Is a 17-year-old singer from New Zealand the hope for the future? Her anti-celebrity, anti-materialist song “Royals” has been number one for more than two months. Hallelujah. This is justice in the superficial land of the Top 40.
Dear Lorde,
You kinda broke my heart when you — or whoever manages your affairs– gave away the rights to use your song “Royals” in a smartphone commercial. The song was a powerful statement against celebrity culture, consumerism and stereotypes. So it was painful to see star soccer player Lionel Messi creepily smiling in it while the message of your song was completely subverted.
I’m used to these sellouts. Too many have done it. I remember Lou Reed and Devo doing scooter commercials way back in the day.
So why did the commercial bother me so much? This song is too good and you are too young to do this already (you just turned 17). Seventeen! Although you are so young you have maturity, artistry and something to say. In some interviews you said your worldview comes from growing up relatively poor. Maybe that’s true.
But whatever the reason your music is way better than what most of your peers in the Top 40 are doing. You seem to be striving for something better. In the song and music video for “Tennis Court” it sounds and looks like you want to be Siouxie Sioux or David Bowie, not Miley Cyrus or Katy Perry. That’s so cool.
“Royals” is a gem in the wasteland of Top 40 music. I know this because I have a feature every month for this web site. I pick the best and worst song in the Top 40. And I write a spiritual analysis of what these best and worst songs mean. But I’ll tell you a secret. There’s never a problem finding a worst song. But there’s not much to like. And I often think I’m wasting my time listening to singers who have nothing to say like Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, One Direction— and so many others.
After several months of this, I’ve seen a formula in the Top 40. Most songs are watered down electronica dance music that are usually about partying. It seems like it’s off limits to break the pattern and say something other than this basic message: let’s party until we forget everything. It’s getting more and more difficult to tell the music videos from commercials. There is also a batch of lame melodramatic love songs — particularly ones with the I’m strong enough to survive a breakup theme. But you broke through all this. Wow. It’s a minor miracle you sliced through the fog.
Maybe the public aren’t the morons and robots the music industry apparently thinks they are. The best two songs in the Top 40 as I write this are the number one and two songs. It’s you and Eminem being honest about life. No wonder your song “Royals” and Eminem’s “Monster” have jumped to the top. People can relate to these songs. Maybe they’re craving for something with some meaning.
There’s been a lot of online chatter about your criticism of other musicians. But I love it! It reminds me of the vintage days of punk rock when people like Johnny Rotten actually criticized singers and bands who had nothing to say. Here’s what you said about some other musicians that were right on target:
- On Selma Gomez‘s song “Come And Get It” : “I’m a feminist and the theme of the song is ‘when you’re ready come and get it from me.’ I’m sick of women being portrayed this way.”
- On Lana Del Rey: “It’s so unhealthy for young girls to be listening to, you know: “I’m nothing without you.” This sort of shirt-tugging, desperate, don’t leave me stuff. That’s not a good thing for young girls, even young people, to hear.
- On Taylor Swift: “She is so flawless, and so unattainable, and I don’t think it’s breeding anything good in young girls.”
- On Justin Bieber: He doesn’t provide “a real depiction of what it’s like to be a young person.”
- On Miley Cyrus‘ VMA performance: “There are a lot of shock tactics these days,” she said. “People trying to outdo each other, which will probably culminate in two people ***ing on stage at the Grammys.”
- On Nicki Minaj and Drake: They’re both “completely irrelevant.”
Some people say you’re not showing enough respect to other singers. But that’s B.S. These people need to be called out. It’s not personal. You’re just exposing the banality of their music and their disturbing public personas. Maybe part of the reason all these wretched songs in the Top 40 exist is because too many people are playing nice. And the media isn’t helping. They just report on it like it’s a feud. They don’t ever seem to examine if what you’re saying is actually true. So keep up the good work trying to wake some of the masses out of their trance.
I’m so pleased that your song “Royals” has been number one for so long. It’s been over two months now. Everytime I look at the Billboard charts and see that your song is at the top I inwardly smile. And I’m looking forward to the music video for what I think is going to be the next single from your album: “Team.” It’s inspiring in a wasteland of superficiality. I love the chorus so much. It’s like an anthem of defiance and unity:
“We live in cities you’ll never see on screen
Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things,
Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams
And you know we’re on each other’s team,
I’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air
So there, I’m kind of older than I was when I reveled without a care.”
So I’m going to overlook this smartphone commercial thing. But please don’t do anything like that again.
Your fan,
John
Here’s the music video for “Royals”:
