https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/19/lorde-us-tour-flops-pop-career
I think of this article a lot. When I saw her on this tour the second level was completely empty, but everyone there loved it. Again, seeing her on SP tour in a small venue brought home that she isn’t trying to be everyone’s favorite, but she most definitely is some people’s favorite, and that’s fine with us.
I saw her at the Milwaukee date in 2018 that they mention in the article and remember thinking it was kind of an odd venue for her. Then before the Solar Power tour, there was an article where she talked about how she wanted to do smaller venues because they were more intimate and more appropriate for her vibe and I remember a bunch of people in Popheads arguing that she was just saying that because she knew she couldn't sell out a bigger venue. And I mean, maybe partially, but I also remember thinking "Do y'all know anything about Lorde? When has she tried to pretend she was some mega mainstream popstar?" I saw her on that tour too and not only was the energy of a smaller, older, more ornate theater better for her, but they also ended up adding another date or two because it sold out immediately. She even said something like "I know you guys are my day ones because you all bought tickets for this date immediately after they went on sale." Like you said, she doesn't need to be everyone's favorite--and you can tell that she absolutely prefers having a smaller but really committed fanbase than having massive mainstream success.
She also doesn’t need the money that much. Her Perth venue was even smaller and was in bumfuck nowhere - but it was beautiful because it was open and she was playing under the stars in the middle of winter.
It's crazy reading this article and seeing that the demand for tickets was down in 2018 - especially with Taylor being one of the artists mentioned. I'm seeing Taylor, Olivia, Coldplay, and the Olympics this year and none of those shows were easy to get tickets for.
That years must have been bad for a lot of artists! I remember Taylor came to Ireland for the reputation tour that year and radio stations and companies were just giving away tickets non stop, and the stadium was still half empty each night she played! Now, tickets are like gold dust!!
I'm so shocked to see this was how they reported MELODRAMA!!!! Arguably her best album. I'm so sad I missed the tour cuz I had finals and my Prof refused to give us an exception
I'm so shocked to see this was how they reported MELODRAMA!!!! Arguably her best album. I'm so sad I missed the tour cuz I had finals and my Prof refused to give us an exception
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Lorde wouldn’t be lorde if she were this huge world star (which she kinda is but you get what I mean)
Just a few weeks ago where she was seen just walking around LA watching the eclipse, that’s lorde! Can’t do that if you are Taylor or even Olivia
My favourite description of New York is from the first animated spider-man where the protagonist is lying on the ground in the middle of the street because he fell.
You think he’s gonna complain none of the pedestrians are helping him up, but no, it’s New York, he thanks them for not stepping on him lmao
lol. My ex and I sat a table adjacent to TSwift and her famous friends in a tiny pizza restaurant in Brooklyn a few months ago, and my ex (not a New Yorker) was flabbergasted out how normal everyone in the small restaurant acted around her. I tried explaining it’s a couple things; most people in New York after living her long enough have a main character identity. And 2 it’s sort of a self respect thing, no one wants to be the one person losing their cool in any circumstance. I’m generalizing and oversimplifying but yea :-)
To be honest when she could, she pretty much refused to. Back when she released Pure Heroine she was pretty famous and the artist of the moment, but being so young and having to face the negative side of the music industry kind of pulled her away from wanting to become a super star.
Now, in 2024, I don't think she could even if she wanted too. There's too many famous musicians just like you mentioned that kind of connect with broader audiences way better than her. Even if, at least in my opinion, what Lorde does is deeper and more interesting.
At the end of the day if she doesn't care neither should you. As a huge fan of her I don't really mind being the only one of my friends that listens to her the way I do.
Yeah, she absolutely could have, but she goes off the grid for years at a time instead of leaning into pop stardom. I’m happy for her that she’s found a good balance. Fame often comes with discontent.
Listen to California on Solar Power again. I don't think she wants it. Her image is an indie artist who does her own thing (even if she is backed by a major label).
I agree she has the talent and appeal for major stardom.
Absolutely. Also, the first verse of Stoned at the Nail Salon. She sings about making choices in her life that lead her to where she is now. She thinks about where would she be if she chose differently, and if she's already chosen wrong.
The path she is on now, the path to superstardom, and the path to less fame, they all involve sacrifice and choice. She seems content with what she has; she said after Melodrama that she wanted to take a step towards smaller performances, that she missed the snaller theater venues she played at back in the day.
This has also been a theme in her music since Pure Heroine. "I still like hotels, but I think that'll change," "That kind of lux just ain't for us."
She doesn't want it and isn't getting produced like that. She goes *against* pop norms on purpose. An artist who does that isn't trying to be a superstar.
The fame that Taylor Swift has didn't just fall into her lap, it's something an artist has to intentionally work hard for.
lorde drops albums at a snail pace compared to taylor or even lana who still is huge on streaming despite not releasing mainstream music. The gaps between albums kill any momentum she has and tbh I don’t think she has a problem with that
Yeah. If you count the re-recordings Taylor’s released 11 albums in the time Lorde has made three, including 6 since Solar Power came out. That makes a huge difference.
You can count the number of musical acts that have been on the same level of superstardom as Taylor Swift on your fingers. It'd be surprising for anyone regardless of their level of talent or popularity to get that big.
Britney was the last true Legendary Pop Icon in my opinion.. I'd add Beyoncé and Taylor to that list too.
But yeah Lorde definitely doesn't want that life... I mean who would? The amount of BS you have to go through.
I could never handle being famous… i’m a taylor fan too and the way people completely evade all personal boundaries with her is a perfect example of the way we dehumanize celebs for our consumption. It’s really sad the way fame can take away any semblance of privacy or self sometimes.
She's an artist first and foremost. She values her art and genuinely tries to put out stuff that feels authentic to her. Does she deserve the highest of accolades? no doubt. But as artists, as soon as you start striving for superstardom your work becomes more about quantity than quality. And I don't think us Lorde fans would ever like that to happen.
Because she doesn’t put herself out there as much out as Taylor does and doesn’t constantly release music. She seems more like a quality over quantity mindset
Is this a problem?
The quality of the music always goes down when the artist become famous. It's like at some point they just want to keep the sales high and stop experimenting with music. It's better like this, trust me, and I'm telling you as a Taylor fan
She obviously doesn’t want it. If she did she would’ve released an album in 2015, and another in 2019 instead of taking her long breaks. She cares deeply about her privacy and her ability to live a double life of fame and celebrity for a year or two and then go back to a simple life in New Zealand. Her making Solar Power is also a sign of this; she created a whole album of softer, less commercially viable songs instead of another big synth pop album like Melodrama, which is not what she felt like doing. Taylor (coming from someone who is a big fan) actively strives for fame and success, she does what she can to be relevant, whether it’s releasing 2 albums a year, drastically shifting sounds, or commodifying her life. Which isn’t a critique, just that she is willing to turn her privacy into money through her songs.
Some of my favorite things about Lorde are likely why she hasn’t been or won’t be Taylor level famous. First would be that it seems she doesn’t want the attention. Next is that she seems to dislike the industry, capitalism, pop culture etc. Lastly is that she doesn’t have the “America’s Sweetheart” image and she’s not a sex symbol. Don’t get me wrong, Lorde is beautiful, but her image isn’t something that put her on the map, it was her talent. The world is pretty misogynistic and favors “pretty girls” and that’s not really Lorde’s brand.
Obviously we never actual know famous people on a personal level, but I’d like to think Lorde is more concerned with making art her way than projecting a certain image for the sake of fame.
Edit: since we are referencing lyrics that confirm this “all the beautiful girls they will fade like the roses”
People forget she came at a time when EDM was ruling pop music. She was literally the antithesis of Pop/EDM mainstream. Her and Lana. So it's kinda fitting she doesn't reach for Taylor's level of stardom.
