Music
COMING FROM a four-year hiatus, Lorde graces the world with a serene tale of stepping into adulthood through Solar Power. As promised in “Liability,” she predicted: “You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun.” Now she basks in the light with her long-awaited third album and captures the subtle glimmer—rather than the blinding flare—of growing older.
Solar Power eases listeners into Lorde’s new era with “The Path.” Beginning with an introduction of her past and describing the absurdities of fame, the track flows into a simpler chorus centered on nature. Ultimately, she points towards the sun for true healing as an overarching theme in the album.
The second track and lead single “Solar Power” continues Lorde’s easygoing disposition. With flirtatious and lighthearted energy, she finds herself empowered in the summer sun and straying away from the winter cold. Can you even reach the woman who was once caught in the middle of all the glamor and the trauma? “No, you can’t,” she sings.
The return of a singer who fully embraces herself may be jarring in comparison to her prior, much sadder music. Each track onwards further cements the album’s departure from Melodrama’s 808’s and heartache. Taking inspiration from artists such as Cocteau Twins, Big Star, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Lorde consistently tells her coming-of-age in a dreamlike combination of pop and indie folk.
Lorde’s current sound indicates the singer’s evolution. Growing from challenges she had faced, Lorde ventures beyond beats from a broken teenage heart. However, that change led to a necessary period of reflection for her development as an individual and artist. She now finds herself wondering if domestic bliss is the right path for someone known as a trailblazer.
Songs like “California” and “Stoned at the Nail Salon” explore Lorde’s departure from her old lifestyle. The former track is a goodbye letter to places she once cherished, and an admission that their bustling allure has become a chokehold. Meanwhile, the latter is a rumination on domesticity and regrets it may leave behind. Throughout her introspection, settling down–in a way that occasionally borders on lonely–helped Lorde reach a final verdict. She’s outgrown being the life of a party.
Lorde relays this realization to her 15-year-old self through “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All).” One sentimental way she traces back to her teenage years is by taking two chords from her song “Ribs” and reversing them. Where there was once a burning fever in her lyricism, there is now a mellowed reassurance that growing pains eventually ease.
Although earlier tracks exemplify Lorde’s current identity, the latter half of Solar Power still has room for improvement. In each song, there are thin lines between joy, sorrow, and everything in between, yet the album seems tentative in drawing them clearly.
Lorde is normally praiseworthy for self-awareness and aims for it once again in “Mood Ring.” Although the song is meant to be satirical, it notably lacks any clever bites or comedic undertones. The track’s production accurately captures a New Age of enlightenment energy with influences from hippie culture and early 2000s sound. However, its lyrics fail to go beyond a snapshot of pseudo-wellness, falling short on thoughtful commentary.
Such shortcomings unveil an inability to balance a diverse range of messages with overall cohesiveness throughout the album. “The Man With an Axe” is a tender love song. “Fallen Fruit” and “Leader of a New Regime” both take a bittersweet look into climate anxiety, carrying a reluctant acceptance of the Earth’s deterioration. “Big Star” is heart wrenching in its dedication to Lorde’s dog and the grief that came with his passing. Every track has notable themes, but toned down to a point where they may sound repetitive.
Despite several songs having relevant subject matters and poetic lyricism, they are all packaged in subdued acoustics softened to a point of monotony. By the time listeners hear “Dominoes,” the track is just another quiet song that feels tiring and begs for a wider range from the singer.
When people tune into Lorde, people expect to be emotionally moved based on her older music. Sadly, Solar Power is unable to fully tap into such intimacy. The album’s failure to evoke stronger feelings could be justified by the fact that Lorde is happier now.
It’s true and even commendable that she’s grown up, changed her sound, and refused to stagnate in the angst of teenage years. Nevertheless, she didn’t have to sacrifice range for the sake of embodying bliss.
Despite some facets of Solar Power being lackluster, “Oceanic Feeling” closes the album with a wonderfully idyllic tone. Lorde contemplates her personal life in connection with nature and acknowledges that her era of enlightenment is a work in progress. Acting more as a cliffhanger than a final note, the last song converges mysticism and clarity.
Solar Power successfully leaves us in a haze of anticipation to step into the sun.
