Lorde Glows With New Track ‘Solar Power’
After a nearly four-year hiatus, Lorde is back and brighter than ever with a music video for her new single, “Solar Power,” and it is the personification of freedom.
“Solar Power” comes two years after the singer-songwriter announced she was delaying her album release after the death of her dog. Fans have been anxiously waiting for her return, as her lack of social media presence made the artist hard to keep track of.
a beach 7 years apart. im emotional pic.twitter.com/iZikwHSM1b
— trish (@ULTRAGLOSS) June 10, 2021
The lyrics to “Solar Power,” co-written by Lorde and Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, allude to someone coming back to life once the weather gets warm, hence the track’s title. Most fan reactions have involved people taking note that there is something different about this era, but it’s still distinctly Lorde.
Listening to the new Lorde, thinking about how much we need to normalise taking long breaks between producing works. To become something different and develop ideas that one hasn’t yet given full form. Solar Power is so vastly different from Melodrama; time between matters.
— Jessica J. Lee 😷 (@jessicajlee) June 11, 2021
The music video involves the artist on a tropical oasis surrounded by other beachgoers making the most of the sunshine. Something to note is how the artist is fresh-faced in a golden yellow outfit: starkly different from the themes in most of her trademark videos such as “Green Light” and “Tennis Court.” As the singer breaks out into a chorus with notable talents Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo on backing vocals, the song ends with a repetition that feels like a breath of fresh air.
In an email to fans, Lorde describes her wishes for how she wants listeners to take in the single.
“I want this album to be your summer companion, the one you pump on the drive to the beach. The one that lingers on your skin like a tan as the months get cooler again,” she stated.
While a release date for the New Zealand artist’s third studio album has yet to be announced, she tells fans to “look to the natural calendar” for clues toward her next drop.
The summer solstice begins June 20; fingers crossed that the sun will peek out from the horizon soon.
