In Defense of Lorde’s <i>Solar Power</i>

A few summers ago, my dear friend Nia and I were playing frisbee in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Other friends were under a tree a few feet away, sprawled across some blankets and noshing on a spread of potluck dishes. They played cards, gossiped about some mutual friends, and jammed out to my highly curated playlist called “Pristine Park Picnic.” When a light sunburn started to appear on my upsettingly pale skin, Nia and I sought refuge in the shade. As we approached the group, Lorde’s “The Path” began playing through the speaker.

On that day, at 25 years of age and sun-soaked with my friends, I realized: I had found a sliver of happiness. I was living in the city I loved with people I loved, and found a spot of nature amid the bustle of New York. It was a rare perfect moment.

For me, that memory is frozen in time. After the brutal New York winter (full of boy drama), the sunshine made it all worth it. “Let’s hope the sun will show us the path,” a then-23-year-old Lorde sang on the track, hoping for some clarity during the first glimpses of true adulthood.

Solar Power, Lorde’s third studio album, marked a departure for the singer. Previously known for her synth beats—as seen on her breakout album Pure Heroine and smash record Melodrama—this 2021 record introduced a vibe switch that became incredibly divisive among fans. It felt too acoustic, too hippie-dippy, too marijuana-infused. Even though critics applauded the album, they also likened it to “a strange little paperbound spiritual text at a hippie bookshop” (Pitchfork) and claimed it “stops just short of offering a full, varied range of expressions” (The New York Times).

Later, in a newsletter she sent in 2022, Lorde said, “It took people a while to get the album—I still get emails every day from people who are just coming around to it now!—and that response was really confounding and at times painful to sit with at first.”

Even today, some die-hard Lorde fans still see the album as a stain on her discography. It earned no Grammy nominations, little praise, and a quiet No. 5 peak spot on the Billboard 200. So when she began to tease her latest album Virgin four years later, fans begged for a return to her synth-heavy style.

However, looking back, I personally see Solar Power as a moment of light.

On the album, Lorde works through some of the most profound moments of your mid-twenties. Many are just leaving college or home for the first time. They don’t know who to trust, what to do with their life and career, or how to find joy and happiness.

With Solar Power, you can feel Lorde facing this reality head-on. She’s dealing with the existential threat of the environment falling apart and the inaction from leaders in power (“Fallen Fruit”); she’s grappling with aging and wondering when she’ll be out of touch with mainstream culture (“Stoned at the Nail Salon”); and she’s also struggling with a major loss, in this case, her dog, Pearl (“Big Star”). Lorde talks about diet and wellness culture in “Mood Ring,” and has since admitted she was dealing with an eating disorder while creating and promoting the album, which adds even more depth to the song.

Lorde on her Solar Power Tour.

She also swims in nostalgia throughout the record, especially on the standout track “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen It All).” Reflecting on a cursed relationship, Lorde essentially revisits her hit track, “Ribs.” “Couldn’t wait to turn 15 / Then you blink and it’s been 10 years / Growing up a little at a time then all at once / Everybody wants the best for you / But you gotta want it for yourself,” she sings, speaking to a younger version of herself who was worried about getting old and being alone. Growing up is realizing that you have to be your biggest advocate. You have to prioritize yourself. The album represents growth, maturity, and finally reveling in your own light.

Lorde and I are roughly the same age, and whenever she releases an album, I think she distills the exact feeling of that time in my life. Pure Heroine examined the heavy burden of feeling like you’re running out of time when you’re 16; Melodrama examined falling in love and getting heartbroken for the first time, and how, at 19, you often feel untouchable. Solar Power talks about the terrors of true freedom, learning from your past mistakes, and pursuing your dreams.

On this record, Lorde dared to let her dreams run wild—most notably on the track “Oceanic Feeling”—hoping for a time when the world wouldn’t be so messed up, praying for a lover who understands her, and wondering what her true self looked like. She wasn’t afraid to look back to look forward, and to tackle the big questions. It’s the perfect record for your mid-twenties, when you’re creating your own island, where everything feels limitless. Thank you, Lorde, for showing us “The Path.”