In 2013 the New Zealand Singer-Songwriter Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, known to the world as Lorde, emerged out of obscured into mainstream stardom. Only sixteen years old at the time, Lorde’s professional musical career actually began four years prior. Well, believe it or not, but eight years have passed since her global breakthrough single “Royals,” a hit that was a part of her platinum selling debut album Pure Heroine. Making a big impression on the Pop mainstream at the time, Lorde lived up to the pressure success brought and delivered her impressive follow up Melodrama in 2017. And now, after four long years, Lorde is back with the highly antipcated Solar Power.
Released on Friday, August 20, 2021 through Universal Music, Lorde’s third studio album comes with fourteen songs written/produced all by Lorde her along with Jack Antonoff, who had also worked on Melodrama. Different from her previous effort musically, Solar Power begins with “The Path” spreading positive vibes and lifts any weight you might have off your shoulders, allowing you to fully focus in on the music. This is before the title-track, “Solar Power,” which is the perfect summer jam that wakened the wish to go to the beach. That said, these two cuts are even perfect for the darker and colder times of the year in the northern half of the globe, but also a fitting summer time soundtrack for the southern half.
This chill mood set, with a soft yet steady voice, Lorde carefully guides you through the remainder of the album. As mentioned, musically, Solar Power is much more a natural progression than her previous work. In fact, sonically it has a spirit of it’s own that feels like a young summer sun dancing through a fresh morning dew. Chalked with light melodies, the music lift like a thin layer of fog creating an album that sound beautiful and carefree. And even though some lyrics touch sensitive topics that might keep quite some people anxious or sleepless, you still somehow feel very relaxed through it all.
Additionally, some lyric content might seem a little odd, like “Stoned at the Nail Salon” or “The Man With The Axe.” This is while other songs have a very spiritual touch to them, such as “Mood Ring,” which talks about yoga, healing crystals, plus learning to be aware and mindful about one’s own emotions. Overall, the album does seem to hold a strong emphasis on spirituality, a cleanse of the mind, meditation, and the general notation of self awareness. You are invited to letting go of material worries, and that is a good thing, because we could all use a little less clutter in our lives.
Drawing images with a unique voice and well written songs, you can easily close your eyes, dive into Solar Power, and feel it within every bone in your body. A beautiful progression for a young, talented songwriter, Cryptic Rock give Lorde’s Solar Power 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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