Jump to content

Melodrama (Lorde album)

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Melodrama
A painting of Lorde resting on a pillow. In the painting, the subject wears a negligée as the bed sheets wrap below the shoulder's surface. It is mainly painted in cool hues while the subject appears in warm hues.
Studio album by
Released16 June 2017 (2017-06-16)
Recorded2015–2017
Studio
Genre
Length40:59
Label
Producer
Lorde chronology
Pure Heroine
(2013)
Melodrama
(2017)
Solar Power
(2021)
Singles from Melodrama
  1. "Green Light"
    Released: 2 March 2017
  2. "Perfect Places"
    Released: 1 June 2017
  3. "Homemade Dynamite"
    Released: 16 September 2017

Melodrama is the second studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 16 June 2017 by Lava and Republic Records and distributed through Universal. Following the breakthrough success of her debut album Pure Heroine (2013), Lorde retreated from the spotlight, and travelled between New Zealand and the United States. Initially inspired by her disillusionment with fame, she wrote Melodrama to capture heartbreak and solitude after her first breakup.

Lorde chose Jack Antonoff as the main collaborator because she felt the need to expand her artistry from the Joel Little-produced Pure Heroine. The final product is an electropop record incorporating piano-based melodies, pulsing synthesisers and dense electronic beats. Critics viewed the album as a maximalist departure from the minimalist hip hop-influenced production of its predecessor, and considered it a loose concept album chronicling the emotions ensued from a house party. The songs "Green Light", "Perfect Places", and "Homemade Dynamite" were released as singles. Lorde promoted the album through several music festivals she headlined, and the Melodrama World Tour in 2017 and 2018.

The album was Lorde's first number one in the United States and Canada, and also peaked atop the charts in Australia and New Zealand. It received gold or platinum certifications in the said countries and the United Kingdom. Melodrama received universal acclaim from contemporary critics who complimented its sound and Lorde's vocals and direct songwriting; it was featured on various year-end and decade-end lists. It won a New Zealand Music Award for Album of the Year, and received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018. In 2020, Melodrama ranked at number 460 on Rolling Stone's revision of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Background and recording

[edit]
A young Caucasian man holding a red electric guitar stands against a dark background lit with a blue spotlight.
Jack Antonoff (pictured) co-wrote and co-produced the majority of the album with Lorde.

In December 2013, Lorde announced that she had begun writing material for an upcoming second studio album.[1] The following year, she said it was in its early stages and that it was "totally different" from her debut album released earlier that year; she also said the shift in sound was due to the change in circumstances and settings of her life.[2] Later in 2014, Lionsgate announced that Lorde would curate the soundtrack for the third installment of The Hunger Games franchise, which would be followed by the release of the film's lead single "Yellow Flicker Beat" to critical acclaim.[3]

In an interview with Australia's Triple J radio network in February 2015, Joel Little, who produced Pure Heroine, said he was scheduled to join Lorde for a writing session in a recording studio the following month,[4] although a definite plan was not yet established. More than a year later, he reported that even though he had written a few songs for the album, he would not serve as an executive producer, attributing this to Lorde "trying to do something different".[5] Lorde was eventually featured on Disclosure's track "Magnets" which appears on the duo's 2015 album Caracal.[6]

In January 2016, The New Zealand Herald reported that Lorde and James Lowe, her boyfriend, had ended their three-year relationship.[7] The singer confirmed the break-up during interviews following the release of "Green Light" (2017),[8] leading to her indulging in "heavy drinking" and noticing there was an "element of escapism and exploration" in doing so.[9] Lorde eventually replied to a comment on her Instagram account in late August 2016 that she completed the writing process of Melodrama — still untitled at the time — and that she was in the production stages.[10]

The singer went on to announce the album's title on 2 March 2017.[11] She also began posting pictures of herself at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with Jack Antonoff on social media taken in and after December 2015. Further recording sessions took place at Antonoff's home studio in Brooklyn Heights, dubbed Rough Customer Studio, and Jungle City in New York City, as well as Westlake and Conway in Los Angeles.[12] The duo recorded for 18 months.[13] Melodrama was released through Universal, Lava and Republic Records on 16 June 2017.[14]

Writing and production

[edit]
Lorde's tendency to draw parallels to Greek tragedies (Medea pictured) was a source of inspiration for the album's title.

Lorde said that during the early stages of writing content for Melodrama, she imagined writing the album from the perspective of aliens stepping outside a hermetically sealed environment for the first time, citing the 1950 science fiction short story "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury as an inspiration. This was a reflection of her disengagement with her early fame. She scrapped the aliens idea and decided to write about her own struggles with the early stages of adulthood.[15] Lorde also took notes from conversations with her friends and would fly multiple times between the United States and New Zealand to examine the world around her.[15] The singer also travelled by helicopter to a rental house on Waiheke Island, where she could write without distractions,[16] would continue working through "false starts, fruitless detours and stretches of inactivity" as she retreated from the public spotlight.[16]

According to The New York Times, Melodrama is about a "grapple with emotions" in the aftermath of a break-up.[16] Interviewed by the publication, Lorde says Melodrama is not simply a "breakup album" but is rather a "record about being alone", featuring both the favourable and unfavourable aspects associated with "heartbreak and solitude".[16] She did, however, call "Green Light" a traditional break-up song.[17] In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lorde said the title of the album is a "nod to the types of emotions you experience when you're 19 or 20."[17] She cites her "love of theater" and drawing parallels to Greek tragedies as inspiration for the album's title.[17] According to Lorde, she had to deal with "very serious, vivid feelings" she needed to express after experiencing her first heartbreak and moving out of her parents' home; as a result, she spent time isolated in her own house.[17]

While writing content for the album, Lorde took influence from a number of settings and tested new material by listening to demos through earphones at a diner near Columbus Circle, which she did for about four months to understand how the music would sound in everyday life.[16] The diner usually played Top 40 radio, which she said would occasionally distract her from writing, although she sometimes removed her headphones to let the songs "wash over" her. She also took inspiration from strangers' conversations, often hearing certain phrases that she would think about for hours. These phrases also illustrated a "tableau" in her thoughts.[16] In her home in New Zealand, Lorde had a wall of notes for her songs, which she used to "skim" the whole album; it allowed her to find connections to each track and "fill in their blanks". Each song was colour coded due to her sound-to-colour synesthesia; Lorde arranged the colours according to its theme and emotion.[16] In a 2021 interview with Vogue, Lorde stated that the album was also influenced by her use of the drug MDMA.[18]

