Lorde is a super-talented singer-songwriter from New Zealand who’s been killing it in the music industry since 2013. Believe it or not, she signed with Universal Music Group when she was only 13 years old! Her first album, “Pure Heroine,” was released in September 2013, and it was a massive hit.
Her first EP, “The Love Club EP,” had a song called “Royals,” which became a huge hit in New Zealand in early 2013. The song went on to top the U.S. “Billboard” Hot 100 chart and became one of the best-selling singles of all time, selling more than 10 million copies. Crazy, right?
In 2018, “Royals” even made it onto “Rolling Stone” magazine’s “100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far” list, coming in at #9. That’s quite an achievement for a young artist like Lorde!
You may also read some inspiring quotes from Lorde here.
Early Life
Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O’Connor, better known as Lorde, was born in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand, on November 7, 1996. Her parents are Sonja Yelich, a poet, and Vic O’Connor, a civil engineer. Fun fact: Sonja and Vic got engaged in 2014 after dating for 30 years and finally tied the knot in 2017.
Growing up in Devonport, Lorde had three siblings: older sister Jerry, younger sister India, and younger brother Angelo. At just five years old, she began performing in theater productions and showed a natural talent for the stage. She also loved to read and was particularly skilled in English. By the time she was 14, she was even editing her mother’s Master’s thesis and reading books well beyond her grade level.
Lorde attended Vauxhall School, Belmont Intermediate School, and Takapuna Grammar School. In 2009, she and her friend Louis McDonald won the Belmont talent show and were invited to perform covers on Radio New Zealand’s “Afternoons” show. It was here that Lorde’s music career took off. McDonald’s father sent recordings of Lorde and Louis to A&R executive Scott Maclachlan, which led to Lorde being signed to Universal Music Group.
From there, Lorde went on to become a global sensation with hits like “Royals,” “Team,” and “Green Light.” She’s won numerous awards, including multiple Grammys, and has been praised for her unique sound and lyrical ability. Lorde is an inspiration to many, and we can’t wait to see what she does next!
Career
Lorde, the Kiwi pop sensation, started her music career in Auckland with McDonald in 2010 as the duo Ella & Louis.
A year later, she began taking singing lessons and debuted her original compositions in November 2011 at the Victoria Theatre in Devonport. Lorde teamed up with Joel Little to record “The Love Club EP” in December 2011, which she self-released on Soundcloud in November 2012. The EP gained commercial success, and her first full-length album, “Pure Heroine,” was critically acclaimed upon its release in September 2013. The album included the hit single “Royals,” along with other fan favorites such as “Tennis Court,” “Team,” and “Glory and Gore.” In the same year, Lorde released two more EPs, “Tennis Court” and “Live in Concert.”
Lorde’s talent did not go unnoticed, and after a bidding war, she signed a publishing deal with Songs Music Publishing for $2.5 million in November 2013. Lorde also showcased her cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” in the 2013 soundtrack for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” and she performed four tracks on the following year’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” soundtrack while curating the album’s tracklist.
In June 2017, Lorde released her second album, “Melodrama,” which topped charts globally. The album’s lead single, “Green Light,” reached number one on the New Zealand music charts. “Melodrama” was included in many lists of the year’s best albums and debuted at number one on the U.S. “Billboard” 200 chart. Lorde toured internationally for both “Pure Heroine” and “Melodrama,” performing at several music festivals, including Coachella and Laneway Festival.
Apart from music, Lorde is also a patron of MusicHelps, a charitable organization in New Zealand that aims to change the lives of people in need through the power of music. Lorde’s musical influences range from Billie Holiday, Etta James, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Bon Iver, The Smiths, Prince, David Bowie, to many others. However, she cites her mother as her primary songwriting influence. Lorde’s musical style has been described as “electropop,” “dream pop,” and “indie-electro,” which reflects her unique sound and creative approach to music.
You may also check out our list of Lorde’s best songs here.
Awards
Lorde is a talented artist who has won over 40 awards for her music, including 2 Grammys, 2 Billboard Music Awards, and 18 New Zealand Music Awards. She’s also been recognized for her influence, making it onto “Time’s” lists of “The 16 Most Influential Teens of 2013” and “The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014.” In 2014, she was even featured in “Forbes” magazine’s “30 Under 30” issue, which is super impressive!
In addition to her music, Lorde has also made a name for herself on the small screen. She was parodied in several Season 18 episodes of “South Park” as Randy Marsh’s alter-ego, and the show revealed that his hit song was actually “Push (Feeling Good on a Wednesday).” It’s a hilarious tune about using the women’s restroom at work, and it’s been stuck in our heads ever since!
Lorde seemed to take the parody in stride, tweeting that she thought it was pretty cool to be featured on the show. She even performed a part of “Push” during an interview on New Zealand’s TV3. We love seeing Lorde’s fun side, and we can’t wait to see what she’ll do next!
Personal Life
If you’re a fan of Lorde, you might already know that she dated photographer James Lowe for a few years before they called it quits in 2016. But did you know that the “Royals” singer actually holds dual citizenship in New Zealand and Croatia? Yep, it’s true! Lorde’s maternal grandparents hailed from the Dalmatia region and immigrated to New Zealand.
When Lorde isn’t busy writing hits and performing on stage, she likes to unwind with some of her favorite hobbies. One of her favorite pastimes is quilting – how cool is that? She’s also a shutterbug and enjoys taking photos. And let’s not forget about her love for movies – who doesn’t enjoy a good flick?
There you have it, folks – some fun facts you might not have known about one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Until next time!
){kind=link}