Melodrama - Lorde

Lorde burst onto the scene back in 2013, with worldwide hit, Royals, which made her the youngest solo artist to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1987. She hasn't looked back since. Her debut album, Pure Heroine, also hit number one in a host of different countries - and she's now back with her sophomore effort, Melodrama. Once called 'the future of music' by David Bowie himself, can she avoid that dreaded second album slump? Let's take a look...

But before we do, here's our ever reliable ratings system:

1 - Shouldn't have been recorded

2 - Filler

3 - Above average

4 - Killer

5 - Career defining masterpiece

Track 01 - Green Light

John - 5/5

Tilly - 5/5

Track 02 - Sober

John - 4/5

Tilly - 4.5/5

Track 03 - Homemade Dynamite

John - 4/5

Tilly - 4/5

Track 04 - The Louvre

John - 3.5/5

Tilly - 4/5

Track 05 - Liability

John - 4.5/5

Tilly - 4.5/5

Track 06 - Hard Feelings/Loveless

John - 3.5/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Track 07 - Sober II (Melodrama)

John - 3/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Track 08 - Writer In The Dark

John - 4/5

Tilly - 4.5/5

Track 09 - Supercut

John - 5/5

Tilly - 4.5/5

Track 10 - Liability (Reprise)

John - 3.5/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Track 11 - Perfect Places

John - 4/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Conclusion

John - I can safely say that this is my album of the year thus far. And I wasn't expecting it either! Whilst I have loved some of Lorde's songs in the past, I didn't know she was capable of such a cohesive, well written, fun, and catchy album. Green Light was an excellent way to start off, and an excellent choice for lead single; it stays in your head all day, it feels empowering, and it makes me want to drive along a country lane in the sun with the windows down (anyone else??). Then you're 'sobered up' (forgive the pun) with track two - taking a slightly darker turn with deeper lyrics and meaning, and a slower tempo. And then you have track three, Homemade Dynamite - a satirical look at today's partying society - which is a bit of fun again. That's why I love this record. It's a rollercoaster, but it's cohesive, and it offers a bit of everything to you when you listen. Liability is a heart wrenching song, Writer In The Dark is simply a bit psycho, and Supercut has an 80's vibe that makes you want to dance.

What I'm trying to say is that Lorde has made a masterpiece of a record here. She combines catchy hooks and choruses, fantastic songwriting, and fun, different instrumentals. It's difficult to not give this a five, but it isn't perfect. Some of the tracks were a little frustrating in the fact that they could easily have been better but this is a tiny criticism in what is, on the whole, a fantastic album.

Overall Score - 4.5/5

Tilly - Quite simply a breathtaking album. Melodrama is the musical highlight of the year for me, and I can assure you I've not always been the biggest fan of Lorde. This record is filled to the brim with satirical, clever and heartbreaking lyrics, and she sings them with more emotion than I believe anyone else in the music industry currently does with their own songs. I have no idea how she manages to do that, but I find myself getting teary about things I've never even gone through, and even more so about the things I have.

Green Light, Sober and Supercut showcase Lorde at her poppiest, but she still remains insightful and herself, whilst tracks like Liability, it's reprise and Hard Feelings offer us a rawer, and more heartfelt side of the Kiwi singer. There is no doubt in my mind that Lorde is going to continue to grow into an even more incredible artist, and Melodrama is just the very beginning of that. 

Overall Score - 4.5/5

For Fans Of - HAIM, Hayley Kiyoko, BANKS and Taylor Swift