Artwork

[edit]

The cover artwork for Melodrama was painted by American abstract painter Sam McKinniss, with whom Lorde had communicated by email. The pair agreed to meet and started discussing a collaboration. Lorde later visited McKinniss' studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where she took a liking to a full-figure portrait of the cover photograph of Prince's 1984 album Purple Rain and a painting of Lil' Kim. Lorde asked McKinniss to create a painting with a "kind of colorful teenage restlessness and excitement and energy and potential".[19]

McKinniss and Lorde met in November 2016 at his friend's studio on the 42nd floor of Frank Gehry's 8 Spruce Street skyscraper,[20] which consisted of coloured bulbs on a lighting rig and a space with several windows. For the album shoot, Lorde wore a vintage negligee and posed for two hours. According to McKinniss, the album art is the "converging of two like minds" and "simpatico spirits".[21] The pair considered making the photography session "operatic" and pre-Raphaelite-inspired, but scrapped the idea because they were satisfied with Lorde's facial expressions on the resulting images. McKinniss made two paintings from his photographs; one featured a blue glow with a warm flush on Lorde's cheek and the other has different lighting, with "paler, sweeter" colours.[20] The unused painting was later revealed in an interview with McKinniss for Dazed.[22]

NME placed the cover on their list of the best album artworks of the 21st century so far.[23] Paste ranked it at number 11 in their year-end list for album covers,[24] and it also appeared on Billboard's unranked list. Tatiano Cirisano, writing for the latter publication, said McKinniss "perfectly communicates the intimacy and coming-of-age storyline" of the record with its "hazy twilight hues and bedside setting".[25] Fuse also ranked the cover in their year-end list.[26] Rolling Stone ranked the artwork at number 67 on their all-time list for album covers.[27]

Music and lyrics

[edit]
A young Caucasian man with spiky hair wearing dark spectacles and holding an electric guitar on a television studio set.
A young man with spiky hair and white face make-up holding an electric guitar; he is seen from a low viewpoint.
Among the album's inspirations were the deaths of David Bowie (left) and Prince (right).[28][29]

Lorde's vocals on Melodrama have been noted for her emotional and multitrack delivery. She cites the emotional vocals of Kate Bush and Sinéad O'Connor, as well as Laurie Anderson's use of vocoder as inspiration for her vocal delivery on the album.[29] The Daily Telegraph writer Neil McCormick noted that Lorde's vocals locate "different levels of intimacy in different vocal timbres, multi-tracking her voice so that it often sounds like songs are being delivered by competing versions of herself".[30] According to NME, different personae of Lorde, ranging from the "strong, composed young woman" to the hidden "psycho", are showcased through her vocal performances on the album.[31]

Melodrama is built around Antonoff's signature production, which incorporates drums, synths, layered vocals and straightforward hooks.[32] Lorde and Antonoff met in early 2014 at a Grammy after-party and later had several "exploratory" writing sessions before Lorde hired him as the main co-writer on the album. Lorde worked on Melodrama in Antonoff's Rough Customer Studios in New York City and at her home in New Zealand.[16] The song structures on the record are traditional in construction, with piano-based melodies in contrast with the hip-hop influences on Lorde's first album.[33] The singer took a classicist approach, usually composing a melody and then trying different vocal falsettos; Lorde said that because of this, the whole album can be played in acoustic form.[16] She also cited her desire to explore a "cathartic mode" for the album. Several publications noted its maximalist pop production, a departure from the singer's signature minimalist style.[34] Melodrama has been described by critics as a pop,[35] electropop,[36] and art pop record.[37]

The album's lyrics are about heartbreak and solitude.[38] Though it has been denied by Lorde,[16] music critics have described Melodrama as a loose concept album.[39] Lorde has stated that the record has only a loose narrative;[40] it follows the framework of a single house party, and the events and moods that ensue.[41] According to the singer, the album's shift in narrative focuses on "I" in contrast with Pure Heroine's inclusion of "we" and "us". Lorde wanted to showcase contrast, going from "big and grand" to "really tiny and intimate", as well as desired to reference personal events, headlines and themes associated with the World Wide Web.[16] She drew inspiration from Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland, describing it as "enlightenment after love lost".[42] Lorde uses numerous metaphors on Melodrama, such as the teeth of great white sharks, continuing her incorporation of teeth in her lyrics.[43]

The singer also cites the 1975, especially their song "Somebody Else", as inspiration stating: "It influenced the tones and the colors and the emotions" of the album.[44] In addition, Fleetwood Mac, Leonard Cohen, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Phil Collins and Joni Mitchell were also noted inspirations.[29]

Songs

[edit]

Tracks 1–5

[edit]

The album's opening track, "Green Light", features titular metaphors; reviewers interpreted the "green light" as a street signal that gives the singer permission to move into the future.[45] It was described by critics as an electropop,[46] dance-pop,[47] and post-disco song.[48] Lorde was inspired to write the track after attending a Florence and the Machine concert with Antonoff; the writing process took her 18 months to complete.[49] "Sober", which was formed using a bongo drum, was written after Lorde played a show at Coachella. The track's instrumentation also includes a tenor and baritone saxophone, a trumpet,[50] as well as the sound of a tiger's roar, which was added when Antonoff looked through samples on his computer.[51]

Lorde co-wrote "Homemade Dynamite" with Tove Lo.[52] It is the only song on which Antonoff is not credited as a songwriter or producer.[12] Lorde was inspired to write "The Louvre" after listening to Frank Ocean's 2016 album Blonde. She stated in a podcast interview with The Spinoff that she could have made a "big, easy single" but refrained from doing so because she felt it would not mean much to "simplify the journey" or "force a big chorus".[53] She said that the production process was "exciting", stating, "I can use guitars and I can get a big gnarly Flume beat and throw it under water."[54] According to Newsweek, the singer's cadence in some lines almost turns into rapping, which was compared with cross-genre music.[29] "Liability" is the first piano ballad on the album; in a profile with The Spinoff, Lorde said was inspired by the track "Higher" from Rihanna's 2016 album Anti, which she listened to when she took a taxi home from a hike.[49]

