Lorde’s new single gets the ‘green light’

On March 3, New Zealand singer, songwriter and producer, Lorde, released the single “Green Light” from her sophomore album “Melodrama.” This has been a long anticipated album for the artist, since her last album, “Pure Heroine,” was re- leased in 2012. However, Lorde has been busy. She has inter- nationally toured, headlined Coachella and Lollapalooza, overseen the assembling of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay— Part 1” album, while lending her vocals to other tracks, and collaborating with the group Disclosure to create “Magnets” in 2015. Even though she has been busy, the artist has been working on this album since 2013.

When the single was released a lot of people deemed the track as pop, differing from Lorde’s established indie-electronic sound. Many criticized the 20 year old, while others praised the song, welcoming the artist back to the radio. While the catchy tune of “Green Light” might be different for Lorde, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2014, when the album was in its early stages of development, the artist explained to BBC Newsbeat that it was going to be “totally different” from her debut album.

Despite initial mixed feelings from those who know Lorde’s sound, the track is set to climb up from it’s number-100 spot into the top 25, according to Bill- board. Why not? Lorde has done it before with “Royals” from her self-released record, “The Love Club EP.” In fact, with that single, she became the youngest artist to hold the number-one spot in the U.S. since Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” (1987).

After the release of “Green Light,” Lorde shared with the world “Liability.” This track entered the world on March 9, and while many dare to call the dark contrast to “Green Light” a single, Lorde insists that it is “just a strange little sister of this album.”

While “Green Light” is an up- tempo breakup song about how it’s difficult for Lorde to let her relationship go even though she does want to move on, hence the contrast in red lighting in the music video and the title; “Liability” is a nod to her newfound sense of alienation. The song is a response written to those who regret getting caught up in her fame. It is a raw and painful acknowledgement of what the artist has gone through since sky- rocketing to worldwide fame in 2012.

On March 11, Lorde sang both her new songs on Saturday Night Live.

“Melodrama” is set to be re- leased on June 16.