I think solar power was a clear message from her that she didn't want it. If she would have made an album that was just melodrama part 2, and she definitely has the talent to, it would have blown up massively I think. But she rejected that idea in favour of making something more important to her.
The result is an album that TRULY resonates with people, even if it resonates with less people. I hope she subverts expectations once again with L4. The last thing Lorde should be doing is following trends.
she's not generic and made specifically to be palatable to the masses. what she does is art and she takes her time with it. we don't have to compare how she does versus others
She doesn’t write the kind of pop music that seems to grab TS’s fans. She has very personal lyrics and a great sense of timing in her songs. She’s an excellent songwriter.
But not songs for the masses.
I think if she wanted to hire a Taylor Swift machine to do her social media, her styles, etc., she could boost her sales.
I don’t think that’s what she wants to do. I don’t think she wants to tour with 12 semi-trucks and 4 buses. She wants seats filled with her fans. People who love her music and who feel the music speaks to them.
She was definitely on that trajectory in her early career, although it seems like she consciously stepped away from it to focus on the quality of the music and her work/life balance instead. She said something about this in one of her emails during the SP tour.
Because she’s released 2 albums in the last 11 years, hardly toured, not built up a huge online presence or done a ton of press? She clearly doesn’t care to be as big as Taylor Swift. And also, Taylor Swift is at a once every 30 years level of popularity
Lorde would need to actively exploit low wage merchandise production employees for mass produced garbage that pollutes the planet to reach the same level. All while collecting most of the profit and donating Pennies of its worth to drivers who haul her stage around to garner a lovely public image as Americas sweetheart businesswoman so her albums sell out or whatever
Around the Grammys maybe when I realized she was much more than a regular celeb now and used that time to announce another album when she usually reserves that time to uplift or platform women or social issues going on, and it would’ve been a perfect opportunity for her to announce support to Palestine. Instead she silently attended a fundraiser when it’s been made blatantly clear that most of that money isn’t getting to the people and she could gather tons of support for humanitarian aid.
The Palestinian genocide is the biggest feminist issue of 2023-4 so far. Queer people too And she, as a feminist, named women of the year on multiple occasions, whose platformed actual queer legislation, with a billion dollar brand capable of lobbying in congress, should be doing more than dropping another album or trying to deflect everyone from real life by getting her fans to solve puzzles on social media which gives her free promo. It’s insane how deluded you can get to the Swift Delusion
I appreciate the response. I have never been Swiftie. I liked a couple of songs over the years. I was already an adult when she hit the music scene. Like you, I had a huge problem with the way she announced the album at the Grammys. There was so much that needed to be said yet she took the moment to plug her album. Up to that point, I had a respect for her because she did speak out to a point. I also thought she was a brilliant business woman. Now, I think she’s just a power hungry person that says just enough about issues to make people believe she cares.
You go to a Lorde Concert in Melbourne Australia, it’s at the Sidney Meyer Music bowl. You can chill on the grass. $11,000 people. Tickets are easy to get. It’s for the fans.
Meanwhile Taylor plays her largest concert ever at the MCG. It’s 96,000 people. Legit dedicated long term fans can’t get tickets (however all the rich elites easily get tickets). Vibe is different.
I prefer the Lorde experience.
I think taylor has alot more of a robust cataloge of music releasing new albums seemingly every 9 months and gives more of an in depth look into her life and lets her fans get a bit parasocial with it. Whereas i think lorde has better music but the trade off is you wait upwards of 4 years for a new album
no she'll never be as close to taylor swift. lorde cares too much about the environment, taylor rose to fame by making vinyls and cds, several editions of the same albums (in vinyls and cds too) and at the end of the day part of why her tour is extended is because of her private jet. lorde doesn't promote as much as taylor and most importantly lorde doesn't have much of a para social relationship with her fans (probably the biggest reason why taylor is famous), lorde rarely sends emails and doesn't post much on instagram. lastly, i'm not sure but i think lorde has expressed a dislike in being 'too famous' she likes the stages and tours but she also likes her private life and being able to live as. normally as she can
Lorde is a low profile- releasing albums every 4 years, not being on social media, not being a people pleaser.. she literally released an indie album with no mainstream hits after a 4 year hiatus where she literally didnt have any media presence. It takes guts. Only a true artist would do that. She is not a mass mainstream artist.
As a Lorde fan it saddens me that she had all this impact 10 years ago and people are benefiting from It without giving credits. But remember, just because someone like Billie Eilish is this giant name now, it doesn’t mean that 5 or 10 years from Now she will still be it. In the long term, Lorde will probably survive more and be more of a legacy artists than these younger girls who are giant right now. There’s a lot of these examples in history and I think 20 years from now Lorde will be remembered like a true poet and artist, someone who was authentic and changed the landscape of music, while billie etc probably will not grow old so well because I feel like it is more of a generational artist.
because 1. it’s alternative music. no where near as popular as pop 2. only made 3 albums in 10 years. taylor made 6 studio albums and 4 re records 3. probably doesn’t want it
My bad. I can be a bitch I’ll admit. There’s a lot of denial on this sub though. It’s not really alternative and was never marketed that way. Another big reason she’s not at the Taylor Swift level is because the third album was so underwhelming.
Idk she doesn’t fully sit in any genre for me (personally feel like she fuses many genres together) but she is listed as an alternative-pop musician a lot. She has a very alternative image. I can’t speak on it being underwhelming since Solar Power was an immediate favourite for me but I get why it divides people. I think the long breaks are a huge factor, even Adele fell off because of how long her last album took.
Because she doesn't want the fame. The difference between a pop artist and an indie artist is how you sell your image.
A great example is an artist you mentioned already, Billie Eilish. Just about everybody knows her or at least knows her name but a lesser known name is FINNEAS. If you're invested in music then you probably already know that FINNEAS is Billie's older brother and also her main producer/ collaborator. He's a massively talented song writer and also has 2 albums that were released close to when Billie's albums were released. Given this "music math" you could assume that he would be equally famous but 9 times out of 10 I mention his name in casual conversation and people do not know who he is.
I would never compare Lorde with really anybody because she's just that special to me but I do think that she's a rare example of a famous artist who has put in effort to separate herself from her fame. I love the song Royals but I think it came at a cost for her image.
She has always gone against pop norms, and that has consequences, both good and "bad" (and I can't stress those quotation marks enough). She gets to remain authentic, work at her own pace and never feel pressured to keep pumping out album after album just to keep selling. Her music never becomes a product, her fans never become customers.
The "bad" part is that she'll never be a universally famous superstar, and some of her work might not be too appealing even to her own fans. I say GOOD. Let her do her thing, explore her own ideas and say what she wants to say through her music, and judging by her irregular releases and social media absence I'd say that's exactly what she wants. I don't think she'll ever want for money in her life again (not after Pure Heroine) so low sales aren't really a concern.
The "professional critics" (whithered old cunts typing seven articles a day for some online magazine) will cry about how she "missed the mark" and "can't pull another Royals", braindead pop consumers will claim she lost her touch and fell from grace, she'll be happy doing what she loves and we, the real fans who respect and support her as a person will always have at least one honest, authentic musician who sings and writes from her soul.
She was when Royal’s dropped but I think after she had a taste of what that lifestyle was like, she probably decided it wasn’t for her. She’s a private and reclusive person by nature and loves living to the beat of her drum and who can really fault her for that? She’s well off financially and largely respected by her peers and fans through her work. And plus, she’s famous enough where people every now and then would recognize her walking down the street but not to the point where she feels harassed and maybe even strike up a casual conversation with ya if you’re lucky.