Tracks 6–11

[edit]
An early-middle-aged Caucasian man with short, dark hair and dressed in a coat and dress shirt looks towards the camera.
A young Caucasian man with short, dark hair wearing a creased, light-coloured tee shirt
Lorde often listened to Paul Simon's (pictured left) 1986 album Graceland on taxis she took on her way home from parties.[29] Critics also noted Phil Collins' (pictured right) signature instrumentation on the album.[29]

The first part of the medley song "Hard Feelings/Loveless" uses a distorted synthesizer and elements of industrial,[55] noise[56] and electronica genres.[57] Antonoff said one of his proudest moments while producing the album was the placing of a "synth at the end [of the song] that sounds like metal bending".[58] The first two lines of "Loveless" were sampled from a documentary Lorde watched about Paul Simon's album Graceland. The drum solo used as the transition instrument linking "Hard Feelings" to "Loveless" was sampled from Phil Collins' 1981 song "In the Air Tonight".[49] She often listened to the soft rock music of Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Paul Simon while riding the subways in New York City and taking cab rides home from parties in Auckland.[29]

The following track, "Sober II (Melodrama)", a continuation of "Sober", details the emotions and sense of loneliness after a party is over.[59] The song was originally titled "Sober (Interlude)" before its release.[60] Lorde wrote down the main theme of "Writer in the Dark" after waking up in the middle of the night in a stranger's bed, feeling naughty and empowered while doing so. To her, it was a "cool, painful moment" on the record.[42] The singer was inspired to write "Supercut" after driving through Ponsonby Road in Auckland in a taxi listening to Simon's album Graceland.[49] Most of the song was constructed using drums, whereas "blanks" were later "filled" with piano sequences.[49] It features an interpolation of a piano riff used in "Green Light". She considered turning "Liability (Reprise)" into an a cappella track before deciding to "be sensible" and adding a backing beat.[49] "Perfect Places" was inspired after the deaths of David Bowie and Prince occurred, two musicians Lorde states were the most influential for the recording of Melodrama.[29]

Release and promotion

[edit]
A young Caucasian woman with shoulder-length, curly, dark hair wearing two choker chains, a necklace, a revealing black dress and a ring holds a stand-mounted microphone.
Lorde performing at the Osheaga Festival in 2017

Lorde first promoted the album by posting a link to a website called imwaitingforit.com to her Twitter account on 27 February 2017.[61] The website featured a short clip of Lorde sitting in a car eating and drinking while a piano-backed track played in the background; this was followed with the dates "3.2.17 NYC" and "3.3.17 NZ" appearing onscreen. The video was titled "M" followed by seven asterisks and ending with "A", which would later be revealed as the album's name.[62] According to Fact magazine, the clip was also broadcast on New Zealand's major television channels.[63] The album was leaked online one day prior to release.[64]

On 2 March 2017, Lorde released "Green Light" as the lead single from the album.[65] The single was universally praised by critics, with many publications placing it in their year-end lists,[66] and was recognised as NME's Single of the Year.[67] It was commercially successful, earning platinum in the United States and a triple platinum certification in Australia.[68] The following week, Lorde released "Liability" as Melodrama's first promotional single.[69] She performed it alongside "Green Light" for the first time on 12 March 2017 episode of Saturday Night Live. This was her first performance in over two years,[70] and gained positive reviews from critics.[71]

Lorde released "Perfect Places" as the second single from Melodrama on 1 June 2017.[72] The following week, "Sober" was announced as the album's second promotional single.[73] At the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, Lorde performed an interpretive dance to "Homemade Dynamite", which was met with mixed reviews from critics, some of whom called it "bizarre".[74] Her decision not to sing came after she was diagnosed with influenza.[75] Following her performance, Lorde released a remix of "Homemade Dynamite" that featured guest vocals by Khalid, Post Malone and SZA as the third single from the album on 16 September 2017.[76] To further promote the album, Lorde embarked on a world tour with several opening acts; she announced the tour in June 2017. The tour began at the O2 Apollo Manchester in England on 26 September 2017 and ended on 19 October 2017 in Trondheim, Norway.[77] The Oceania leg consisted of 13 dates. Lorde played an additional 30 shows in North America, which commenced in Milwaukee on 1 March 2018 and concluded in Nashville on 15 April 2018.[78]

Commercial performance

[edit]

On the US Billboard 200, Melodrama debuted at number one with first-week sales of 109,000 album-equivalent units, of which 82,000 were pure sales, becoming Lorde's first number one in the United States.[79] The album dropped to number 13 the following week.[80] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded the album a gold certification, which denotes 500,000 units in consumption.[81] Melodrama was also her first number-one album in Canada,[82] where it received a platinum certification.[83] It also debuted atop the charts in Australia[84] and New Zealand,[85] receiving platinum[86] and quadruple-platinum certifications in respective countries.[87] It entered the UK Albums Chart at number five[88] and was certified gold in the United Kingdom.[89]

Critical reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.7/10[90]
Metacritic91/100[91]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[92]
The A.V. ClubA[93]
The Daily Telegraph[30]
Entertainment WeeklyA[94]
The Guardian[95]
The Independent[96]
NME[31]
Pitchfork8.8/10[56]
Rolling Stone[55]
ViceB+[97]

Upon release, Melodrama received widespread acclaim from music critics and fans.[98] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 91, based on 32 critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[91] AnyDecentMusic? compiled 38 reviews and gave it an average score of 8.7 out of 10.[90]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian suggested that the record was a "cocky challenge being issued to her musical contemporaries."[95] In a perfect five-star review, NME reviewer Dan Stubbs described Melodrama as a "rudely excellent album", praising its introspection, honesty and cleverness.[31] In contrast, Carl Wilson of Slate conceded that the record was "kind of a detour" in comparison to 1970s artists such as Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.[99]

