music – Page 2 – A Little Bit of Everything, With Love

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. She is known for her unconventional pop music style and introspective songwriting.

Lorde gained recognition as a teenager at a talent show and was signed with Universal Music Group in 2009, just 13 years old. She collaborated with Joel Little and released an extended play EP entitled The Love Club EP released in 2013. It’s single “Royals” topped the charts and sold 10 million units worldwide, making it one of the best selling singles of all time. Her debut studio album, Pure Heroin was also released in 2013. The following year, Lorde curated the soundtrack for the Hunger Games Mockingjay – Part One. That would have made her about 18 years old. Quite an accomplishment, I would say.

In January 2016, Lorde relocated to Ponsonby, an inner-city suburb of Auckland. At the 2016 Brit Awards in February, Lorde and David Bowie’s final touring band gave a tribute performance of his 1971 song “Life on Mars.” Pianist Mike Garson, a frequent band member for Bowie, explained that Bowie’s family and management selected Lorde because Bowie admired her and felt she was “the future of music”. Her cover was widely acknowledged as one of the finest performances in tribute to Bowie.

The song “Royals” examines teenage disillusionment and critiques mainstream culture, expecially the culture of the very rich. She sings of “driving Cadillacs in our dreams” and perhaps her true dream (although its unclear whether she believes it is possible) is of having power enough to change the course of her future.

I’ve never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I’m not proud of my address
In the torn-up town, no post code envy

But every song’s like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin’ the hotel room

We don’t care, we’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams

But everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair

And we’ll never be royals (royals)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me Queen Bee
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy

My friends and I? We’ve cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us knows that we’re fine with this
We didn’t come from money

But every song’s like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin’ the hotel room

We don’t care, we’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams

But everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don’t care we aren’t caught up in your love affair

Oooh ooooh ohhh

We’re bigger than we ever dreamed
And I’m in love with being queen
Oooooh ooooh ohhhhh
Life is great without a care
We aren’t caught up in your love affair
And we’ll never be royals (royals)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me Queen Bee
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Marija Lani Yelich O’connor

Driving with Music