Thursday, October 3, 2013

The 16-Year-Old Singer-Songwriter You Need to Know

 
Ella Yelich-O’Connor is the teenage music sensation that everyone is talking about. The teen, who performs under the stage name Lorde, is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter from New Zealand who has gained immense popularity since the debut of her first single “Royals.” Unlike the throngs of young, mass-produced, formula-developed pop stars the American music industry continues to crank out, Lorde appears uncompromising in wanting to do things her own way.

Her willful spirit, beautiful sound, and unique point of view are what have catapulted the young musician into the spotlight. Her appeal is far-reaching; Lorde has garnered a massive fan base with her New Zealand audience, as well as in the U.S. and around the world. She managed to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Royals,” the same song that also topped Billboard’s Alternative Chart, where it’s been seventeen years since a female artist has climbed so high. Just to clarify, Lorde hasn’t even been alive for that many years. 
 
The singer-songwriter’s debut album, “Pure Heroine” is helping Lorde truly stand out as a unique talent in the industry. Pitchfork says, “In a moment when too many new artists seem afraid to offend or go off script, Lorde is an exciting contradiction: an aspiring pop star who's had a major-label development deal since age 12 (she was discovered at a local talent show) but has retained a seemingly genuine iconoclastic streak,” of the young singer. Pitchfork also describes Lorde as being “post-internet” in her style, and praises her for her ability to transcend the superficial social norms that the music and entertainment industries want to engulf their young stars in. 
 

With this, the singer, who dons a highly sophisticated vocal range that leaps from a soft, Feist-inspired sound to lower, ominous tones, is perhaps wise beyond her years. It seems as if Lorde is already somewhat guarded in terms of forming a relationship with the pop music industry, something that may prove to be the promising singer’s greatest asset. 

Image: lordemusic via Instagram 

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