Nolan Feeney of Entertainment Weekly awarded the album an A and commended her songwriting skills, describing the album as a "puzzle that'll keep you busy long after the party is over."[94] Pitchfork writer Stacey Anderson concluded that it was "a sleek and humid pop record full of grief and hedonism, crafted with the utmost care and wisdom."[56] Sal Cinquemani of Slant echoed Anderson's judgment, describing it as "cathartic, dramatic, and everything else you could want an album titled Melodrama to be".[100] Rolling Stone's Will Hermes lauded its production, labeling it a "tour de force."[55]

The A.V. Club writer Meagan Fredette dubbed the record as "rich and cohesive",[93] while Drowned in Sound's Joe Goggins concluded that Lorde "[operates] at the highest artistic level yet [puts] it across as easy-access modern mainstream pop."[101] Writing for Spin, Anna Gaca quipped that Melodrama "embodies a strange, studious undoneness, the blacklight black-and-blue of a perfectionist trying to capture imperfect feelings".[102] However, the Los Angeles Times critic Mikael Wood was less positive; he critiqued the album's storyline theme but acknowledged Lorde's potency when "owning her newfound authority".[103]

Accolades

[edit]

Melodrama placed second on Metacritic's list of the best-received albums of 2017, based on inclusions in mainstream publications' year-end lists.[104] The album ranked at number four on The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop mass critics' poll for 2017.[66] Metacritic ranked it the tenth album with most appearances on critics' top 10 best-of-the-decade lists, with 11 points.[105] Regarding reception from music audiences, Rolling Stone readers voted Melodrama the second most popular album of 2017,[106] while Pitchfork readers voted it the tenth greatest album of the 2010s, the highest position for a female artist's album on the list.[107]

The album won a New Zealand Music Award for Album of the Year,[108] and received nominations at the ARIA Music Awards[109] and the NME Awards.[110] At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018, it was nominated for Album of the Year, which went to Bruno Mars' 24K Magic (2016).[111] A day before the event, Variety reported that Lorde had declined to perform at the ceremony after the Recording Academy asked her to sing with other artists in a tribute to Tom Petty. Her decision came after other nominees, who were all male, were given the opportunity to perform by themselves.[112]

Critical rankings for Melodrama
Critic/Organization Time span Rank Published
year
Albumism Decade-end * 2019[113]
AllMusic Year-end * 2017[114]
Decade-end * 2019[115]
Australian Financial Review * 2019[116]
The A.V. Club Year-end 17 2017[117]
BBC 3 2017[118]
Billboard 3 2017[119]
Cajita Musical Decade-end 1 2019[120]
Jon Caramanica (The New York Times) Year-end 7 2017[121]
Jon Pareles (The New York Times) 7 2017[121]
Cleveland Decade-end 22 2019[122]
Complex Year-end 44 2017[123]
Consequence of Sound 1 2017[124]
Decade-end 4 2019[125]
Decade-end (Pop music) 1 2019[126]
2007–2022 75 2023[127]
Crack Decade-end 77 2019[128]
The Daily Beast Year-end 5 2017[129]
Dazed 4 2017[130]
Entertainment Weekly 1 2017[131]
1990–2019 * 2020[132]
Exclaim! Year-end (Pop and rock music) 4 2017[133]
The Forty Five All Time (Sophomore albums) 3 2021[134]
Genius Year-end 6 2017[135]
The Guardian 4 2017[136]
Highsnobiety 3 2017[137]
The Independent 2 2017[138]
Decade-end 8 2019[139]
Insider 8 2019[140]
The Irish Times Year-end * 2017[141]
The Line of Best Fit 11 2017[142]
Loud and Quiet 7 2017[143]
Mary Siroky (Consequence of Sound) 2007–22 (Pop music) 7 2022[144]
The Mercury News Year-end 5 2017[145]
Decade-end 7 2019[146]
Newsweek Year-end * 2017[147]
NME 1 2017[148]
Decade-end 2 2019[149]
NPR Year-end 5 2017[150]
Our Culture Decade-end (Pop music) 1 2019[151]
Paper Decade-end * 2019[152]
Paste Decade-end (Pop music) 12 2019[153]
All Time (Synth-pop) 25 2023[154]
All Time (Breakup albums) 27 2019[155]
All Time 252 2024[156]
Pazz & Jop (The Village Voice) Year-end 4 2018[66]
Pitchfork 5 2017[157]
Decade-end 14 2019[158]
PopMatters Year-end 2 2017[159]
Year-end (Pop music) 1 2017[160]
Q Year-end 4 2017[161]
Robert Dimery 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die * 2018[162]
Rolling Stone Year-end 2 2017[163]
Year-end (Pop music) 1 2017[164]
Decade-end 7 2019[165]
All Time 460 2020[166]
Rolling Stone India Decade-end 6 2019[167]
Rolling Stone Italy 32 2019[168]
The Skinny Year-end 3 2017[169]
Slant Magazine 7 2017[170]
Decade-end 17 2019[171]
Spin Year-end 4 2017[172]
Sputnikmusic 7 2017[173]
Stereogum 1 2017[174]
Decade-end 17 2019[175]
The Sydney Morning Herald Year-end * 2017[176]
Time 5 2017[177]
Time Out 6 2017[178]
Tiny Mix Tapes Decade-end 53 2019[179]
Treblezine 85 2020[180]
uDiscover Music 5 2019[181]
Uproxx Year-end 1 2017[182]
Decade-end 6 2019[183]
Vice Year-end 10 2017[184]
Decade-end 65 2019[185]
Vulture Year-end 8 2017[186]
The Young Folks Decade-end 18 2019[187]