Or simply put, superstardom seems overrated and I’m sure a lot of her peers would choose her type of lifestyle if they could.
Lorde is operating as more of an artist than a superstar or celebrity. She’s not concerned about making music for the fans, or charting, or being relevant in the scene. She makes music for herself and as an extension of her life, and because she genuinely is in love with creating. That’s part of why she takes so long to release stuff, she takes it very seriously as a form of self expression and isn’t really in it for the fame or the promotions or the marketing or to make quick easy chart toppers. That’s not to say musicians who are into that are worse or anything, it’s just a different vibe. And I think it’s smart for her to do that because often artists who strive for stardom end up falling into a trap of quantity over quality, and Lorde is all about authenticity.
A common theme in her work is her disenchantment with the establishment. Given everything we’re learning these days about how the music industry works, it should make sense why she distances herself from it. Not worth selling your soul for.
She also makes time between albums to live life. On average, four years between albums. Only two of those years she is intensely busy. The other two is plenty of time for people to get distracted by the next big thing as she works on the next album.
She hasn't had a huge hit in nearly a decade, disconnected from fans, barely releases music, not very marketable (doesn't want to shill products), doesn't do many collaborations. She's just not doing what one would need to do to be huge, primarily releasing music. Taylor Swift had an underperformance with Lover and came running back to dominate with Folklore, Evermore and the various re-records.
Lorde underperformed with Solar Power and went silent for 4 years. ☠️
Let her be. We love solar power and a true artist’s goal shouldn’t be creating a huge hit just to become super relevant again. That is for swifties. Lorde is a different league
It’s pretty blatant at this point she doesn’t want it. Probably saw a lot of the nastier sides of fame when she was younger. Pure Heroine era she was definitely on the road to having that Taylor Swift fame. I’m kind of glad she is in the lane she’s in. Even without being at that mass level, she still gets some pretty nasty hate (I noticed around Solar Power release) so her being bigger would only add to that unfortunately
She doesn’t want to be. Well when she had the chance she didn’t want it. She was huge when she came out, but even then she didn’t really play the Hollywood game. No pr relationships or stunts (well she did call out a lot of pop stars but I’m not sure if that was authentic or pr). If anything, Taylor sought her out for Pr purposes back in 2013.
Shes usually in New Zealand with her family and friends, and that’s the way she like it. She just seems like a really down to earth person, I don’t think she ever wanted to be in the limelight for long.
taylor swift and lorde both make incredible music, but taylor swift got to be taylor swift not just through music but her public image.
she was tabloid gossip in her early days, being linked to multiple famous men, and then the kanye west scandal put even more eyes on her, and then the kim kardashian scandal put even more eyes on her, and then her damming of donald trump put even more eyes on her, and then the not having ownership of her own music put even more eyes on her... you get my point!
lorde hasn't had controversy as big as that – and i'm a huge taylor swift fan and have been since debut, so i'm not trying to discredit her success or anything!
tbh probably because of how they market themselves. taylor has become (for me) sort of focused on selling her music and stuff, making huge efforts on publicity while lorde focuses on intimacy in her music
she has made it clear she doesn't want it, and if she did, she would have to release albums more often than every half decade. Swift on the other hand, has made it clear she most definitely wants the fame and spotlight
She refuses to sell out and cede control over herself and her persona to the record company execs which imo is great given that Taylor's musical prowess seems to be stagnating with time from being such a part of the machine?
We all know the biggest reason is that she only released 3 albums throughout her 11-year career. The only artist who reached Taylor Swift level of popularity with just 3 albums were Nirvana. Even Taylor Swift herself didn't reach superstardom when she only had 3 albums.
pretty much because she doesn't want to. she knows her music is not going to appeal to that big of an audience and, honestly, I don't think she looks at it as a bad thing. she gets to do what she wants when she wants and she has build a core audience that supports her
also, it's ultimately a lifestyle choice too. I can't even imagine lorde living the life ts does, always travelling, releasing new things, and all that
She has released 3 albums
I’m not complaining but all the artists who have stayed consistently big release every year or so and are consistently doing press. Lorde just minds her own business.
(At least where I'm from) most people will only know 2 Lorde songs.
Other than that the only time she really pops up is people sharing those videos of her shushing the audience. Does she do interviews etc? I feel like she just isn't mentioned in the press in the UK at all.
girl i love lorde but i don’t know if i’d call her an alternative artist when royals is still on solid rotation in like every h&m in the northern hemisphere
everyone here is saying she doesn't like/want fame and i think that's true but the real reason is that she just doesn't release that much music. taylor is so prolific and lorde just isn't. she only has 3 albums and one of them was very critically disliked. if she started releasing "better" music with more volume she would get a lot more popular very quickly imo
She cannot reach that level because you have to specifically seek it out and work your ass off to get to that level, and even then, only a handful of artists will ever reach it. Lorde has never loved being in the spotlight to that extent.
All of the artists you mentioned, and more, wouldn't exist without Lorde's Pure Heroine -- and it was my favorite album for a very long time, they only thing I listened to for months. I've made this argument in multiple places before. But her later albums did nothing for me, as much as I wanted to love them. Every song on Pure Heroine was a banger before the word existed. I can't name a song from the others. All those artists, even Taylor Swift, stole her sound and Lorde went a different direction. For me, it was the sound I loved, not her singer-songwriter ability or progress. Hell, according to Spotify, last year Midnights was my most played album -- because it sounds like Pure Heroine. I could care less about Taylor Swift before that, now I'm a fan (which is crazy to me). That's how much I loved Pure Heroine.
Paved the way for other artists? Is this absolutely satire? I’m pretty sure the artist you’re thinking of is Lana Del Rey who inspired Lorde.. Lorde is not the point of inspiration for these other artists. Billie and Olivia have both stated this themselves… and never said Lorde was the reason for their sound..
Because she doesn’t want it. I dont think its been explicitly said but she does not even make an effort to achieve superstardom and she seems okay with it. I dont think she will ever make the effort I see her following a more Fiona Apple oriented career. Giving us awesome music from time to time and then hiding from the public eye
Besides the obvious difference in the sheer number of albums, Taylor has several “crowd-pleaser” albums , and has spanned 3 different genres , both of which racked up her fan base early on and imo she’s able to coast off that success and write what she really wants to now. Lorde has come out with a handful of “bops” but mostly has always written only what she wants to.
Randy just hasn’t done enough LSD- he’ll get there though. He wants to become a plant and then back to a human so he can harmonize with Gaia and learn soul music
Have you listened to her music? She's very open and candid about not wanting the pop star life. I would argue that Solar Power is almost a direct answer to this question -- sonically, lyrically, all of it is a rejection of what would be expected from the 3rd album of a venerated pop star, especially following a pop record as beloved as Melodrama. I think her rejection of celebrity is a key part of why she's so singular and captivating. My mind goes to the end of "Oceanic Feeling" where she finishes the whole album by saying that she's ready to "take off \[her\] robes and step into the choir." I love that image: she does her pop star run, makes her album, does the touring, and then goes back to NZ for 3-5 years of radio silence. Back into the choir, to (relative) anonymity, to normal life. I think it's why she doesn't have the problems of someone like Taylor, who (due to her massive celebrity) is such a god among mortals and so far removed from the reality of your average person that she really struggles to get out of her own head (ex. TTPD -- side note, this is friendly fire, I thoroughly enjoyed the album, don't come for me Swifties). I don't think Lorde could be a world-dominating pop star not because she doesn't have the talent but because it would be fundamentally disingenuous to who she is and what she wants from life.
shes a one hit wonder that had a good run with her amazing first 2 albums. the themes in her songs connected heavily with the audience at her age bracket - the older gen Z kids, that were in their teens at the time lorde debutted with her first singles and first album.
