10 years of Lorde’s Pure Heroine

September 27, 2023

10 years ago today, in 2013, Lorde put out her debut album, Pure Heroine. This is one of my favorite songs of hers, “400 Lux.”

So many young musical prodigies try to impress us with their talents by emulating adults. One of the great things about how this singer/songwriter from New Zealand broke into the public consciousness at age 16 is that she seemed to feel no need to aspire to mature respectability. She presented herself as a young person hanging out with other young people — but a unique young person who happens to be uncommonly reflective and expressive. Pure Heroine is a pop masterpiece precisely because it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be a masterpiece.