In each of her four major releases since her explosive debut album “Pure Heroine,” Lorde seems to hold a mirror to her face and deliver an entire sonic landscape based on that specific moment in time. “Pure Heroine” explored the youth and materialism, “Melodrama” lived in an atmosphere of heartbreak and solitude and “Solar Power” explored escapism and dealt with the drawbacks of fame.
With her newest release, “Virgin,” the 28-year-old Grammy winner seems to have looked in the mirror and seen a new self: a self that needed to be defined yet also one that demanded to remain definitionless.
The June 27 LP cover — an X-ray of the singer’s pelvis featuring a belt buckle, jeans zipper and an IUD — tells the story before a single note is played. This is a new, intimate perspective on Lorde. The record feels grounded; grounded in the streets of New York, grounded in intimacy and grounded in Lorde’s recontextualization of herself.
As for the music itself, Lorde and producer Jim-E Stack create a sonic landscape ripe for this bare emotional expression. From the relaxed guitar that builds into a cathartic, smashing outro on “Man Of The Year” to the piercing synths and hollow drums on “If She Could See Me Now,” the production of “Virgin” is some of the best to come out of the recent pop era.
This heavy-hitting production is clear right out of the gate on “Hammer.” The intense oscillating synths feel like a whirlwind around the head that continues to build and build as the song progresses. Each drumbeat feels like a punch from every direction. Lorde assists this production with lyrics that praise living in the moment. Lorde’s vocals feel raw and urgent, especially on the track’s outro, during which she sings “Let it break me down till I’m just a breath / Till I’m just a voice living in your head / It’s a fucked up world, been to hell and back / But I’ve sent you a postcard from the edge.”
Lorde’s songwriting on “Hammer” features some of her best work on the record, but it also provides one of the album’s lows with the line: “Some days, I’m a woman, some days, I’m a man.”
This is not to say this is a bad line, nor is it to say it is poorly delivered; it is to say, however, there are moments when the concepts of “Virgin” feel underdeveloped. Perhaps it is the record’s lightning-quick, 34-minute runtime — the shortest of Lorde’s career — but the highs of “Virgin” oftentimes feel too close to its lows for a cohesive listen through.
This is especially apparent on the record’s latter half. “If She Could See Me Now” is Lorde in her best form. Over heavy production, her breathy singing commands its way through the track while she reflects on her younger self — even thematically calling back to “Pure Heroine” in the song’s opening lyrics. This high, however, is contrasted with moments like “Clearblue,” which may be one of the most underwhelming Lorde tracks to date.
Despite these underwhelming moments, “Virgin” is still a phenomenal record. The LP’s first half could easily stand among some of Lorde’s best work. “Shapeshifter” is beautifully written, and its submerged, laid-back production with trip-hop drums and cascading piano create a beautiful soundscape for the pop pioneer to explore. “Hammer,” “What Was That” and “Man Of The Year” — the album’s three singles — all showcased Lorde’s remarkable ability to create something contemporary yet entirely unique.
Reach Willow Engle at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
