React & Review: Lorde - Virgin

What Was That? A new Lorde album?

If I’m being real, Solar Power was a flop album. I’m a huge fan of Lorde’s work. I’d go as far as to say that Melodrama is on my top 10 albums of all time. That album is near perfection: an absolute masterpiece with no skips.

So when I say I’m stoked for her next album, I really do mean it. I’m hoping she can rebound from Solar Power. But at the same time, I can’t really blame her. Solar Power came out during the pandemic and for that, it was a pretty decent album. Not the best, not the worst. It was okay.

I even attended the Solar Power world tour. It was great, for the time. Again, the album had a time and place... which was the pandemic.

I have high hopes for Virgin. From the few singles I’ve heard, it sounds like it’s going to be a really solid album.

So without further ado, here are my first reactions and full review of Lorde’s Virgin. (Disclosure: I’ve heard Hammer, What Was That, and Man Of The Year before the full album review as they were singles.)

Hammer

I love the vocoder effect being used at the beginning of the track. It’s unique and hopefully sets the tone for the album.

The vocoder continuing into the first verse, with only a soft synth being added is a very interesting choice. Likewise, the grand piano for the pre-chorus is excellent. I’m already loving the new Lorde sound and I’m only on the first track.