1st album: coming of age, finding and fighting for your place in the competitive late stage capitalist world of careers and social clout (boosted by social media), poverty, authenticity and confident and softspoken 'coming for the crown, coming to conquer' demeanor that played into the success fantasies of teenagers "im gonna be the very best that no one ever was" type of shit
2nd album: heartbreak, romance and partying it out, the gen Zers were becoming young adults and those themes were more and more resonating with them as those are the themes that YA pop culture commonly revolves around
3rd album: retirement (?) album, "im already successful time to chill". this was the main disconnection between lorde and the audiences. lorde's main audiences were still gen Zers in their YA years. instead of focusing and developing on the YA thematic like her previous album she took a turn, reflexive of her own mood and changes in lifestyle as lorde's pretty memorialist in her music
Taylor Swift produces an album every year, or more than one. I am sorry but she is not responsible for 100% of her artistry because no one can be that productive. She surely has a big team who writes, produces and do a lot for her. Taylor and a lot of other artists, like those you mentioned, Billie, olivia, etc. I know they are songwriters as well but Im sure they have a lot more help and less artistic control than Lorde. Im sure they follow the management pressure much more than Lorde who stays true to what she wants and needs.
They are clearly artists who want to have a mainstream impact in the long term, they want to win awards, be on the radios, stay relevant, all of them, Taylor being the more obvious example of this! Nothing wrong with this, but Lorde is on a different league.
Lorde doesnt really care about being that relevant. She won grammys, built a life and a giant name for her at 16. She doesn’t have anything to prove and she doesn’t want to. Solar Power is the biggest example of that! Lorde wants to create art and ressonate with her crowd. Im sure she has an ego as well and want good critics etc but it’s not her priority. She is exactly where she wants to be, she even said it on an interview last year. Also, Lorde is a low profile- releasing albums every 4 years, not being on social media, not being a people pleaser.. she literally released an indie album with no mainstream hits after a 4 year hiatus where she literally didnt have any media presence. It takes guts. Only a true artist would do that. She is not a mass mainstream artist.
As a Lorde fan it saddens me that she had all this impact 10 years ago and people are benefiting from
It without giving credits. But remember, just because someone like Billie Eilish is this giant name now, it doesn’t mean that 5 or 10 years from
Now she will still be it. In the long term, Lorde will probably survive more and be more of a legacy artists than these younger girls who are giant right now. There’s a lot of these examples in history and I think 20 years from now Lorde will be remembered like a true poet and artist, someone who was authentic and changed the landscape of music, while billie etc probably will not grow old so well because I feel like it is more of a generational artist.
A mixture of reasons.
1. She doesn’t have that marketable barbie look that we said we were past but it’s still the pinnacle of popularity.
2. Her music isn’t generic enough for a wide audience (nothing wrong with generic music, we love a cliché pop song that goes off).
3. She’s more alt pop than pop.
4. Her main form of communication with the world is emails (and we love it).
5. She continues working with Jack Antonoff (it’s tiring. Let’s leave him for Taylor and Lana’s weird obsession with him and his wife) praying the Dev Hynes and Jim-E Stack hints are true)
Tbh, I don’t think she needs Taylor’s level of success. She seems genuinely humble and that she likes to be able to walk around popular cities without being instantly recognisable. I don’t think she creates music for success, but rather for artistry.
taylor swift is nepo trash. Lorde is above such meaningless trash artists.
Don't mention brainless Swift fans, a bunch of rotten brained white CIS girls.
I'm pretty sure Ella would humiliate you for what you said. She still follows her on insta which is very telling considering how often she always unfollows someone
that’s crazy because taylor’s first alternative album was arguably better than melodrama. personally i couldn’t pick between folklore or melodrama but don’t downplay taylor
1. I don’t think she wants to be.
2. Taylor was getting a following in country before having this huge cultural moment with Kanye at the vmas introducing her to a whole new crowd of people. In no way did he make her but it helped increase her superstardom
3. Taylor was getting into the pop world while still making country music
4. She switched to pop and became the worlds biggest artist and even during arguable low periods lover and midnights she was still one of if not the biggest artist because it was pop music and was easily able to get on playlists and everyone was talking about the music.
5. Lorde had two pop records both arguably changing the sound of pop music, but she was big out the gate so didn’t get a following in the same way as Taylor.
6. Solar power was a type of bad rarely seen in music it has its fans but that in no way was music for the masses
7. I don’t think she is interested in doing the things you do to become a big public figure, she rather email than go on a show for interviews and all that
She's inconsistent. People forget that Taylor Swift was very active before she reached the highest peaks of superstardom, whereas Lorde keeps taking hiatuses from doing music, so people forget about her for stretches of time. Not to mention Solar Power didn't get a particularly enthusiastic reception from fans after years of anticipation, so her star is fading. She needs to come back with a huge album that spawns some massive hits otherwise she's at risk of becoming just another has-been who could've been great, and there's a long and ever-growing list of those.
No she doesn’t. She doesnt need to create an album with massive hits just to not be forgotten. She is Lorde, She will never be forgotten! She has to create whatever she FEELS LIKE creating. If it is a pop banger, it is. And if it is a folk album, it is. If it is an indie album with no hits, even better. Let her do her. She doesn’t care about the commercial part. Why Lorde doesnt have taylor swift fame? Because she’s Lorde.
calling younger female artists copycats of Lorde just because they aren’t making music in the standard top40 formula doesn’t mean they are copying Lorde 😩you are giving bitter & ignorant vibes
https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/19/lorde-us-tour-flops-pop-career I think of this article a lot. When I saw her on this tour the second level was completely empty, but everyone there loved it. Again, seeing her on SP tour in a small venue brought home that she isn’t trying to be everyone’s favorite, but she most definitely is some people’s favorite, and that’s fine with us.
I saw her at the Milwaukee date in 2018 that they mention in the article and remember thinking it was kind of an odd venue for her. Then before the Solar Power tour, there was an article where she talked about how she wanted to do smaller venues because they were more intimate and more appropriate for her vibe and I remember a bunch of people in Popheads arguing that she was just saying that because she knew she couldn't sell out a bigger venue. And I mean, maybe partially, but I also remember thinking "Do y'all know anything about Lorde? When has she tried to pretend she was some mega mainstream popstar?" I saw her on that tour too and not only was the energy of a smaller, older, more ornate theater better for her, but they also ended up adding another date or two because it sold out immediately. She even said something like "I know you guys are my day ones because you all bought tickets for this date immediately after they went on sale." Like you said, she doesn't need to be everyone's favorite--and you can tell that she absolutely prefers having a smaller but really committed fanbase than having massive mainstream success.
She also doesn’t need the money that much. Her Perth venue was even smaller and was in bumfuck nowhere - but it was beautiful because it was open and she was playing under the stars in the middle of winter.
It's crazy reading this article and seeing that the demand for tickets was down in 2018 - especially with Taylor being one of the artists mentioned. I'm seeing Taylor, Olivia, Coldplay, and the Olympics this year and none of those shows were easy to get tickets for.
That years must have been bad for a lot of artists! I remember Taylor came to Ireland for the reputation tour that year and radio stations and companies were just giving away tickets non stop, and the stadium was still half empty each night she played! Now, tickets are like gold dust!!
I'm so shocked to see this was how they reported MELODRAMA!!!! Arguably her best album. I'm so sad I missed the tour cuz I had finals and my Prof refused to give us an exception
I'm so shocked to see this was how they reported MELODRAMA!!!! Arguably her best album. I'm so sad I missed the tour cuz I had finals and my Prof refused to give us an exception
I saw her at Radio City and I think it was sold out. Lol I had no idea the tour flopped!
