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- Revisiting Lorde's Most Underrated Album, Solar Power
2025 may, in fact, be the year of our Lorde and savior. After nearly four years of silence, the New Zealand-born pop star has returned with “What Was That,” the lead single from her upcoming album Virgin, out June 27. The album, given its single, seems to be making a return to form: funky, eclectic, psychedelic pop.
Given Lorde’s grip on the culture since 2013, it may surprise some that she has maintained a steady level of success with only three studio albums. Yet, when she shut down Washington Square Park weeks ago with an impromptu performance, the crowd’s reaction was clear: we never stopped caring. Still, one album remains suspiciously absent from the collective stan memory—Solar Power.
During a time of political chaos and complete burnout, Solar Power is an invitation to someplace simpler: an escape to a world where ego and environment can be dissected away from the noise. Here are my top five songs from the album—and because Lorde and I share the same birthday (November 7) – my parasocial status is my qualification for this ranking.
“Big Star”
“Big Star” is the best track on Solar Power. Written for Lorde’s late dog Pearl, “Big Star” is quiet grief wrapped in sunlight. The chorus, “you’re a big star— wanna take a picture—” captures our temporary and profound relationships with one another. When someone great enters and leaves this world, we hope to capture their memory, like a ‘big star.’ It’s this light, these moments, that make life worth living… “‘til I die.”
“Mood Ring” tackles the concept of Solar Power in our modern world: how we reckon with our internal spirituality in the face of endless digital consumption. The song is escapist, as Lorde calls out to someone, anyone, while also poking fun at our need to dissect ourselves through the use of mood rings and crystals.
I find it clever how Lorde relies on the imagery of a ‘fallen fruit,’ and the story of Genesis to detail the destruction of our planet, and the burdens passed onto new generations from previous ones. With dreams ‘far too big,’ Lorde laments this irony, mourning impossible dreams. “You’ll leave us dancing on the fallen fruit.”
“Solar Power” is a perfect album title track. The track is a departure from Melodrama, capturing Lorde’s need to ditch the ‘pop’ persona, throw her “cellular device in the water,” and flock to the beach. It’s the anti-pop pop song—a declaration that she’s no longer interested in spectacle.
The song feels like summer distilled, and deserves far more recognition.
While I have personally never been ‘stoned at the nail salon,’ Lorde perfectly captures the passage of time, and dissociation. It’s that feeling when you’re simply existing and end up in an out-of-body state, reflecting inward. It’s a state of ambiguity, unsure of what’s to come, stuck dwelling on the days of past.
Honorable Mentions: “California” and “The Path”
Whenever an artist has a song called “California,” I know it’s going to be good—think Lana Del Rey and Joni Mitchell. Also “The Path” is very special to me.
Curious about what else Spencer is into? Get real-time updates at shelf.im/byspencerthomas
