Let Me Be Melodramatic!

Ella Yelich-O’Connor (better known as Lorde)’s sophomore album, Melodrama, released in June of 2017, touches on topics like love, change, and new beginnings. And even now, almost 3 years post release, the lyrics of these songs affect the lives of listeners worldwide. 

What was it that made Melodrama so special to listeners? For many, it was being able to grow along with Lorde. She was only sixteen at the time of the release of her debut album, Pure Heroine. and, at age 20, the singer had grown up, and her fans along with her. Listeners watched Yelich-O’Connor go from the young girl with her hit single Royals, to a young adult writing songs like Sober. As she grew into a young woman, we grew along with her. While Pure Heroine was the soundtrack to our childhood, Melodrama is the anthem for our adulthood. 

For those that can’t relate to growing up alongside Lorde’s music, perhaps the appeal is that Melodrama makes growing up seem a little less terrifying. Maybe learning from Yelich-O’Connor’s experiences will make it easier to face the major changes that are about to occur: graduating, moving out, starting over. Maybe that’s what we need; to be able to learn from someone else’s experiences so that we don’t make the same mistakes. 

Either way, I can positively say that Lorde’s Melodrama has affected the life of everyone who’s heard it. 

So, here’s to growing up, messing up, and being melodramatic, always.