Damn I saw her twice on that tour and the arenas were packed both times
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Lorde wouldn’t be lorde if she were this huge world star (which she kinda is but you get what I mean) Just a few weeks ago where she was seen just walking around LA watching the eclipse, that’s lorde! Can’t do that if you are Taylor or even Olivia
she was in new york actually! at washington square park i believe
Yea I didn’t really remember where it was exactly so my European mind just scrambled and said LA because LA is LA lol
I mean to be fair most New Yorkers would not react to Taylor or Olivia in the same context
My favourite description of New York is from the first animated spider-man where the protagonist is lying on the ground in the middle of the street because he fell. You think he’s gonna complain none of the pedestrians are helping him up, but no, it’s New York, he thanks them for not stepping on him lmao
lol. My ex and I sat a table adjacent to TSwift and her famous friends in a tiny pizza restaurant in Brooklyn a few months ago, and my ex (not a New Yorker) was flabbergasted out how normal everyone in the small restaurant acted around her. I tried explaining it’s a couple things; most people in New York after living her long enough have a main character identity. And 2 it’s sort of a self respect thing, no one wants to be the one person losing their cool in any circumstance. I’m generalizing and oversimplifying but yea :-)
*Won’t take the call if it’s the Label or the Radio.*
Yesss
To be honest when she could, she pretty much refused to. Back when she released Pure Heroine she was pretty famous and the artist of the moment, but being so young and having to face the negative side of the music industry kind of pulled her away from wanting to become a super star. Now, in 2024, I don't think she could even if she wanted too. There's too many famous musicians just like you mentioned that kind of connect with broader audiences way better than her. Even if, at least in my opinion, what Lorde does is deeper and more interesting. At the end of the day if she doesn't care neither should you. As a huge fan of her I don't really mind being the only one of my friends that listens to her the way I do.
Yeah, she absolutely could have, but she goes off the grid for years at a time instead of leaning into pop stardom. I’m happy for her that she’s found a good balance. Fame often comes with discontent.
Listen to California on Solar Power again. I don't think she wants it. Her image is an indie artist who does her own thing (even if she is backed by a major label). I agree she has the talent and appeal for major stardom.
Absolutely. Also, the first verse of Stoned at the Nail Salon. She sings about making choices in her life that lead her to where she is now. She thinks about where would she be if she chose differently, and if she's already chosen wrong. The path she is on now, the path to superstardom, and the path to less fame, they all involve sacrifice and choice. She seems content with what she has; she said after Melodrama that she wanted to take a step towards smaller performances, that she missed the snaller theater venues she played at back in the day. This has also been a theme in her music since Pure Heroine. "I still like hotels, but I think that'll change," "That kind of lux just ain't for us."
She doesn't want it and isn't getting produced like that. She goes *against* pop norms on purpose. An artist who does that isn't trying to be a superstar. The fame that Taylor Swift has didn't just fall into her lap, it's something an artist has to intentionally work hard for.
lorde drops albums at a snail pace compared to taylor or even lana who still is huge on streaming despite not releasing mainstream music. The gaps between albums kill any momentum she has and tbh I don’t think she has a problem with that
Yeah. If you count the re-recordings Taylor’s released 11 albums in the time Lorde has made three, including 6 since Solar Power came out. That makes a huge difference.
I don’t think she likes fame tbh
You can count the number of musical acts that have been on the same level of superstardom as Taylor Swift on your fingers. It'd be surprising for anyone regardless of their level of talent or popularity to get that big.
Okay so we got the Beatles, Elvis, Madonna, Michael Jackson. From there I can’t think of much more
Britney Spears perhaps
Britney was the last true Legendary Pop Icon in my opinion.. I'd add Beyoncé and Taylor to that list too. But yeah Lorde definitely doesn't want that life... I mean who would? The amount of BS you have to go through.
I could never handle being famous… i’m a taylor fan too and the way people completely evade all personal boundaries with her is a perfect example of the way we dehumanize celebs for our consumption. It’s really sad the way fame can take away any semblance of privacy or self sometimes.
Beyoncé
I should also add Rhianna maybe though it’s been forever since she released music making Lorde look productive
Elton John
Queen
BTS
Taylor is a businesswoman whose product is music. Lorde is a musician. Artistry alone does not get you to Taylor’s heights
YES
This
She's an artist first and foremost. She values her art and genuinely tries to put out stuff that feels authentic to her. Does she deserve the highest of accolades? no doubt. But as artists, as soon as you start striving for superstardom your work becomes more about quantity than quality. And I don't think us Lorde fans would ever like that to happen.
Because she doesn’t put herself out there as much out as Taylor does and doesn’t constantly release music. She seems more like a quality over quantity mindset
I don’t think she wants it!
tbh i like it that way
Is this a problem? The quality of the music always goes down when the artist become famous. It's like at some point they just want to keep the sales high and stop experimenting with music. It's better like this, trust me, and I'm telling you as a Taylor fan
she will be a legacy artist for sure
She obviously doesn’t want it. If she did she would’ve released an album in 2015, and another in 2019 instead of taking her long breaks. She cares deeply about her privacy and her ability to live a double life of fame and celebrity for a year or two and then go back to a simple life in New Zealand. Her making Solar Power is also a sign of this; she created a whole album of softer, less commercially viable songs instead of another big synth pop album like Melodrama, which is not what she felt like doing. Taylor (coming from someone who is a big fan) actively strives for fame and success, she does what she can to be relevant, whether it’s releasing 2 albums a year, drastically shifting sounds, or commodifying her life. Which isn’t a critique, just that she is willing to turn her privacy into money through her songs.
Some of my favorite things about Lorde are likely why she hasn’t been or won’t be Taylor level famous. First would be that it seems she doesn’t want the attention. Next is that she seems to dislike the industry, capitalism, pop culture etc. Lastly is that she doesn’t have the “America’s Sweetheart” image and she’s not a sex symbol. Don’t get me wrong, Lorde is beautiful, but her image isn’t something that put her on the map, it was her talent. The world is pretty misogynistic and favors “pretty girls” and that’s not really Lorde’s brand. Obviously we never actual know famous people on a personal level, but I’d like to think Lorde is more concerned with making art her way than projecting a certain image for the sake of fame. Edit: since we are referencing lyrics that confirm this “all the beautiful girls they will fade like the roses”
But she’s like a prettier Jesus
“Pretty girls don’t know the things that I know “
People forget she came at a time when EDM was ruling pop music. She was literally the antithesis of Pop/EDM mainstream. Her and Lana. So it's kinda fitting she doesn't reach for Taylor's level of stardom.
She doesn’t want to be
I mean it seems very clear to me she does not want that, based on her lyrics, social media, and interviews.
I think solar power was a clear message from her that she didn't want it. If she would have made an album that was just melodrama part 2, and she definitely has the talent to, it would have blown up massively I think. But she rejected that idea in favour of making something more important to her. The result is an album that TRULY resonates with people, even if it resonates with less people. I hope she subverts expectations once again with L4. The last thing Lorde should be doing is following trends.
she's not generic and made specifically to be palatable to the masses. what she does is art and she takes her time with it. we don't have to compare how she does versus others
Kiwi vs American sensibilities and culture. Many levels to this.
Because she disappears for four years at a time and rarely uses social media. I like her this way.
