Does ‘Royals’ still bang? Most certainly.

The song that transformed Auckland teen Ella Yelich-O’Connor into a global pop phenomenon came in at #2 in the Hottest 100 of 2013. Seven years later, ‘Royals’ has proven its staying power, backing up with a #16 ranking in the Hottest 100 of the Decade.

It’s Lorde’s second entry into the countdown. (Third if you count ‘Tennis Court’ at #159 in the Hottest 200.)

So, how does it feel to be crowned as one of the defining artists of the decade in the Australian poll? “It’s a huge honour,” Lorde told triple j’s Sally & Erica.

“I really remember the points in the journey where Australia took it to the next level for me and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“As we have reminisced upon many times, I was pulled in last-minute to cover for Frank Ocean [at Splendour In The Grass]. That was my coming out ball in Australia, so to speak. I was very young and very green, and everyone really supported me. That was a big one. Honestly, every time I got to talk to triple j when I was a young green bean I was like ‘wow, I’ve really made it.’

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A minimalistic bop with sharp lyrics about how out-of-reach the celebrity lifestyle seemed, built upon even sharper hooks and vocal parts, people couldn’t believe ‘Royals’ was the work of a 16-year-old.

She’d continue deliver the goods on her 2013 debut album Pure Heroine. Lorde also reflected on the wild rollercoaster the album sent her on.

“It was such an era in my life. I was 16 to 18, which is such a pivotal time in everyone’s lives and mine was going to the Grammys, seeing all this crazy stuff, and the world being at my feet in this really exciting way. That will always be indelibly planted in my memory.”

So much of the power and appeal of Lorde’s music is how it captures the turbulent changes of growing up, and she says looking back at her breakthrough single, she still recognises the young artist behind it.

“I do, I really do. I see the little person who was really feeling the disconnect between what their life was like and what cool people on Instagram’s life was like, which I think a lot of us can still relate to.”

“I think when you’re young you’re sort of arrogant and confident, there’s this toughness. I see that but I think it’s very sweet. I’ve learned a little more now [but] I like thinking about that young person, it’s very cute.”

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Lorde called in from the offices of her New Zealand record label, revealing that she’s been working on “bits and pieces” of new music that “are starting to take a very exciting shape.”

That’ll be the long-awaited third album and follow-up to 2016’s Melodrama, though Lorde emphasised that she’s no closer to a release date.

“Everything takes me a long time, this is what I’ve learn about myself. In the last decade I’ve learned that things take me forever. No idea when things will happen but I’m sure you guys will be among the first to know.”

In the meantime, she’s been using her time back on New Zealand turf cultivating some skills outside of making music.

“I’ve gotten very into gardening, growing vegetables and herbs and all that kind of stuff. I am something of a sourdough baker now. A very cliched Millennial activity but I’m on that train. It’s been summer so I’m at the beach a lot. I live a very cruisy life at home, not gonna lie. I should make you guys some when I next come in.”

Hottest 100 of the Decade Hall of Fame Celebrating the artists that changed the 2010s by changing themselves.



