Solar Power

by

Lorde

Lorde's third album, Solar Power, is a poignant portrayal of her healing process, emphasizing that healing is not a linear journey but rather a cyclical one, with highs and lows, much like the album's arrangement and lyrical content. Lorde has evolved from the angst and rush of Pure Heroine and Melodrama, as she's no longer the same person she was during those eras. Healing doesn't always equate to happiness, and Solar Power successfully captures this truth. The album is reflective, gentle, patient, and bathed in a warm, golden hue – it's real and authentic.

The lyrics "Now if you're looking for a savior, well that's not me / You need someone to take your pain for you? / Well, that's not me" resonate deeply, reminding us that we've placed Lorde on a pedestal, believing she understands our pain, when in reality, she's been trying to make sense of her own journey. Solar Power is Lorde's attempt to uncover her past and make sense of it through the unrelenting peeling of the self. Only she can judge whether she's successful in this endeavor, but for listeners, we witness her growth through her songs, as she sheds her cherry-black-lipstick identity to live out her tranquil days under the hopeful sun.

Throughout this album, Lorde reminds us that we're all in a perpetual state of healing, and Solar Power is a testament to her own healing process. And that's okay if Solar Power has yet to grow on you. Here's a verse from Secrets from a Girl:

When we've reached your final destination, I will leave you to it

You'll be fine

I'm just gonna show you in, and, uhm...

You can stay as long as you need to get familiar with the feeling

And then when you're ready, I'll be outside, and . . .

We can go look at the sunrise by euphoria, mixed with existential vertigo