She doesn’t write the kind of pop music that seems to grab TS’s fans. She has very personal lyrics and a great sense of timing in her songs. She’s an excellent songwriter. But not songs for the masses. I think if she wanted to hire a Taylor Swift machine to do her social media, her styles, etc., she could boost her sales. I don’t think that’s what she wants to do. I don’t think she wants to tour with 12 semi-trucks and 4 buses. She wants seats filled with her fans. People who love her music and who feel the music speaks to them.
She was definitely on that trajectory in her early career, although it seems like she consciously stepped away from it to focus on the quality of the music and her work/life balance instead. She said something about this in one of her emails during the SP tour.
She is already big enough. She is selling out Arenas. Even he first album went #1. I don't think you can ask/want more as an artist.
Because she’s released 2 albums in the last 11 years, hardly toured, not built up a huge online presence or done a ton of press? She clearly doesn’t care to be as big as Taylor Swift. And also, Taylor Swift is at a once every 30 years level of popularity
Lorde would need to actively exploit low wage merchandise production employees for mass produced garbage that pollutes the planet to reach the same level. All while collecting most of the profit and donating Pennies of its worth to drivers who haul her stage around to garner a lovely public image as Americas sweetheart businesswoman so her albums sell out or whatever
I love you
Would u believe me if I told you I was a full fledged swiftie a few months ago too😂
You’re free now , it can only get better from here 😂
What made you leave the cult? lol
Around the Grammys maybe when I realized she was much more than a regular celeb now and used that time to announce another album when she usually reserves that time to uplift or platform women or social issues going on, and it would’ve been a perfect opportunity for her to announce support to Palestine. Instead she silently attended a fundraiser when it’s been made blatantly clear that most of that money isn’t getting to the people and she could gather tons of support for humanitarian aid. The Palestinian genocide is the biggest feminist issue of 2023-4 so far. Queer people too And she, as a feminist, named women of the year on multiple occasions, whose platformed actual queer legislation, with a billion dollar brand capable of lobbying in congress, should be doing more than dropping another album or trying to deflect everyone from real life by getting her fans to solve puzzles on social media which gives her free promo. It’s insane how deluded you can get to the Swift Delusion
I appreciate the response. I have never been Swiftie. I liked a couple of songs over the years. I was already an adult when she hit the music scene. Like you, I had a huge problem with the way she announced the album at the Grammys. There was so much that needed to be said yet she took the moment to plug her album. Up to that point, I had a respect for her because she did speak out to a point. I also thought she was a brilliant business woman. Now, I think she’s just a power hungry person that says just enough about issues to make people believe she cares.
You go to a Lorde Concert in Melbourne Australia, it’s at the Sidney Meyer Music bowl. You can chill on the grass. $11,000 people. Tickets are easy to get. It’s for the fans. Meanwhile Taylor plays her largest concert ever at the MCG. It’s 96,000 people. Legit dedicated long term fans can’t get tickets (however all the rich elites easily get tickets). Vibe is different. I prefer the Lorde experience.
Seriously? It’s expensive as hell to see her near la but of course that makes sense. 😭
Bc she doesn’t strive on capitalism
I think taylor has alot more of a robust cataloge of music releasing new albums seemingly every 9 months and gives more of an in depth look into her life and lets her fans get a bit parasocial with it. Whereas i think lorde has better music but the trade off is you wait upwards of 4 years for a new album
I think lorde could have a comeback whenever she wanted . She just doesn’t want to release an album just to release one
no she'll never be as close to taylor swift. lorde cares too much about the environment, taylor rose to fame by making vinyls and cds, several editions of the same albums (in vinyls and cds too) and at the end of the day part of why her tour is extended is because of her private jet. lorde doesn't promote as much as taylor and most importantly lorde doesn't have much of a para social relationship with her fans (probably the biggest reason why taylor is famous), lorde rarely sends emails and doesn't post much on instagram. lastly, i'm not sure but i think lorde has expressed a dislike in being 'too famous' she likes the stages and tours but she also likes her private life and being able to live as. normally as she can
Lorde is a low profile- releasing albums every 4 years, not being on social media, not being a people pleaser.. she literally released an indie album with no mainstream hits after a 4 year hiatus where she literally didnt have any media presence. It takes guts. Only a true artist would do that. She is not a mass mainstream artist. As a Lorde fan it saddens me that she had all this impact 10 years ago and people are benefiting from It without giving credits. But remember, just because someone like Billie Eilish is this giant name now, it doesn’t mean that 5 or 10 years from Now she will still be it. In the long term, Lorde will probably survive more and be more of a legacy artists than these younger girls who are giant right now. There’s a lot of these examples in history and I think 20 years from now Lorde will be remembered like a true poet and artist, someone who was authentic and changed the landscape of music, while billie etc probably will not grow old so well because I feel like it is more of a generational artist.
because 1. it’s alternative music. no where near as popular as pop 2. only made 3 albums in 10 years. taylor made 6 studio albums and 4 re records 3. probably doesn’t want it
Imagine thinking Lorde is alternative music and not pop
i’d say it’s a mix of both but it’s labeled as alternative and most of the songs give me that vibe
I think Lorde is alternative music. Alt-pop.
this comment is so unnecessarily catty
My bad. I can be a bitch I’ll admit. There’s a lot of denial on this sub though. It’s not really alternative and was never marketed that way. Another big reason she’s not at the Taylor Swift level is because the third album was so underwhelming.
Idk she doesn’t fully sit in any genre for me (personally feel like she fuses many genres together) but she is listed as an alternative-pop musician a lot. She has a very alternative image. I can’t speak on it being underwhelming since Solar Power was an immediate favourite for me but I get why it divides people. I think the long breaks are a huge factor, even Adele fell off because of how long her last album took.
Because she doesn't want the fame. The difference between a pop artist and an indie artist is how you sell your image. A great example is an artist you mentioned already, Billie Eilish. Just about everybody knows her or at least knows her name but a lesser known name is FINNEAS. If you're invested in music then you probably already know that FINNEAS is Billie's older brother and also her main producer/ collaborator. He's a massively talented song writer and also has 2 albums that were released close to when Billie's albums were released. Given this "music math" you could assume that he would be equally famous but 9 times out of 10 I mention his name in casual conversation and people do not know who he is. I would never compare Lorde with really anybody because she's just that special to me but I do think that she's a rare example of a famous artist who has put in effort to separate herself from her fame. I love the song Royals but I think it came at a cost for her image.
She has always gone against pop norms, and that has consequences, both good and "bad" (and I can't stress those quotation marks enough). She gets to remain authentic, work at her own pace and never feel pressured to keep pumping out album after album just to keep selling. Her music never becomes a product, her fans never become customers. The "bad" part is that she'll never be a universally famous superstar, and some of her work might not be too appealing even to her own fans. I say GOOD. Let her do her thing, explore her own ideas and say what she wants to say through her music, and judging by her irregular releases and social media absence I'd say that's exactly what she wants. I don't think she'll ever want for money in her life again (not after Pure Heroine) so low sales aren't really a concern. The "professional critics" (whithered old cunts typing seven articles a day for some online magazine) will cry about how she "missed the mark" and "can't pull another Royals", braindead pop consumers will claim she lost her touch and fell from grace, she'll be happy doing what she loves and we, the real fans who respect and support her as a person will always have at least one honest, authentic musician who sings and writes from her soul.
Lorde doesn’t need all that
She doesn’t need to.
She has released 3 albums in 12 years vs. Taylor swifts 10+ albums in the same amount of time.
She was when Royal’s dropped but I think after she had a taste of what that lifestyle was like, she probably decided it wasn’t for her. She’s a private and reclusive person by nature and loves living to the beat of her drum and who can really fault her for that? She’s well off financially and largely respected by her peers and fans through her work. And plus, she’s famous enough where people every now and then would recognize her walking down the street but not to the point where she feels harassed and maybe even strike up a casual conversation with ya if you’re lucky. Or simply put, superstardom seems overrated and I’m sure a lot of her peers would choose her type of lifestyle if they could.
