Green Light, or red? Lorde's new single hits the brakes on US singles charts

The ascension of Lorde's big comeback single Green Light has stopped after just three weeks.

The divisive single, which was both celebrated and criticised for its overly pop sound, plummeted from its peak position of 19 on Billboard's Hot 100 and is now struggling to stay in the top 40.

In the latest chart, released late yesterday afternoon, Green Light tumbled 20 spots to land at No. 39.

Billboard generates its chart by compiling and combining radio airplay data, sales data and streaming data.

The song's fortunes can only be considered a less than royal return for the singer whose breakthrough single, the ubiquitous Royals, spent nine weeks at No. 1 in 2013.

Here at home, however, it's a different story.

In this week's New Zealand Top 40 Green Light is entrenched at no.2 after peaking at No. 1 last week.

Lorde's single is surrounded on both sides by the onslaught of new songs from Ed Sheeran, but the Kiwi pop star managed to fend him off and prevent him from claiming the top three spots.

In other encouraging news Liability, Lorde's piano driven ballad that was unexpectedly released two weeks ago, has cracked the NZ Top 10 and is sitting at No.8.

In the States the song has so far failed to make much of an impact where, after one week, it is languishing at No. 78.