Savages, Adalita, CHVRCHES, Warpaint, The Jezabels and many more.