Track listing

[edit]
Melodrama – Standard version[12]
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Green Light"Ella Yelich-O'Connor3:54
2."Sober"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
3:17
3."Homemade Dynamite"
  • Lorde
  • Lo
  • Jakob Jerlström
  • Ludvig Söderberg
  • Lorde
  • Dukes
  • Harrell[b]
3:09
4."The Louvre"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
4:31
5."Liability"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff
2:52
6."Hard Feelings/Loveless"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff
  • Dukes
  • Malay
6:07
7."Sober II (Melodrama)"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff
  • Dukes
  • S1[a]
  • Harrell[c]
2:58
8."Writer in the Dark"Yelich-O'Connor
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff
3:36
9."Supercut"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
4:37
10."Liability (Reprise)"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff
2:16
11."Perfect Places"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Antonoff
3:41
Total length:40:59
Japanese bonus track[188]
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
12."Green Light" (Chromeo remix)Yelich-O'Connor
  • Lorde
  • Antonoff
  • Little
Chromeo4:09
Total length:45:08
Spotify bonus track[d][189]
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
12."Homemade Dynamite" (Remix) (featuring Khalid, Post Malone and SZA)
  • Lorde
  • Lo
  • Jakob Jerlström
  • Ludvig Söderberg
  • Dukes
  • Lorde
  • Harrell[b]
3:34
Total length:44:33

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[b] signifies a vocal producer
  • ^[c] signifies an additional vocal producer
  • ^[d] added to the album after the single's release

Sample credits[12]

  • "Loveless" contains a sample of "In the Air Tonight", written and performed by Phil Collins and an audio recording from Paul Simon that appears on the 2012 documentary film, Under African Skies: Paul Simon's Graceland Journey.

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Jaxsta and the liner notes of Melodrama.[190][191]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[86] Platinum 70,000
Canada (Music Canada)[83] Platinum 80,000
China 164,000[227]
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[228] Gold 10,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[87] 4× Platinum 60,000
Poland (ZPAV)[229] Gold 10,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[231] Gold 169,000[note 1]
United States (RIAA)[81] Platinum 248,000[note 2]
Summaries
Worldwide 400,000[233]

