Melodrama is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a work (such as a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality,” which is the perfect name for the critically-acclaimed album by Lorde. In fact, Melodrama actually resembles an ancient Greek tragedy.
Lorde, a young songwriter and singer from New Zealand, is known for her poetic lyrics and unconventional production. She began writing her debut album, Pure Heroine, when she was only fourteen years old; Melodrama when she was eighteen and nineteen. Since 2013, Lorde has been telling a coming-of-age story, complete with the unique and complex emotions of a modern suburban teenager discovering love, partying, friendship, popularity, and adulthood.
Many popular songs targeted toward teenagers are about exaggerated lives—and although they may be relatable to a few, the vast majority of teens don’t resonate with songs about being ridiculously rich and famous. And although songs about love and heartbreak are often more appealing to one’s personal experiences, this is often because they’re generic, and therefore easier to mold to one’s own circumstances. Lorde—who is essentially a member of her target audience—however, makes music about specific yet ubiquitous feelings, noting everyday experiences such as riding the bus to elaborate on the more elusive, but still meaningful, parts of a teenager’s life.
It’s true, most teenagers haven’t literally “blown shit up with homemade dynamite,” as one song goes, but it’s about an emotional reality. In a sense, despite being its title, the homemade dynamite isn’t the important part of the song—it’s more about making reckless decisions with friends, something the vast majority of teenagers can relate to: “Our friends, our drinks, we get inspired / Blowing shit up with homemade dynamite.”
Tracks like “400 Lux,” tilted for the light emitted from a sunset or sunrise, capture the magically mundane parts of being a teenager in suburbia. She sings about the comfort of endless rows of neighborhoods (“I love these roads where the houses don’t change…We move in the tree streets / I’d like it if you stayed”) and lack of responsibility (“We’re never done with killing time / Can I kill it with you? / ‘Til the veins run red and blue”). Compared to the wintery warmth of “400 Lux,” her Melodrama hit “The Louvre” translates this domesticity into summertime. These songs contrast chart-toppers like “7 Rings” by Ariana Grande and “ZEZE” by Kodak Black, which certainly didn’t rise to fame for their relatability. Lorde’s well-known song, “Royals,” is a stark contrast to the materialism in ones like these; she shares a similar idea of friendship and community in “Team,” where she sings, “We live in in cities you’ll never see on screen / Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things.” Lyrics like these remind teenagers of home—their friends, families, and neighborhoods—through the realistic, yet sensationalized lines.
On the other hand, Lorde explores the exhilarating rush of discovering popularity and partying in her songs “Glory and Gore,” “White Teeth Teens,” and “The Love Club,” from Pure Heroine; and “Green Light,” “Sober,” “Homemade Dynamite,” and “Sober II (Melodrama),” from Melodrama. Fighting to fit into a group, and to be admired amongst peers, is a classically-teenage struggle that’s been retold again and again, from movies like Mean Girls to The Breakfast Club. In “White Teeth Teens,” Lorde reveals a secret: “I’ll let you in on something big / I’m not a white teeth teen / I tried to join, but never did / The way they are, the way they seem / It’s something else that’s in their blood / Their molars blinking like the lights.” Lines like these show a glimpse of harsh, yet comforting reality within the whimsical beats that reflect the euphoria of belonging. At some point, most teenagers feel like they are on the “outside,” watching their carefree peers. Similarly, in “Sober,” Lorde boldly claims, “Ain’t a pill that could touch our rush…These are the games of the weekend / We pretend that we just don’t care,” while simultaneously admitting that “We care (But what will we do when we’re sober?),” subsequently letting the audience see through the facade of a blithe life that many teenagers attempt to create.
One of her most vulnerable songs, “Liability,” deals with the struggle to love oneself—and to believe that others can do the same—that is at its height during adolescence. Raw lyrics such as “They pull back, make other plans / I understand, I’m a liability / Get you wild, make you leave / I’m a little much for everyone / The truth is: I am a toy / That people enjoy / ‘til all of the tricks don’t work anymore / And then they are bored of me,” touch the debilitating fear that many teenagers have of being simply “too much” to be loved. At a time when feeling accepted by others is a defining factor of one’s development, ballads like these can reflect those emotions painfully well.
And lastly, I’ll note a personal favorite that embodies emotions I find nearly impossible to articulate otherwise: “Ribs.” This song, beautiful for both its lyrics and production, is a masterpiece that expresses something close to nostalgia. Lorde contrasts the warmth and safety found in a childhood friend (“You’re the only friend I need / Sharing beds like little kids / And laughing ‘til our ribs get tough”) with the paralyzing realization that she is leaving that stage of life forever (“This dream isn’t feeling sweet / We’re reeling through the midnight streets / And I’ve never felt more alone / It feels so scary, getting old”). The transition from having an identity defined by one’s family and peers into independence is a frightening and bittersweet one—and somehow, Lorde describes it perfectly.
I found today’s blog more interesting than the last one. I have to completely agree with the song “Liability” and how hard it is to love one self especially with the stereotype of body figures and requirements
I’m obsessed with the collage you created on the top of the page! Still love the content as well;)
Haha aw thank you! I’m quite proud of it; I think I put more effort into the collage than my intro post, whoops.
You truly did her work justice.