The Culture: Why is Lorde’s new album so divisive?

Lorde released her first full-length album, Pure Heroine, back in 2013 and it struck a chord around the world, selling 5 million copies, picking up two Grammys and inspiring a new generation of pop artists.

Four years later Lorde returned with her follow-up, the critically acclaimed but much less commercially successful, Melodrama.

Another four years down the track, she’s back with her third album, Solar Power. It’s a pretty big gear shift, and the sunny, warm sound reflects the new, luxe lifestyle Lorde has been living. The same kind of lifestyle she mocked backed on Pure Heroine. The reception has been pretty mixed, and the fan and critical reaction divisive.

This week, culture writer and critic Elle Hunt joins The Culture to help break down the album, and why it isn’t quite landing the same way as Lorde’s earlier work.

Guest: Culture writer and critic Elle Hunt

Background reading: Review: Lorde’s Solar Power in The Saturday Paper

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