With the release of her fourth studio album, “Virgin,” June 27, singer-songwriter Lorde returns to her roots. “Virgin” follows in the singer's earlier footsteps with crashing waves of emotion and sound in an exploration of gender, sexuality, body and the concept of self.
The native New Zealander rose to fame at 16 years old with her first hit “Royals” in 2013, which preceded her debut album “Pure Heroine” and won two Grammys. Since then, she has been known for her distinctive genre-bending pop and profound lyrics. On her previous album, 2021’s “Solar Power,” Lorde explored a gentler, acoustic sound. The production on “Virgin” — with its edgy undertone and heightened sense of synth and instrumentals — is more reminiscent of her earlier work.
However, Lorde’s trademark lyrical strength remains on full display — here, we see a side of her that is raw and untamed. Although she is no stranger to revealing lyrics, having tackled topics such as drugs and sexuality, “Virgin” takes on a new level of exposure. The first song on the album, “Hammer,” discusses Lorde’s gender identity, something she had not spoken on in previous albums.
“Some days I’m a woman, some days, I’m a man,” she sings.
Lorde teased themes of gender identity in “Virgin” with imagery such as the cover of “Man Of The Year,” which depicts a shot of her torso, her breasts covered with duct tape. The image is intentionally ambiguous, contrasting the masculine themes and title of the song it represents.
“My babe can’t believe I’ve become someone else. Someone more like myself,” she sings on the track.
Lorde continues this vulnerability throughout the album, opening up about her struggles with an eating disorder on “Broken Glass,” the third to last track. While the bulk of the album is reflective and intentional, this track takes on a more frantic atmosphere as she pleads with herself in an urgent voice.
“I wanna punch the mirror, to make her see that this won’t last,” she sings.
Under the heavy subject matter, the track is upbeat with a funky and reverberated melody. It opens with snappy, light snares and a basic drum follows. As Lorde begins singing, the main melody begins to create a unique but simple backing track. It slowly builds as the song crescendos, complementing her vocals. Together, the intense sound and sentiment of the track create a powerful climax, communicating the depth of Lorde’s own experience.
Track 7, “Clearblue,” takes this focus on vocals one step further. While crescendos and powerful drums fill the other tracks, “Clearblue” has no instrumentals, and features only Lorde’s own voice, enhanced by a haunting vocal synth effect. The track details the nerve-wracking moment of waiting for the results of a pregnancy test — the title itself a reference to a brand of pregnancy test. By reducing the song to nothing but her voice, Lorde reflects a stripping of her own psyche, letting the listener into an intimate moment.
Similarly ushering listeners into her world, on “Favourite Daughter” Lorde opens up about her relationship with her mother and her burning desire for approval. The track exudes desperation and anxiety, perfectly capturing the need for validation that can so often creep in.
“Panic attack just to be your favorite daughter,” she sings.
Throughout the song, drums, techno melodies and beats build to the end of the song. As all of the elements come together, she sings the last chorus in a culmination of emotion. By addressing her mother directly, and being vulnerable towards her instead of an audience, Lorde reaches new heights of transparency in her songs.
The strength of “Virgin” lies in this commitment to truth. Lorde reminds us that catchy pop songs with accessible melodies are still within her repertoire, while ultimately giving us a work that is honest and sincere. She makes no promises that she has any answers, and rather shares in the uncertainty and chaos that is life as a young person.
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