7 – “Royals” – Lorde
What a run. I first heard of Lorde late last year (iTunes tells me I added “Royals” to my library on Jan. 26, 2013). Then, the novelty of a sixteen-year-old New Zealander making interesting music was enough to get her some attention. By spring all the cool music websites were in love with her. Come mid-summer, the smart people station in Bloomington had her in heavy rotation. And now, of course, she’s inescapable. Oh, and there’s the matter of the song being inspired by an old picture of George Brett.
Which isn’t a bad thing. While “Royals” has no doubt been over-played, her album, Pure Heroine, is fantastic, start-to-finish. Let’s hope she doesn’t fall prey to the many perils of fame. If she’s this good as a teenager, there’s no telling what she has in store as she gets older, wiser, and more worldly.