Lorde Tries New Beats
Sheridan Parker
Staff Writer
Lorde turned 18 last week and celebrated it a bit differently than your typical teenager. To mark this momentous occasion, she released her highly-anticipated music video,”Yellow Flicker Beat”. The song is featured in the “Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1” soundtrack and in the movie as well.
The song is a mix of indie and pop and it reflects Lorde’s style in music. However, it is different than the songs on her previous album, “Pure Heroine”. She is exploring her musical talents by branching out and trying styles of music that challenge her.
The lyrics fit the “Hunger Games” theme well. They talk about a strong woman fighting for herself and others, taking a stand. The song is inspirational, especially to girls. One verse from her song is a good example in of having independence: “But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison , and I’m locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me.” It shows them that they are capable and self-reliant.
The video starts out in a hotel room. Lorde is sitting on a bed and there are hazy, florescent lights in the background. There are flashes of Lorde surrounded by people in 1920’s attire while partying like “Gatsby”. To make this point even more ironic, Lorde is later sitting by a pool engulfed in the darkness of the night, the water is shining on her face.
There is one particular section of this video that was really interesting to me. Lorde is in a warehouse surrounded by people with blank faces. She is singing with all her might and dancing without a care in the world, just being herself, yet nobody can actually see her. This metaphor of being ignored can easily apply to almost all.
Her music videos in the past can appear random and do not always fit the context of the song. The “Yellow Flicker Beat” was more more thought out than some of her other videos.
The colors used in the music video help aid in the songs message of a relatively strong, tough song. Few light colors are used. Mostly dark colors, in various scenes, create a sinister theme.
The music video is entertaining and engaging. It was a job well done but Lorde’s dancing in the video was a bit strange. She flailed her limbs a bit in some of her moves. She flipped her untamed, glossy black curls often, although it was all characteristics of Lorde. As a fan who attended her concert in September, her performance was something not easily forgotten. It adds to her already quirky personality.
Lorde’s fans are anticipating seeing “Yellow Flicker Beat” in the new “Hunger Games” movie and hope she continues her new direction in music.
