Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” came out in 2013, and I remember being barely a freshman in high school. Lorde is a year and half older than me. I’m sure we probably experience a similar coming of age story and the experience of navigating the adolescent trials. The only difference was that she was becoming a pop-star and lived on the other side of the world.
After the mixed reviews of “Solar Power,” I revisited her debut album, “Pure Heroine,” and the last track with this lyric stuck out to me: “I feel grown up with you and your car.” This lyric sounds simple, but it means so much for teens who are experiencing their first time dating. I can recall a similar situation, when I felt the same sitting in a guy’s car while he was taking me home after school.
“Pure Heroine” is about the fear of growing old and the anxiousness of not knowing what lies in the future. On Lorde’s sophomore album “Melodrama,” she revealed her sadness with her failed relationship and how the only way she could deal with this pain was to become the ultimate party girl.
“Solar Power” was released in August and was hyped up to say the very least. It was one of the albums I was for sure going to have on top of my list. The first listen seemed to be a departure from the sadness of her previous works and from being scared of the future.
“Solar Power” expresses the importance of looking within yourself and learning how to proceed with your life. The sadness might be present, but “forget all of your tears it’s over,” because it’s your turn to walk away and make your life what you want it to be.
Lorde is dancing on a beach, in a healthy relationship and wants everyone to pay attention to the good and separate the negative. Many people, including myself, were puzzled and couldn’t make out this new era. I relied so much on the depressing lyrics and the angst that I forgot that Lorde is human. When trying to compare a state of mind between a 24-year-old and 16-year-old, there are obviously going to be differences. I am guilty of holding on to the past, but I’m no longer that same 14-year-old I used to be.
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Music is connected to our memory. Often, we as individuals like to pinpoint something at a specific time in our lives. When the unknown is common, it can often scare us because we don’t want to let go. It kills us to let go of our adolescence and carry on in life, and we often forget that artists are humans. They grow up and seek to know their truth, just as we do.
So why are we so stuck on the sad story, why can’t we just move on? According to psychologist Paul Thagard, “the sad song, tragic drama, or horror movie is not about you, and therefore is not a threat to your own goals … so the emotional engagement that the sad song provides usually comes without personal threat.”
In a short explanation, we may not suffer the same as the particular person, but we hold on to our sense of “relief.”
So, it’s okay to let your favorite artist be happy. Music is subjective, whether you are in a different state of mind or not. Perhaps in a few years, you will see yourself differently. Give your favorite artist a break; they are human too. It’s a journey, but they are trying to express themselves in their art, perhaps they are still trying to create themselves.
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Alexzandria (she/her) is a senior majoring in journalism and minoring in psychology. She loves writing about music and playing guitar. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her sisters.
