Lorde Turns 28: A Look Back On The Enigmatic Queen of Teen Angst

In 2013, when Lorde first dropped 'Pure Heroine', the world was introduced to a voice unlike any other—cool, detached, and, at times, unnervingly wise for someone who was only 16 years old. Lorde’s "Royals" wasn’t just a song—it was a ‘movement’. I mean, who among us hasn’t had a quiet, post-club meltdown at 3 AM where we questioned why we don’t have champagne wishes and caviar dreams? Lorde’s voice, filled with both a sense of melancholy and knowing irony, tapped into that exact feeling. She wasn’t singing about diamonds and gold, like every other pop star at the time; no, Lorde was singing about “not” caring about those things, and by doing so, she became the hero we didn’t know we needed.

The thing about 'Pure Heroine' that made it so distinct—besides its audacious cool factor—was the sheer bleakness of it. Tracks like "Tennis Court" and "Buzzcut Season" felt like an invitation to join Lorde on her existential road trip through teenage ennui. Forget bubblegum pop, this was post-ironic, self-aware, emotionally complex music from a teenager who was somehow already 10 steps ahead of all of us. Who even knew that “we’ll never be royals” could be a flex? But there she was, in all her dark, moody glory, forcing us to rethink everything from the concept of luxury to how much we *actually* needed a velvet seat in the back of a limo. (Spoiler: not much.)

Then came 'Melodrama' in 2017. Oh boy. If 'Pure Heroine' was the soundtrack for your teenage existential crisis, 'Melodrama' was the theme music for the inevitable trainwreck that happens when you reach adulthood and realize that the world is even more confusing than you ever imagined. As if "Royals" wasn’t a bold enough statement, Lorde took it one step further, asking us to dance with our shadows on 'Melodrama'—and let’s be real, we all did.

Opening with "Green Light", which was arguably the most upbeat song about an emotional breakdown ever written, 'Melodrama' was a pop album that was as messy as it was brilliant. We learned that Lorde wasn’t just some disaffected teen anymore—she was a 20-something making music about heartbreak, joy, loss, and the fear of missing out on both. “Liability” had us all crying into our overpriced oat milk lattes, while "Supercut" made us want to edit our lives into a perfect montage of beautiful moments—except they would probably all be set to a soft, ambient cover of some sad 80s song.

But it wasn’t just Lorde’s lyrical genius that made 'Melodrama' a standout—it was the way she seamlessly blended indie, pop, and electronica into a sound that felt both avant-garde and somehow universally relatable. Lorde’s vocals, often soft and breathy, would soar to a place of emotional intensity that left us feeling like we’d been hit by a wave of pure, cathartic emotion. By the end of the album, we felt like we'd been through a breakup, a rager of a house party, and a soul-searching trip to the desert—all in one sitting.

Then came 'Solar Power' in 2021, which, if we're being honest, felt like Lorde’s attempt to make an album about the human experience without losing her sense of humor—and possibly her marbles. If 'Pure Heroine' was Lorde discovering the world was kind of “dumb” and 'Melodrama' was Lorde realizing that love and heartbreak are, like, literally the hardest things in the universe, then 'Solar Power' was Lorde going, "Okay, I’m going to retreat to a beach, take some deep breaths, and try to find peace with it all."

The album kicked off with the titular track "Solar Power", a song that made us feel like we were floating on the surface of a sun-dappled lake—though admittedly, the lake was probably full of metaphorical sharks. With tracks like "Stoned at the Nail Salon" and "Fallen Fruit", Lorde gave us an album that sounded like it was made for the end of the world, but also maybe for a very cool beach bonfire. The vibe was not so much about "royals" or "melodrama", but about grappling with what it means to exist in a world that feels increasingly… questionable.

Lorde, having fully embraced her inner earth goddess (with just a hint of disillusionment), managed to weave in social commentary while offering us soothing melodies that almost tricked us into thinking things might be okay. Except, of course, they probably aren’t, but Lorde is too cool to tell us the truth straight away. Thanks for nothing, Lorde.

So, now at 28, where does Lorde go from here? Honestly, who knows? She's been such a shape-shifter, it's impossible to predict. Maybe she'll drop an album where she only sings about the joy of sipping tea in a cottage, or maybe she'll go full witchy-punk and release an album made entirely from the sounds of fire crackling and people yelling in the background. Whatever happens, we can bet it will be musically adventurous, emotionally profound, and absolutely nothing like anything else anyone is doing right now.

One thing’s for sure: Lorde is still the quintessential pop star for anyone who has ever sat through a playlist of sad songs and thought, “Yes. This is exactly what I need right now.” Her ability to mix melancholy with wry humor, to be both introspective and culturally aware, is unparalleled. And at 28, she’s only getting started.