Solar Power review: Lorde's new album farewells the cult of fame

Lorde's third album Solar Power is out now and presents an intimate portrayal of her musings on fame. Photo / Supplied

In the four years since we last heard from Lorde, the music world has birthed a new generation of popstars – from Billie Eilish, to Olivia Rodrigo. Despite Lorde freeing herself from the pressure after the release of her second album, the four-year wait has created a new level of anticipation from fans.

So does Solar Power deliver? Well, that depends. If you expected a carbon-copy of Melodrama or Pure Heroine, Solar Power may fall short for some. It sounds different. Teaming up with producer mogul Jack Antonoff once again, she doesn't let the collaboration define an expected direction or sound.

But in a way that's just what Lorde intended. She is making music that fulfils herself first. Not the charts or streaming services.

Who is Lorde in 2021? Throughout the album, she is reflecting on the growing pains of fame and finding home again. She is figuring out what is important to her. She leans into a character, a wellness guru looking to the sun for meaning, and she looks back on her stardom in retrospect.

Listeners get glimpses into the private world of Lorde – there are several moments on the album we catch her looking at her rapid ascent to fame in a new light.

"Teen millionaire having nightmares from the camera flash," she sings in the trance-like opening bars of The Path. "Once upon a time in Hollywood when Carole [King] called my name I stood up, the room exploded and I knew that's it, I'll never be the same," she reveals in California.

We learn Lorde is a reluctant figurehead for fans searching for meaning in between the lines of her music, whether that be the teenage growing pains of Pure Heroine or the heartbreak comforts of Melodrama.

"If you're looking for a saviour, that's not me," she declares in the opener. So is she instead a leader of a regime for the quiet life? Yes, but she's not strictly selling her lifestyle to you. She flicks in moments of doubt in the lyrics, and self-awareness of the unique scenario she is in as a young person afforded fame.

The lead single Solar Power captures the essence of the album, and the vibes are repeated throughout – especially on the new single Mood Ring, which Lorde released on Wednesday.

But it is the album's quieter moments that are most memorable – Stoned at the Nail Salon is equivalent to the intimate melancholy of Liability, and in the context of the full album is one of the highlights. Big Star is an ode to her late dog Pearl.

Lorde repeatedly queries how much agency she has over her career. One of the most personal notes comes in Secrets From a Girl (Who's Seen It All), where the singer speaks to her younger self on the cusp of acclaim. Pop superstar Robyn lends her voice to a spoken word verse at the tail end of the track, ensuring the message cuts through in an almost haunting way.

Despite her four-year absence, Lorde is tuned into those who have risen up to notoriety in her absence. She shoulder-taps the Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers for backing vocals – plus Kiwis Marlon Williams and James Milne of Lawrence Arabia.

Solar Power isn't stacked with revolutionary pop songs that demand their presence at the top of the charts, but it's clear that's not what Lorde tried to do.

Instead, Solar Power is a slow burn. A mellow record for closed eyes and summer days. The thesis of Solar Power is finding joy in the mundane, forming an identity beyond the attention of the world. When Lorde retreated, she found new meaning in the dreamy haze of introspection. Her vocal performance demonstrates growth, and her lyrics are consistently poetic.

"O, was the enlightenment found? No but I'm trying / Taking it one year at a time," she concludes in album closer Oceanic Feeling. Reminding us the journey of looking for purpose can be fraught. Instead, she found something better than putting her self-worth in the hands of others: her own autonomy.

Artist: Lorde:
Album: Solar Power
Label: Universal Music NZ
Verdict: Poetic musings from Lorde on the pitfalls of fame