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label Catalogue no. Ref.
Worldwide 16 June 2017 [234]
CD B0026615-02 [235]
6 April 2018 Vinyl LP [236]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Kuk Harrell is credited with vocal production on the first verse of "Green Light" only.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Lorde Working on New Material, Australian Tour Being Planned". Billboard. 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Lorde: 'My next album will sound totally different'". Digital Spy. 5 June 2014. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  3. ^ Carley, Brennan (29 September 2014). "Lorde Bares Her Fangs on 'Hunger Games' Single 'Yellow Flicker Beat'". Spin. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    Strecker, Erin (31 July 2014). "Lorde to Curate 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Soundtrack and Contribute Single". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  4. ^ Brandle, Lars (23 February 2015). "Lorde to Return to the Studio 'Within the Next Month Or So'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Joel Little's Lorde album update: 'I'm not producing it'". The New Zealand Herald. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  6. ^ Reed, Ryan (23 September 2015). "Hear Disclosure, Lorde's Seductive New Song, 'Magnets'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Reports: Lorde has split from her boyfriend James Lowe after three years". Stuff.co.nz. 19 January 2016. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  8. ^ Trendell, Andrew (10 May 2017). "Lorde discusses the meaning of the 'Green Light' video". NME. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Lorde opens up: 'After a break-up, you go to these crazy places'". Stuff.co.nz. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Lorde Responds to Impatient Fan on Instagram, Provides Album Update". Pigeons and Planes. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. ^ Savage, Mark (2 March 2017). "Lorde says David Bowie inspired her album, as she releases her new single, Green Light". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d Melodrama (Media notes). Lorde. Republic Records. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Kaufman, Gil (26 May 2017). "Lorde Shares Private Videos From 'Melodrama' Sessions: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
    Spanos, Brittany (2 March 2017). "Lorde Explains Long Absence, Return to Music in New Interview". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  14. ^ Phillips, Amy; Strauss, Matthew (2 March 2017). "Lorde Announces New Album Melodrama". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  15. ^ a b Morgan Britton, Luke (16 June 2017). "Lorde reveals her new album was originally about aliens". NME. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Weiner, Jonah (12 April 2017). "The Return of Lorde". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d "Yes, Lorde's New Songs Are Definitely About Her Personal Life". Vanity Fair. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  18. ^ Haskell, Rob (8 September 2021). "Good Lorde! Behind the Blissed-Out Comeback of a Pop Iconoclast". Vogue. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  19. ^ Eckardt, Stephanie (2 March 2017). "The Story Behind Lorde's New Album Cover, From the Artist Who Created It". W. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  20. ^ a b Tolentino, Jia (24 March 2017). "The Artist Sam McKinniss on Capturing Lorde in the Twilight". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  21. ^ Huggins, Kristin (3 March 2017). "The Artist Behind Lorde's Album Cover Wanted To Capture Youth in All Its Glory". Vogue. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Sam McKinniss is painting Google Images of your favourite icons". Dazed. 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  23. ^ Milton, Jamie (20 November 2017). "The best album artwork of the 21st Century so far". NME. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  24. ^ Oshinsky, Matthew (14 December 2017). "The 40 Best Album Covers of 2017". Paste. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  25. ^ Cirisano, Tatiana (27 December 2017). "25 Best & Worst Album Covers of 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  26. ^ "The Best Album Covers of 2017". Fuse. 13 December 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  27. ^ Rolling Stone Staff (18 July 2024). "The 100 Best Album Covers of All Time". Rolling stone. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Lorde reveals David Bowie was inspiration for second album as new single Green Light released". The Daily Telegraph. 3 March 2017. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i Shaffer, Claire (24 June 2017). "The Influences on 'Melodrama': Frank Ocean, Robyn, David Bowie and 10 Other Artists Who Shaped Its Sound". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  30. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (16 June 2017). "Lorde, Melodrama, review: 'this imaginatively audacious triumph is just too good to resist'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  31. ^ a b c Stubbs, Dan (16 June 2017). "Lorde – 'Melodrama' Album Review". NME. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  32. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (30 November 2017). "The Cure for Dr. Luke?". The Ringer. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  33. ^ Kot, Greg (16 June 2017). "Review: Lorde and the 'Melodrama' of innocence lost". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  34. ^ Empire, Kitty (18 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama review – maximum overwrought". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
    McDermott, Maeve (16 June 2017). "Lorde's 'Melodrama' is 2017's best pop album so far". USA Today. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
    Weiss, Dan (19 June 2017). "Lorde – Melodrama". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  35. ^ Harrison, Duncan. "Lorde - 'Melodrama' review". Crack. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  36. ^ Reily, Emily (26 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama Review". Paste. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  37. ^ Season, Sowing (17 June 2017). "Lorde-Melodrama". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  38. ^ Monroe, Jazz (12 April 2017). "Lorde's New Album Tells the Story of One House Party". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  39. ^ Lockett, Dee (15 June 2017). "Lorde's Melodrama Is a Concept Album About a House Party and 7 Things to Know Before Listening". Vulture. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  40. ^ Ryan, Patrick. "Lorde breaks down 5 key songs off new album 'Melodrama'". USA Today. Archived from the original on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  41. ^ Hooton, Christopher (16 June 2017). "Lorde's new album Melodrama is about a house party, it was originally about aliens". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  42. ^ a b Mackay, Emily (16 June 2017). "Lorde talks fame, growing up and her new album 'Melodrama' – NME". NME. Archived from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  43. ^ Tensley, Brandon (27 May 2017). "Lorde Is Talking — and Status". Pacific Standard. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
    Gaudin, Madeleine (7 March 2017). "Single Review: Lorde is almighty on 'Green Light'". The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  44. ^ "Watch Lorde Cover One Of Her 'Favorite Songs' On Tour". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  45. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer. "With 'Green Light,' Lorde Joyfully Crashes into the Future". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  46. ^ Elizabeth, De (2 March 2017). "Lorde To Release Her Second Album This Summer". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  47. ^ Spanos, Brittany (2 March 2017). "Lorde Explains Long Absence, Return to Music in New Interview". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  48. ^ Reily, Emily (26 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama Review". Paste. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  49. ^ a b c d e f Oliver, Henry (19 June 2017). "The Spinoff Exclusive: Lorde explains the backstory behind every song on her new album". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  50. ^ Yoo, Noah (25 September 2017). "Lorde Dissects "Sober" on "Song Exploder": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  51. ^ Feeney, Nolan (28 December 2017). "Jack Antonoff on his jam-packed 2017 and the Taylor Swift song he calls a 'hint at the future'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  52. ^ O'Flynn, Brian (18 June 2019). "Tove Lo Talks Shifting Musical Landscapes and the State of Scandipop". i-D. Vice. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  53. ^ Martinez, Jose (19 June 2017). "Lorde Reveals How Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Inspired Her Album 'Melodrama'". Complex. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  54. ^ Murray, Robin (20 June 2017). "Lorde Reveals Frank Ocean Influenced Her New Album". Clash. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  55. ^ a b c Hermes, Will (15 June 2017). "Review: Lorde's 'Melodrama' Is Fantastically Intimate, a Production Tour De Force". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  56. ^ a b c Anderson, Stacey (16 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  57. ^ Pareles, Jon (16 June 2017). "Lorde Learns She Can't Party Away Her Melancholy on 'Melodrama'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  58. ^ Feeney, Nolan (28 December 2017). "Jack Antonoff on his jam-packed 2017 and the Taylor Swift song he calls a 'hint at the future'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  59. ^ Whitley, Tori (15 June 2017). "Lorde On Dialing Out And Turning Inward". npr.org. National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  60. ^ Maine, Samantha (15 April 2017). "Lorde plays first show in over 2 years at tiny surprise gig, see photos, setlist and footage". NME. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  61. ^ Lockett, Dee (27 February 2017). "Prepare for Lorde's Possible Return on Friday With This Cryptic Ad". Vulture. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  62. ^ Bacle, Ariana (27 February 2017). "Lorde teases new music with mysterious video". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
