Green Light – Lorde review

Courtesy of lorde.co.uz

Courtesy of lorde.co.uz

Camila Gonzalez, Reporter

“Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk?”

“I remember when your head caught flame. It kissed your scalp and caressed your brain.”

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor has quite a way with words. Better known as Lorde, her debut album Pure Heroine won the affection of millions. As one of these millions, I’ve been waiting for another album ever since. So when I heard that she was releasing a new single, I was relieved and excited.

The first time I listened to “Green Light,” I was disappointed. It just didn’t have the spark I’d normally find in a Lorde song. At first, this song seemed like it had been quickly thrown together and it wasn’t as catchy as many of her other tracks.

However, after seeing her enthusiastically jam out to the track while performing on Saturday Night Live, I began to think that maybe I hadn’t given the song a fair chance.

But as I continued to listen to the song, I realized that I can’t get into the lyrics. Comparing them to lyrics such as the ones I mentioned before, there’s something missing. I’ll admit the verses are alright. I like the detail of doing makeup in someone else’s car. But we need to talk about this: “she thinks you love the beach, you’re such a damn liar.” Woah, Lorde. This suddenly got really aggressive and uncomfortably personal. The aggression continues with the line: “Thought you said that you would always be in love, but you’re not in love.” I feel attacked and I’ve probably never even been within a 500 mile radius of Lorde, let alone dumped her.

A few days later, the chorus was firmly stuck in my head. When a song is stuck in your head, you usually have to listen to it. So I did. Four times in a row. I was pretty sure I was in love with this track, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. A fifth listen showed me that my love is purely for the piano riff that comes in at the beginning of the chorus. “I hear sounds in my mind,” she sings. So do I. The sound is this awesome riff.

I want to marry the person who is responsible for that piano riff. It is the most beautiful component of a song I’ve heard in a long time. I would most likely be indifferent to this track without that riff. I’m not sure who that is, but my best guess is Jack Antonoff. Known for his bands fun. and The Bleachers, Antonoff was a co-writer and a co-producer on the track. He also plays piano in the music video. So, Jack, if you’re interested in marrying a music critic when you yourself are a musician, because that can’t possibly go wrong, hit me up.

Regardless of who I’ve agreed to marry based on musical skills, I have listened to this song countless times within the past month. I can’t decide how I truly feel about it. There’s a lot going on. Some lyrics isolate me because they’re so personal — like, how can anyone not like the beach? — while others are well crafted, such as the term “green light” being metaphor for the time when she can move on from her heartbreak.

My main issue seems to be with the first verse because the otherwise wonderful production has not yet come in so the less impressive lyrics are in the spotlight. But I’m pretty sure I really like the rest of the track. I’ll give it 7/10 other artists from 2013 that need to make a comeback, like Haim.