Melodrama

by 
AlbumJun 16 / 201711 songs, 41m 3s
Synthpop Alt-Pop
Popular Highly Rated

Four years after Lorde illuminated suburban teendom with *Pure Heroine*, she captures the dizzying agony of adolescence on *Melodrama*. “Everyone has that first proper year of adulthood,” she told Beats 1. “I think I had that year.” She chronicles her experiences in these insightful odes to self-discovery that find her battling loneliness (“Sober”), conquering heartbreak (“Writer in the Dark”), embracing complexity (“Hard Feelings/Loveless”), and letting herself lose control. “Every night I live and die,” she sings on “Perfect Places,” an emotionally charged song about escaping reality. “I’m 19 and I\'m on fire.\"

8.8 / 10

Lorde captures emotions like none other. Her second album is a masterful study of being a young woman, a sleek and humid pop record full of grief and hedonism, crafted with the utmost care and wisdom.

A

“She’s so melodramatic.” It’s an insult nearly every young woman has had lobbed at her, anytime she’s dared cross the heavily policed gates of emotional regulation. Many times it’s even directed to women by other women as a way to devalue feelings, which should always be minimized and neatly packaged when expressed,…

7 / 10

10 / 10

On Lorde's second album, the pressure doesn't seem show on this composed but slightly chaotic set of anthems. Get the NME verdict.

The Royals singer is back with her eagerly-awaited second album

7.5 / 10

Melodrama is the red-eyed, no-rules afterparty, where the lost and loveless go for comfort.

Our take on the New Zealand diva's long-awaited second LP.

‘Melodrama’ is quite probably the album of the year.

It takes the downs as cleverly and emotionally as the ups.

Pure Heroine documented feelings of teenage ennui in a way that was both self-reflective and universal; Melodrama takes a similar approach to the early years of adulthood

Lorde, the preternaturally talented New Zealand singer/songwriter who became an international sensation at the age of 17, knows how to execute not only songwriting and public narrative but also a melding of the two.

Lorde's follow-up to Pure Heroine, Melodrama, is a lesson in freefalling and sees her burning bright and fearless.

9 / 10

For a young artist at the height of success by adolescence, Lorde's four-year gap between records could have been catastrophic; it's easy fo...

8.5 / 10

For artists like Lorde who kicked off their career with a legendary record, the anxiety surrounding the sophomore slump is usually there.

The New Zealand singer cranks up the intensity on her second album, balanced by enough moments of weirdness to intrigue

9 / 10

With its tales of drunken meet-cutes and messy mornings after, Melodrama is an unexpected house-party record.

9 / 10

Photo: Andrew.

9.5 / 10

'Melodrama' by Lorde: The hypetrain is over, our review dissects Lorde's 'Melodrama' to decide whether it meets expectations.

Save for the odd misfires, the follow-up to the multi-million selling Pure Heroine intelligently twists mainstream pop with smart lyrics and raw vocals

80 %

Proves Lorde is the real thing.

Album Reviews: Lorde - Melodrama

4.5 / 5

Lorde - Melodrama review: a bold and colorful magnum opus

Aged 17, New Zealand singer-songwriter Ella Yelich-O’Connor became instant pop royalty with her breath taking 2013 debut album, Pure Heroine and its break out anthem Royals.

MelodramaArtist: LordeGenre: PopLabel: Republic/UniversalBeing exposed to almost immeasurable levels of scrutiny from people who don’t always have your best interests at heart is par for the course for many young pop stars these days.

CD review by Katie Colombus