    Bruner, Raisa (28 February 2017). "Everything We Know About Lorde's Upcoming Album Release". Time. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  63. ^ Geslani, Michelle (27 February 2017). "It looks like a new Lorde single will premiere on Friday". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  64. ^ "Lorde's new album leaked online". Otago Daily Times Online News. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  65. ^ Henwood, Bridgett (2 March 2017). ""Green Light," Lorde's first single in 3 years, reveals a more upbeat pop star". Vox. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  66. ^ a b c "Pazz & Jop: It's Kendrick's and Cardi's World. We're All Just Living in It". The Village Voice. 22 January 2018. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  67. ^ "Best Songs of the Year 2017". NME. 27 November 2017. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  68. ^ "American single certifications – Lorde – Green Light". riaa.com. Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
    "ARIA Chart Watch #458". auspOp. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  69. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (1 June 2017). "Lorde Drops Surprise New Single 'Perfect Places' From Her Upcoming Sophomore Album". Forbes. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  70. ^ Young, Alex (12 March 2017). "Lorde makes live comeback with dazzling performance on SNL — watch". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  71. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (9 March 2017). "Listen to Lorde's New Song "Liability"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
    Muir, Jamie (9 March 2017). "Lorde unveils new track 'Liability', along with a release date for 'Melodrama'". Dork. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  72. ^ Grant, Sarah (1 June 2017). "Hear Lorde's New Existential Party Anthem 'Perfect Places'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  73. ^ Nied, Mike (16 June 2017). "Lorde's 'Melodrama': Album Review". Idolator. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  74. ^ Abad-Santos, Alex (27 August 2017). "Lorde had the flu. She performed at the VMAs anyway". Vox.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
    Leight, Elias; Murray, Nick; Shipley, Al (28 August 2017). "Worst: Lorde's Wordless Interpretive Dance". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  75. ^ "Lorde Fights Through the Flu, Performs 'Homemade Dynamite' at 2017 MTV VMAs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  76. ^ "Homemade Dynamite (Remix) [feat. Khalid, Post Malone & SZA] – Single". iTunes. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  77. ^ Morgan Britton, Luke (8 June 2017). "Lorde announces world tour including UK and Europe dates". NME. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  78. ^ Kreps, Daniel (16 June 2017). "Lorde Sets North American Leg of Melodrama World Tour". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  79. ^ Caulfield, Keith (25 June 2017). "Lorde Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Melodrama'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  80. ^ "Lorde's 'Melodrama' has short reign at top of the US charts, falling to No. 13". Stuff.co.nz. 4 July 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  81. ^ a b "American album certifications – Lorde – Melodrama". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  82. ^ "On The Charts: June 25, 2017". FYIMusicNews. 25 June 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  83. ^ a b "Canadian album certifications – Lorde – Melodrama". Music Canada. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  84. ^ Adams, Cameron (25 June 2017). "Lorde succeeds where Katy Perry failed by knocking Ed Sheeran off the top of the ARIA album chart". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  85. ^ a b "Charts.nz – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  86. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  87. ^ a b "New Zealand album certifications – Lorde – Melodrama". Recorded Music NZ. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.[dead link]
  88. ^ Jones, Alan (23 June 2017). "Official Charts Analysis: Royal Blood score second chart-topper". Music Week. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  89. ^ "British Album Certifications - Lorde - Melodrama". British Phonographic Industry. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  90. ^ a b "Melodrama by Lorde reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  91. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for Melodrama by Lorde". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  92. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Melodrama – Lorde". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  93. ^ a b Fredette, Meagan (23 June 2017). "On Melodrama, Lorde throws a party for all of our messy selves". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  94. ^ a b Feeney, Nolan (16 June 2017). "Lorde makes partying sound holy on Melodrama: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  95. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (16 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama review – a cocky challenge to her pop rivals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  96. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (15 June 2017). "Lorde, Melodrama, album review: Unconventional pop that still bangs". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  97. ^ Christgau, Robert (8 July 2017). "Robert Christgau on Lorde, Amber Coffman, and Bleachers". Vice. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  98. ^ Aikins, Gabriel (17 June 2022). "The Magic Of 'Melodrama': How Lorde's Second Album Solidified Her & Producer Jack Antonoff As Global Stars". Grammy. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  99. ^ "Praise Lorde". Slate. 19 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  100. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (15 June 2017). "Lorde: Melodrama Album Review Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  101. ^ "Album Review: Lorde – Melodrama". Drowned in Sound. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  102. ^ Gaca, Anna (16 June 2017). "Review: Lorde Is a Visionary in the Dark on Melodrama". Spin. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  103. ^ Wood, Mikael (16 June 2017). "Lorde is stronger than she seems on 'Melodrama'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  104. ^ Dietz, Jason (27 November 2017). "Best of 2017: Music Critic Top 10 Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  105. ^ Dietz, Jason. "The Best Albums of the Decade (2010–19), According to Music Critics". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  106. ^ Spanos, Brittany (6 December 2017). "Readers' Poll: 10 Best Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  107. ^ "Best of the 2010s: Pitchfork Readers' Poll Results". Pitchfork. 16 October 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  108. ^ "Lorde wins six Tuis at the New Zealand Music Awards". Radio NZ. 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  109. ^ "Female artists shine in 2017 ARIA nominations". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  110. ^ Daly, Rhian (14 February 2018). "Here's all the winners from the VO5 NME Awards 2018". NME. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  111. ^ "Grammy awards 2018: full list of winners". The Guardian. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  112. ^ Aswad, Jem (27 January 2018). "Why Isn't 2018 Album of the Year Nominee Lorde Performing at the Grammys?". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  113. ^ Healy, Andy (3 November 2019). "The Best Albums of the 2010s: Lorde's 'Melodrama'". Albumism. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  114. ^ "AllMusic Best of 2017". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  115. ^ "The AllMusic Decade in Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  116. ^ Thomson, James (21 December 2019). "The best 10 albums of the decade – plus our top picks of 2019". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  117. ^ "The A.V. Club's 20 best albums of 2017". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  118. ^ Savage, Mark (22 December 2017). "The top 10 albums of 2017". BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  119. ^ "Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2017: Critics' Picks". Billboard. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  120. ^ Lara, Gonzalo (31 December 2019). "Los mejores discos de la década". Cajita Musical. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  121. ^ a b "The Best Albums of 2017". The New York Times. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  122. ^ Smith, Troy L. (7 October 2019). "100 greatest albums of the 2010s". Cleveland. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  123. ^ "The Best Albums of 2017". Complex. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  124. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2017". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  125. ^ Consequence of Sound staff (5 November 2019). "Top 100 Albums of the 2010s". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  126. ^ "Top 25 Pop Albums of the 2010s". Consequence of Sound. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  127. ^ "Top 75 Albums of the Last 15 Years". Consequence. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  128. ^ "The top 100 albums of the decade". Crack. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  129. ^ Stern, Marlow (28 December 2017). "10 Best Albums of 2017: Sex, Rhymes and Heartbreak". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  130. ^ Alemoru, Kemi; Bulut, Selim; Cafolla, Anna; Denney, Alex; Geffen, Sasha; Gorton, Thomas; Joshi, Tara; Russell, Erica (13 December 2017). "The 20 best albums of 2017". Dazed. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  131. ^ "The 25 Best Albums of 2017". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  132. ^ Greenblatt, Leah; Rodman, Sarah; Suskind, Alex (28 August 2020). "30 essential albums from the last 30 years". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  133. ^ "Exclaim!'s Top 20 Pop & Rock Albums, 10 to 1". Exclaim!. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  134. ^ Williams, Sophie (15 February 2021). "15 of the best second albums ever made". The Forty-Five. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  135. ^ Genius Staff (19 December 2017). "The Genius Community's 50 Best Albums of 2017". Genius. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  136. ^ Petridis, Alexis. "The best albums of 2017, No 4: Lorde – Melodrama". Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  137. ^ Boyer, Jake (14 December 2017). "The 25 Best Albums of 2017". Highsnobiety. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  138. ^ "30 Best Albums of 2017". The Independent. 27 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  139. ^ "The 50 best albums of the decade, from Frank Ocean's 'Blond' to Adele's '21'". The Independent. 18 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  140. ^ Larocca, Couteney (30 December 2019). "The 15 best albums of the decade, ranked". Insider. