In honor of Lorde‘s return to the festival circuit and in high hopes for her new album to drop soon, her debut album has been the subject of yet another recent wave of hype.

“Pure Heroine” was dropped in September of 2013 and quickly rose to the top of the charts. The 16 year old New Zealand native’s first single from the album, titled “Royals“, reached the number one spot in seven different countries. All-in-all the album had three top 10 hits with the previously mention electropop song “Royals”, “Team” and “Tennis Court“.

While those three songs may have led Lorde to the limelight, “Pure Heroine” is filled to the brim with underrated tracks.

Her song “Ribs” is filled with haunting melodies discussing the stress of ageing while also taking a close look back on memories from past years. With bass booming, a thick drum beat and well-handled synthesizer, Lorde really captures the vulnerability that comes with growing up.

Perhaps one of songs with the most storytelling is “Glory and Gore“. The track goes in depth on how the world is seemingly obsessed with violence, tragedy and the entertainment industry. The 16 year old uses different levels of satire to emphasize how disgusting the mainstream emphasis on violence is. Dubbed as an electropop ballad, the song almost seems apocalyptic in its lyrical scrutiny and lo-fi recording technique.

Honestly, the entire album is worth a listen, with my personal favorites being “Still Sane“, “Bravado“, and “Buzzcut Season”. I am dying to hear what Lorde’s next album will unleash, besides a fantastic comeback. “Pure Heroine” is 100 percent a 10/10 in my book.

17mcrees@usd489.com