ALBUM REVIEW: Virgin
Bella Coco, News Editor.
ARTIST: Lorde
LABEL: Universal Music New Zealand Limited
GRADE: A-
The highly anticipated fourth studio album by Lorde is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and there was no possible way I could have predicted what the overall sound would be. While I found myself being selfish and hoping for instrumentals perfectly on par with Pure Heroine and Melodrama, Virgin is its own beast that explores themes of identity, transparency and introspection while staying true to Lorde’s electronic roots.
“Hammer,” the third official single and first song of the album, grabs you by the collar with the cryptic beat and lyrics about expression and potential infatuation. It’s the perfect opening track for the album with its heavy electronic presence and experimental beats.
Tracks like “Shapeshifter” and “Favourite Daughter” play with themes of bending backwards to appease those around you. Lorde explores how she’s changed herself to be what she thought she needed to be. In “Shapeshifter,” she sings, “Tonight I just want to fall,” breaking free from her box and fully transforming by the end of the track into a more full and well-rounded version of herself. From the first verse to the chorus, Lorde’s self-perception is so amazingly present, with years of experience to back the lyrics.
“Clearblue” stands as one of the most vulnerable tracks on the album, with isolated vocals and intense lyrics that highlight the beauty of one’s own body and the intense pleasure that can be paired with owning yourself.
While exploring themes of a past eating disorder and breaking boundaries in “Broken Glass,” Lorde explores the possibility of becoming a new version of herself and the internal risk surrounding bettering yourself. She sums it up perfectly: “It might be months of bad luck, but what if it’s just broken glass?”
“David” is a devastatingly beautiful closing track, which has influences and inspirations from the biblical tale of David and Goliath as well as Michelangelo’s David. The overwhelming and surrounding building beat feels reminiscent of your chest tightening, losing breath as Lorde laments, “I don’t belong to anyone.”
Virgin is a collection of letters to Lorde’s undeniably surreal and unfiltered past, and despite the leaps and bounds of memories, pain and searching, the final and overall message is addressed with peace. While Virgin is perhaps Lorde’s most contemplative album, there are clear stand-out tracks among a few forgettable songs lost in the shuffle.
