With Lorde’s grand return on her second album, many may be wondering how it holds up to her acclaimed 2013 debut. Well, with better songwriting, new sounds, more life experience and the effort towards a complete cohesive project, I feel she exceeds her debut by miles.

When Lorde first burst on to the mainstream, I was instantly drawn to her. At the time it felt like she was the only one talking about adolescent experiences and feelings in the grandiose way she did. However, in looking back on her debut, which still holds up as a decent album, from the language she uses and the way she presented herself, she seemed so far removed from the situations she sang of, as if she was a much older mind living through her teenage years for a second time. On Melodrama she seems to have finally caught up with her mind, in age and maturity.

Going into this album, the lead singles were a bit of a mixed bag, I was worried she would ditch her songwriting abilities and softer sound for an album full of bangers with the release of ‘Green Light’, but that worry melted away on hearing ‘Liability’, one of the most beautiful and personal songs she has ever written. With it’s patient piano chords and heartbreaking vocals, she sings of being too much for people to handle, being used for company and then tossed to the side, but also realising her own faults of being too demanding and hard to please. The song could also be seen as an objective look over her fame and career, saying that fans will enjoy her music, but will eventually outgrow her and move on, describing herself as “a toy that people enjoy ’til all of the tricks don’t work anymore.” All in all a gorgeous, heart-melting song.

Lead single ‘Green Light’ took a while to grow on me, but eventually became one of my favourites on the album, with it’s triumphant lyrics and anthemic chorus that could give anyone shivers. I also love the distorted guitar line (I think that’s what it is) in the last chorus, bringing almost a wall of sound in for the finale. Honestly such a stellar track and an incredible opener to the album. Straight after we are plunged into another single, ‘Sober’. Again, a song that did little to impress me on first listen, but also grew to be an amazing standout. One thing to note on this track is the constant tension, that never seems to be resolved. The stuttering drum beat and dreamy synths almost reach a sort of climax in the pre-chorus, only to go back to the patient, steadily driven beat to lead the chorus, which swells with horns that sound so crisp. This could be mirroring the lyrics, as she depicts an almost-relationship, where they have the best time together when drunk, but she worries about how they will be when they’re sober. The lush horns and blossoming chords show the excitement and fun she’s having, whereas the rigidity of the drums show her anxiety of wondering “what will we do when we’re sober?” A masterful track, again showcasing Lorde’s ability to write out her feelings so vividly, while still making a great pop song.

The next two songs, ‘Homemade Dynamite’ and ‘The Louvre’, both document the fleeting feeling of new love and the excitement that comes with it. The first of the two features a very airy beat, with somewhat distorted synths, giving a very flimsy feel, which I love (more than likely a result of the collaboration with experimental producer, Flume). As does almost every song on this album, Lorde comes through with an incredibly catchy chorus, showing her knack of writing good, memorable hooks. The latter of the two songs more so depicts her infatuation with her new lover, and hints at her obsessive nature, as she gives up all her friendships to “sit in hell” with them. She even admits they’re not her type and calls herself a “sucker who let [them] fill her mind.” She alludes to the title by saying that their relationship is so great that it should be hung in the Louvre, a famous art museum in Paris, as well as the largest art museum in the world. On first listen this could seem quite cute, but on further inspection, it’s more so a result of her unhealthy obsession with this person, that she admits in retrospect wasn’t a good time for her. She then says to put a megaphone to her chest to broadcast her heartbeat, possibly again referencing the Louvre statement, as she wants her love to be something people can dance to or can look at in a museum, in other words, she’s so proud of her relationship, she wants the world to witness it. Instrumentally, not one of the most stand-out tracks, however, I adore the instrumental outro to this song.

Lorde goes further than just giving us a collection of songs on this album, as she has made a very cohesive album, not only coming through in related song lyrics, but through making two part songs and reprising others. Something you don’t see too much of in most modern pop music. This starts in ‘Hard Feelings/Loveless’ which in the first part, describes the ending of a relationship, while in the second part describes this new generation of young adults being the “loveless generation”, meaning the idea of true love and romance has been replaced by hostile and unhealthy relationships, which she described earlier on the album. In between these two parts there is a lengthy instrumental break filled with screaming synths and distorted hits of noise, while over the patient drum beat and steady chords make for an extremely exciting interlude and one of my favourite moments on the album.

‘Sober II (Melodrama)’ is, not only a continuation of the song, ‘Sober’, but a continuation of the entire story of the album, as her fears in the ‘Sober’ are now more realised than ever, and she uses the end of the party that she has been referencing, as a metaphor for her relationship. The party is over and she is left to clean everything up, it’s horribly depressing, she’s hungover and she wonders was it worth it? Her cleaning up the remnants of the night before mirrors her picking up the pieces and trying to fix herself after the end of a relationship. This song also brings together the whole theme of the album, which is Melodrama, being melodramatic about everything, not thinking that your feelings are justified and that you’re being over the top. The equivalent to regretting something small and self-loathing over letting yourself care about it. Quite a dark theme, but something very relatable, as everyone has felt this way about something or other.

‘Writer in the Dark’ picks up the pieces, and brings a feeling of empowerment. Lorde may not be over her relationship, but she feels she can immortalise her feelings in the only way she knows how, in a song. She says that she may love him until she dies, but she has “stumbled on a secret power” and that she’ll survive without him. It may not be a full recovery, but being able to write out her feelings and getting a (kind of) last laugh on her ex brings her strength. This is the moment in the album where she realises her feelings do matter, and it’s okay to be heartbroken over things, and most importantly, that it’s not melodramatic to be sad over something that’s hurt you. This song is by far my favourite on the album, being heartbreaking, but also so empowering, it also features the best hook on the album.

The reprise of ‘Liability’ is the perfect progression, relasising that she is a liability, but “whatcha gonna do?” She realises that she may never change, but this is who she is, and that’s okay. Again furthering the theme of empowerment and self-belief. The album then ends on a very uplifting note, saying that there are no perfect places, and you shouldn’t be partying and getting intoxicated to run away from your problems, but just accept who you are by coming to terms with your feelings.

Overall I loved the hell out of this album. It’s fun, catchy and has multiple levels that reveal themselves the more you listen to it. It did have some meandering moments, such as ‘Supercut’ and I think the closer could have been better, but all in all, if you haven’t heard this album, I couldn’t recommend it more. Definitely worth the wait and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Highlights: Green Light, Sober, Homemade Dynamite, Liability, Hard Feelings/Loveless, Sober II (Melodrama), Writer in the Dark.

Written by Robert Cleaver.