Lorde - Royals Official Video, Lyrics & Review

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
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

[Pre-Chorus]
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 timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tiger's on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

[Chorus]
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

[Verse 2]
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

[Pre-Chorus + Chorus]

[Bridge]
(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

[Chorus]

Review

If Adele was still a teenager and she was hanging out with Grimes, she might sound a bit like Lorde on "Royals." However, a unique element about Lorde is that her song sounds like it's seeking to gather together a movement of fellow teens that are being raised outside the realm of wealth. This is a brilliant song of solidarity for a new generation.
Pros

    A different way of seeing the world for teens
    Spare production surrounding the clarity of Lorde's vocals
    Powerful lyrics

Cons

    One of the best releases of the year

Description

    Written by Ella Yelich O'Connor and Joel Little
    Produced by Joel Little
    Released March 2013 by Universal

Guide Review - Lorde - "Royals"

And along comes the anti-Rihanna. 16 year old Ella Yelich-O'Connor, aka Lorde, has one of the strongest pop debuts in recent history. Her debut single "Royals" casts a sidelong glance at wealth, living in the right neighborhood, and conspicuous consumption to champion young people who, "Crave a different kind of buzz." The production is stripped down to such a minimalist level that it highlights Lorde's deadpan vocals as she clearly enunciates every word of the powerful lyrics. Despite the lack of ornamentation, ultimately there is something powerfully romantic about Lorde's fantasies of being, "Queen Bee."

"Royals" comes from the direction of alternative radio. However, the song's structure and melody are pure pop. It makes sense for Lorde to be embraced first by the alternative community because she places "Royals" in direct opposition to a vision of the pop mainstream as obsessed with diamonds, jet planes, and gold teeth. She sings, "We aren't caught up in your love affair." In the tradition of rock musicians of the past becoming champions of outsider groups, Lorde has placed herself as a voice for teens who do not value a current image of pop glamour.

Lorde's "Royals" not only depicts a different understanding of what it means to be successful as a teen in life, but also, as a female solo artist, she runs counter to the most successful alternative pop artists of the most recent generation. She is the first solo female to top the US alternative songs chart in 17 years. As simple as this song may seem on the surface, it is in actuality one of the most powerfully subversive pop hits in recent memory...and that sounds very, very good.