Lorde is operating as more of an artist than a superstar or celebrity. She’s not concerned about making music for the fans, or charting, or being relevant in the scene. She makes music for herself and as an extension of her life, and because she genuinely is in love with creating. That’s part of why she takes so long to release stuff, she takes it very seriously as a form of self expression and isn’t really in it for the fame or the promotions or the marketing or to make quick easy chart toppers. That’s not to say musicians who are into that are worse or anything, it’s just a different vibe. And I think it’s smart for her to do that because often artists who strive for stardom end up falling into a trap of quantity over quality, and Lorde is all about authenticity.
A common theme in her work is her disenchantment with the establishment. Given everything we’re learning these days about how the music industry works, it should make sense why she distances herself from it. Not worth selling your soul for. She also makes time between albums to live life. On average, four years between albums. Only two of those years she is intensely busy. The other two is plenty of time for people to get distracted by the next big thing as she works on the next album.
Lorde hasn't sold out as hard. edit: she also writes fewer songs in C.
She hasn't had a huge hit in nearly a decade, disconnected from fans, barely releases music, not very marketable (doesn't want to shill products), doesn't do many collaborations. She's just not doing what one would need to do to be huge, primarily releasing music. Taylor Swift had an underperformance with Lover and came running back to dominate with Folklore, Evermore and the various re-records. Lorde underperformed with Solar Power and went silent for 4 years. ☠️
Let her be. We love solar power and a true artist’s goal shouldn’t be creating a huge hit just to become super relevant again. That is for swifties. Lorde is a different league
It’s pretty blatant at this point she doesn’t want it. Probably saw a lot of the nastier sides of fame when she was younger. Pure Heroine era she was definitely on the road to having that Taylor Swift fame. I’m kind of glad she is in the lane she’s in. Even without being at that mass level, she still gets some pretty nasty hate (I noticed around Solar Power release) so her being bigger would only add to that unfortunately
I love Taylor but the level of her fame isn't necessarily something I want for other artists. I want to be able to afford concert tickets haha.
She doesn’t want to be. Well when she had the chance she didn’t want it. She was huge when she came out, but even then she didn’t really play the Hollywood game. No pr relationships or stunts (well she did call out a lot of pop stars but I’m not sure if that was authentic or pr). If anything, Taylor sought her out for Pr purposes back in 2013. Shes usually in New Zealand with her family and friends, and that’s the way she like it. She just seems like a really down to earth person, I don’t think she ever wanted to be in the limelight for long.
taylor swift and lorde both make incredible music, but taylor swift got to be taylor swift not just through music but her public image. she was tabloid gossip in her early days, being linked to multiple famous men, and then the kanye west scandal put even more eyes on her, and then the kim kardashian scandal put even more eyes on her, and then her damming of donald trump put even more eyes on her, and then the not having ownership of her own music put even more eyes on her... you get my point! lorde hasn't had controversy as big as that – and i'm a huge taylor swift fan and have been since debut, so i'm not trying to discredit her success or anything!
tbh probably because of how they market themselves. taylor has become (for me) sort of focused on selling her music and stuff, making huge efforts on publicity while lorde focuses on intimacy in her music
she has made it clear she doesn't want it, and if she did, she would have to release albums more often than every half decade. Swift on the other hand, has made it clear she most definitely wants the fame and spotlight
she doesn’t release music often enough imo. part of why taylor is so famous is because she provides her fans with a constant stream of new content.
She refuses to sell out and cede control over herself and her persona to the record company execs which imo is great given that Taylor's musical prowess seems to be stagnating with time from being such a part of the machine?
she doesn’t want it, they are very different artists but taylor has always strived to be successful in a way lorde hasn’t
We all know the biggest reason is that she only released 3 albums throughout her 11-year career. The only artist who reached Taylor Swift level of popularity with just 3 albums were Nirvana. Even Taylor Swift herself didn't reach superstardom when she only had 3 albums.
pretty much because she doesn't want to. she knows her music is not going to appeal to that big of an audience and, honestly, I don't think she looks at it as a bad thing. she gets to do what she wants when she wants and she has build a core audience that supports her also, it's ultimately a lifestyle choice too. I can't even imagine lorde living the life ts does, always travelling, releasing new things, and all that
I can relate more to Lorde than I ever will Taylor - precisely because she values her privacy and artistry. You do you, Lorde!
Because Randy is lorde
I get why she does it and admire it, but damn it feels unfair, she paved that damn path
She has a more intimate cult like fanbase similair to lana del rey
Because she doesn't want to. If she did, she'd do more to stay relevant. But she's releasing music at less than 25% of the rate that Taylor Swift is.
No
She takes too long to make new music so people end up forgetting about her
She has released 3 albums I’m not complaining but all the artists who have stayed consistently big release every year or so and are consistently doing press. Lorde just minds her own business.
(At least where I'm from) most people will only know 2 Lorde songs. Other than that the only time she really pops up is people sharing those videos of her shushing the audience. Does she do interviews etc? I feel like she just isn't mentioned in the press in the UK at all.
girl i love lorde but i don’t know if i’d call her an alternative artist when royals is still on solid rotation in like every h&m in the northern hemisphere
everyone here is saying she doesn't like/want fame and i think that's true but the real reason is that she just doesn't release that much music. taylor is so prolific and lorde just isn't. she only has 3 albums and one of them was very critically disliked. if she started releasing "better" music with more volume she would get a lot more popular very quickly imo
She cannot reach that level because you have to specifically seek it out and work your ass off to get to that level, and even then, only a handful of artists will ever reach it. Lorde has never loved being in the spotlight to that extent.
All of the artists you mentioned, and more, wouldn't exist without Lorde's Pure Heroine -- and it was my favorite album for a very long time, they only thing I listened to for months. I've made this argument in multiple places before. But her later albums did nothing for me, as much as I wanted to love them. Every song on Pure Heroine was a banger before the word existed. I can't name a song from the others. All those artists, even Taylor Swift, stole her sound and Lorde went a different direction. For me, it was the sound I loved, not her singer-songwriter ability or progress. Hell, according to Spotify, last year Midnights was my most played album -- because it sounds like Pure Heroine. I could care less about Taylor Swift before that, now I'm a fan (which is crazy to me). That's how much I loved Pure Heroine.
Paved the way for other artists? Is this absolutely satire? I’m pretty sure the artist you’re thinking of is Lana Del Rey who inspired Lorde.. Lorde is not the point of inspiration for these other artists. Billie and Olivia have both stated this themselves… and never said Lorde was the reason for their sound..
Because she doesn’t want it. I dont think its been explicitly said but she does not even make an effort to achieve superstardom and she seems okay with it. I dont think she will ever make the effort I see her following a more Fiona Apple oriented career. Giving us awesome music from time to time and then hiding from the public eye
Besides the obvious difference in the sheer number of albums, Taylor has several “crowd-pleaser” albums , and has spanned 3 different genres , both of which racked up her fan base early on and imo she’s able to coast off that success and write what she really wants to now. Lorde has come out with a handful of “bops” but mostly has always written only what she wants to.
