NEWS
Lorde has looked back at her ‘Solar Power’ album, and said that it made her realise that it didn’t quite fit in with who she is.
The Kiwi singer opened up about the record during a new interview on Therapuss with Jake Shane. In the discussion, she looked back at how she came to make the album after feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the tour for its predecessor, 2017’s Melodrama’.
“It was also so crazy touring ‘Melodrama’. I found it very intense for that whole time to be in this endless hardcore music [atmosphere] every night,” she said. “I found it pretty intense and I just wanted something light and easy after that. It was cool.”
Explaining how that led to her seeking a more stripped-back approach in the 2021 record, Lorde then admitted that she came to realise the sound captured in ‘Solar Power’ didn’t fully represent who she was.
“I love ‘Solar Power’ so much, and I truly needed to make it,” she shared. “I wouldn’t be here with another album if I hadn’t made ‘Solar Power’. But it showed me that you have no choice but to be who you’re supposed to be.
“Me disappearing and being all wafty… I was like ‘actually, I don’t think this is me.’”
Speaking to NME about the 2021 album, Lorde – whose real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor – explained that it was inspired after a trip to Antarctica.
During the visit in 2019, she learnt about the science being used there to help understand climate change, and went on helicopter rides to look for whales.
Sharing how this inspired the sound of the record, she explained: “I came back really sure my focus had to be on the outside and what was happening there. It was so, so fascinating to me and so inspiring in a way that my phone had stopped being, celebrity culture had stopped being and popular culture had stopped being.”
“I guess that was part of why I stepped back from consuming the internet in a really consistent way – I wanted to know what I would make when I wasn’t dialled into what everyone else was making,” she added. “One of the things that starts to happen when you have any sort of community is you start to move as one, in a way. I honestly don’t think I could have achieved this if I tried four years ago, just because [I was in] the whirlpool.”
Set for release on June 27, recent weeks have seen Lorde share details about things that may have impacted her sound. These include candid discussions about her gender identity, her time overcoming eating struggles, and how the upcoming shows may be her “masterpiece”.
In a recent in-depth interview with Rolling Stone, the ‘Ribs’ singer opened up about her gender evolution and how she explores it in the LP. “My gender got way more expansive when I gave my body more room,” she said, before explaining that the opening line of the first track on ‘Virgin’ – “Some days I’m a woman/Some days I’m a man” – reflects her current headspace in terms of gender fluidity.
“[Chappell Roan] asked me this. She was like, ‘So, are you nonbinary now?’ And I was like, ‘I’m a woman except for the days when I’m a man.’ I know that’s not a very satisfying answer, but there’s a part of me that is really resistant to boxing it up,” she said.
Later this year, Lorde will be hitting the road again for some headline tour dates across the UK, Europe and North America in celebration of the album.
Special guests will include The Japanese House, Nilüfer Yanya, Chanel Beads, Empress Of and Oklou, as well as Blood Orange – with Devonte Hynes featuring on the album – and co-producer Jim-E Stack. Visit here for North American tickets and more information, and here for any remaining tickets and details for UK and European dates.
NEWS
There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
