Lorde’s ‘What Was That’ Is An Act Of Pop Re-Connection | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews
Right from the start, Lorde never intended to move in a straight line. ‘Royals’ may have been an unexpected global hit, but she already had the
Right from the start, Lorde never intended to move in a straight line. ‘Royals’ may have been an unexpected global hit, but she already had the self-awareness to realise she couldn’t simply follow it, she had to divert. Third album ‘Solar Power’ was certainly a diversion – investing in her soulful well-being, the indie-dance aspects were aligned to chakra-based vibrations that pivoted into geo-centric realignment. It was a trip, but seemed to represent a retreat from the pop maximalism of 2017’s masterly ‘Melodrama’.
The past few weeks, however, have seen Lorde emerge with the taste of venom on her lips. A blockbuster duet with Charli xcx saw the New Zealand talent publicly own her insecurities, bringing ‘Girl, so confusing’ to vivid life at Coachella. A Stateside fan-meet turned into a roadblock, proving that despite the passing of time – it’s been four years since her last major release – her audience remains as devoted as ever.
Sharing the image for ‘What Was That’ on socials proved to be a masterstroke – a splash of water to the face, the arresting quasi-eroticism sent socials into a tizzy. This isn’t a ‘Solar Power’ walk on the beach – this is something more.
Out now, ‘What Was That’ recalls the multi-faceted pop ambition of ‘Green Light’ while refusing to re-tread old ground. Crunching pop digitalism, it’s helmed by Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro alongside Lorde herself, the trio creating a starling fusion of major league possibility.
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Far from a reinvention, this feels like a moment of re-connection – it’s Lorde reclaiming centre stage, the acts within ‘Solar Polar’ helping to re-align the creative cosmos within her. Lyrically, too, it’s laden with dash and verse, her verbal elan reminding you that her poetry – “I wear smoke like a wedding veil” – ranks with the best around.
Switching into carnal physicality, ‘What Was That’ is like waking from a dream into an empty bed: “MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up / We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?”
A potent reminder of her skill, but also her youth – “Since l was seventeen, I gave you everything” – this is a riveting pop gesture, a fascinating, endlessly seductive piece of digital melody framed round a stunning lyric. Amid pop’s regal firmament, one throne has lain empty – Lorde is ready to reclaim it.
9/10
Words: Robin Murray
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