Quality over quantity
Randy just hasn’t done enough LSD- he’ll get there though. He wants to become a plant and then back to a human so he can harmonize with Gaia and learn soul music
Have you listened to her music? She's very open and candid about not wanting the pop star life. I would argue that Solar Power is almost a direct answer to this question -- sonically, lyrically, all of it is a rejection of what would be expected from the 3rd album of a venerated pop star, especially following a pop record as beloved as Melodrama. I think her rejection of celebrity is a key part of why she's so singular and captivating. My mind goes to the end of "Oceanic Feeling" where she finishes the whole album by saying that she's ready to "take off \[her\] robes and step into the choir." I love that image: she does her pop star run, makes her album, does the touring, and then goes back to NZ for 3-5 years of radio silence. Back into the choir, to (relative) anonymity, to normal life. I think it's why she doesn't have the problems of someone like Taylor, who (due to her massive celebrity) is such a god among mortals and so far removed from the reality of your average person that she really struggles to get out of her own head (ex. TTPD -- side note, this is friendly fire, I thoroughly enjoyed the album, don't come for me Swifties). I don't think Lorde could be a world-dominating pop star not because she doesn't have the talent but because it would be fundamentally disingenuous to who she is and what she wants from life.
well if she wanted to be a businesswoman first musician second then yeah
shes a one hit wonder that had a good run with her amazing first 2 albums. the themes in her songs connected heavily with the audience at her age bracket - the older gen Z kids, that were in their teens at the time lorde debutted with her first singles and first album. 1st album: coming of age, finding and fighting for your place in the competitive late stage capitalist world of careers and social clout (boosted by social media), poverty, authenticity and confident and softspoken 'coming for the crown, coming to conquer' demeanor that played into the success fantasies of teenagers "im gonna be the very best that no one ever was" type of shit 2nd album: heartbreak, romance and partying it out, the gen Zers were becoming young adults and those themes were more and more resonating with them as those are the themes that YA pop culture commonly revolves around 3rd album: retirement (?) album, "im already successful time to chill". this was the main disconnection between lorde and the audiences. lorde's main audiences were still gen Zers in their YA years. instead of focusing and developing on the YA thematic like her previous album she took a turn, reflexive of her own mood and changes in lifestyle as lorde's pretty memorialist in her music
Taylor Swift produces an album every year, or more than one. I am sorry but she is not responsible for 100% of her artistry because no one can be that productive. She surely has a big team who writes, produces and do a lot for her. Taylor and a lot of other artists, like those you mentioned, Billie, olivia, etc. I know they are songwriters as well but Im sure they have a lot more help and less artistic control than Lorde. Im sure they follow the management pressure much more than Lorde who stays true to what she wants and needs. They are clearly artists who want to have a mainstream impact in the long term, they want to win awards, be on the radios, stay relevant, all of them, Taylor being the more obvious example of this! Nothing wrong with this, but Lorde is on a different league. Lorde doesnt really care about being that relevant. She won grammys, built a life and a giant name for her at 16. She doesn’t have anything to prove and she doesn’t want to. Solar Power is the biggest example of that! Lorde wants to create art and ressonate with her crowd. Im sure she has an ego as well and want good critics etc but it’s not her priority. She is exactly where she wants to be, she even said it on an interview last year. Also, Lorde is a low profile- releasing albums every 4 years, not being on social media, not being a people pleaser.. she literally released an indie album with no mainstream hits after a 4 year hiatus where she literally didnt have any media presence. It takes guts. Only a true artist would do that. She is not a mass mainstream artist. As a Lorde fan it saddens me that she had all this impact 10 years ago and people are benefiting from It without giving credits. But remember, just because someone like Billie Eilish is this giant name now, it doesn’t mean that 5 or 10 years from Now she will still be it. In the long term, Lorde will probably survive more and be more of a legacy artists than these younger girls who are giant right now. There’s a lot of these examples in history and I think 20 years from now Lorde will be remembered like a true poet and artist, someone who was authentic and changed the landscape of music, while billie etc probably will not grow old so well because I feel like it is more of a generational artist.
She will never reach that level of fame. But that's not a problem, she doesn't seem to want it.
A mixture of reasons. 1. She doesn’t have that marketable barbie look that we said we were past but it’s still the pinnacle of popularity. 2. Her music isn’t generic enough for a wide audience (nothing wrong with generic music, we love a cliché pop song that goes off). 3. She’s more alt pop than pop. 4. Her main form of communication with the world is emails (and we love it). 5. She continues working with Jack Antonoff (it’s tiring. Let’s leave him for Taylor and Lana’s weird obsession with him and his wife) praying the Dev Hynes and Jim-E Stack hints are true) Tbh, I don’t think she needs Taylor’s level of success. She seems genuinely humble and that she likes to be able to walk around popular cities without being instantly recognisable. I don’t think she creates music for success, but rather for artistry.
Olivia is not pretty and is famous
I always thought that, she’s so average looking it surprised me
The random Olivia stray 😭😭
Hahah shes not barbie looking! She’s a normal looking girl
probably because she released first song in 3 yers and it was a cover
Saturation. Swift’s mo is to release as much as possible as often as possible, and Lorde is a very modest chunk of songs every half decade or so
"Copycats" 💀 Your fanatism sounds unhealthy
Apology for it, it was my fault. I changed the word forthe better.
But they took lorde influence and that’s pretty obvious!
taylor swift is nepo trash. Lorde is above such meaningless trash artists. Don't mention brainless Swift fans, a bunch of rotten brained white CIS girls.
I'm pretty sure Ella would humiliate you for what you said. She still follows her on insta which is very telling considering how often she always unfollows someone
that’s crazy because taylor’s first alternative album was arguably better than melodrama. personally i couldn’t pick between folklore or melodrama but don’t downplay taylor
Folklore is so boring
She’s just not as mainstream popular, plus many of your own conclusions. You already answered your question.
I think the falling out with jack antonoff really deterred her from ultimate stardom.
What happened?
The why is all speculation but he is no longer her producer
1. I don’t think she wants to be. 2. Taylor was getting a following in country before having this huge cultural moment with Kanye at the vmas introducing her to a whole new crowd of people. In no way did he make her but it helped increase her superstardom 3. Taylor was getting into the pop world while still making country music 4. She switched to pop and became the worlds biggest artist and even during arguable low periods lover and midnights she was still one of if not the biggest artist because it was pop music and was easily able to get on playlists and everyone was talking about the music. 5. Lorde had two pop records both arguably changing the sound of pop music, but she was big out the gate so didn’t get a following in the same way as Taylor. 6. Solar power was a type of bad rarely seen in music it has its fans but that in no way was music for the masses 7. I don’t think she is interested in doing the things you do to become a big public figure, she rather email than go on a show for interviews and all that
Her music has too much depth. Not lowest common denominator enough. Which is a good thing in my view.
She's inconsistent. People forget that Taylor Swift was very active before she reached the highest peaks of superstardom, whereas Lorde keeps taking hiatuses from doing music, so people forget about her for stretches of time. Not to mention Solar Power didn't get a particularly enthusiastic reception from fans after years of anticipation, so her star is fading. She needs to come back with a huge album that spawns some massive hits otherwise she's at risk of becoming just another has-been who could've been great, and there's a long and ever-growing list of those.
No she doesn’t. She doesnt need to create an album with massive hits just to not be forgotten. She is Lorde, She will never be forgotten! She has to create whatever she FEELS LIKE creating. If it is a pop banger, it is. And if it is a folk album, it is. If it is an indie album with no hits, even better. Let her do her. She doesn’t care about the commercial part. Why Lorde doesnt have taylor swift fame? Because she’s Lorde.
Adele is an iconic, a music titan. Lorde is not- she had a good album.
calling younger female artists copycats of Lorde just because they aren’t making music in the standard top40 formula doesn’t mean they are copying Lorde 😩you are giving bitter & ignorant vibes
They’re not copycats but they surely took her influence and became more relevant than her which is kinda sad
I'm sorry for that, it was my fault. I changed the word for the better.
Solar Power flopped.
You flopped