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  141. ^ Tesema, Martha (22 November 2017). "The best albums of 2017". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  142. ^ "The Best Albums of 2017". The Line of Best Fit. 17 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  143. ^ "The Loud and Quiet top 40 albums of 2017". Loud and Quiet. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  144. ^ Siroky, Mary (21 September 2022). "Mary Siroky's Favorite Pop Albums of the Last 15 Years". Consequence. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  145. ^ Harrington, Jim (27 December 2017). "Best of 2017: Who's No. 1 on top 10 pop albums list? (Not who you might expect)". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  146. ^ Harrington, Jim (20 December 2019). "50 Best albums of the Decade: Lorde, Lana, Kanye, Kendrick and more". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  147. ^ Schonfeld, Zach; Gaudette, Emily; Williams, Janice; Ahmed, Tufayel (15 December 2017). "The 17 Best Albums of 2017: Kendrick Lamar, Lorde and Other Favorites". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  148. ^ "NME's Albums of The Year 2017". NME. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  149. ^ NME Staff (29 November 2019). "NME's Greatest Albums of The Decade: The 2010s". NME. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  150. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  151. ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (18 December 2019). "The Top 10 Pop Albums of the Decade". Our Culture. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  152. ^ Paper Staff (21 December 2019). "Paper's Top 10 Albums of the '10s". Paper. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  153. ^ "The 30 Best Pop Albums of the 2010s". Paste. 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  154. ^ Matt, Mitchell (21 July 2023). "The 50 Greatest Synth-Pop Albums of All Time". Paste. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  155. ^ "The 30 Best Breakup Albums of All Time". Paste. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  156. ^ Paste Staff (3 June 2024). "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time". Paste. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  157. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  158. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. 8 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  159. ^ "The 60 Best Albums of 2017". PopMatters. 11 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  160. ^ Sawdey, Evan (7 December 2017). "The Best Pop Albums of 2017". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  161. ^ "Q Magazine's 50 Best Albums of 2017". Q. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  162. ^ Fleming, Greg (2 December 2018). "The 1001 album debate". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  163. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. 27 November 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  164. ^ Spanos, Brittany; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Johnston, Maura; Levy, Joe; Hermes, Will; Sheffield, Rob (12 December 2017). "20 Best Pop Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  165. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  166. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  167. ^ Vaidya, Amit (30 December 2019). "Top 50 Albums of the Decade". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  168. ^ Zaghi, Alessandro; Coclite, Andrea; Todesco, Claudio; Vitale, Edoardo; Ferrari, Filippo; Constanzo, Luigi; Tripodi, Marta; Barro, Mattia; Bisceglia, Michele (30 December 2019). "I 50 migliori dischi internazionali del decennio" (in Italian). Rolling Stone Italy. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  169. ^ "The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2017". The Skinny. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  170. ^ "The 25 Best Albums of 2017". Slant. 5 December 2017. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  171. ^ Slant Staff (20 December 2019). "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Slant. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  172. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2017". Spin. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  173. ^ "Sputnikmusic – Staff's Top 50 Albums of 2017: 10 – 1 | Staff Blog". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  174. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Slant Magazine. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  175. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Stereogum. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  176. ^ Matheison, Craig (14 December 2017). "Top 20 albums of 2017: From proven stars to those starting out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  177. ^ "The Top 10 Albums of 2017". Time. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  178. ^ "The best albums of 2017". Time Out. 11 December 2017. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  179. ^ "2010s: Favorite 100 Music Releases of the Decade". Tiny Mix Tapes. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  180. ^ "Top 150 Albums of the 2010s". Treblezine. 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  181. ^ "Best Albums of the 2010s: 30 Classics That Defined the Decade". uDiscover Music. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  182. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2017, Ranked". Uproxx. 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  183. ^ "All The Best Albums Of The 2010s, Ranked". Uproxx. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  184. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2017". Vice. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  185. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Vice. 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  186. ^ "The 10 Best Albums of 2017". Vulture. 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  187. ^ "The Young Folks' Top 50 Albums of the 2010s". The Young Folks. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  188. ^ "Melodrama Lorde CD Album". CDJapan. Japan. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  189. ^ "Melodrama". Spotify. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  190. ^ "Melodrama: Overview". Jaxsta. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  191. ^ Melodrama (Media notes). Lorde. Lava Records / Republic Records. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  192. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  193. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Lorde – Melodrama" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  194. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lorde – Melodrama" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  195. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lorde – Melodrama" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  196. ^ "Lorde Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  197. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 25.Týden 2017 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  198. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  199. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lorde – Melodrama" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  200. ^ "Lorde: Melodrama" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  201. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 25, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  202. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lorde – Melodrama" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  203. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2017. 25. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  204. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Lorde". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  205. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  206. ^ "メロドラマ | Lorde" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  207. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  208. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  209. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  210. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  211. ^ "Top 100 Slovak Albums". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  212. ^ "South Korea Circle International Album Chart". On the page, select "2017.06.11~2017.06.17" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  213. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  214. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  215. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Lorde – Melodrama". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  216. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  217. ^ "Lorde Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  218. ^ "Lorde Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  219. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  220. ^ "Jaaroverzichten Albums 2017". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  221. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 2017". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  222. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  223. ^ "Year-End 2017: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  224. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums 2018". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  225. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 2018". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  226. ^ "Year-End 2018: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  227. ^ "Melodrama - saoju.net". Saoju (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  228. ^ "Danish album certifications – Lorde – Melodrama". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  229. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 May 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Melodrama in the search box.
  230. ^ Griffiths, George (23 August 2021). "Lorde on how Melodrama's commercial reception inspired Solar Power: "I won't be number one for nine weeks"". Official Charts. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  231. ^ "British album certifications – Lorde – Melodrama". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  232. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (21 June 2021). "Lorde Announces 'Solar Power' Album Release Date, 2022 Tour & Eco-Conscious CD Alternative". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  233. ^ "Los lanzamientos de álbumes de más éxito global 2017" (PDF) (in Spanish). Anuarios SGAE. p. 27. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  234. ^ "Melodrama by Lorde". iTunes Store. 16 June 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  235. ^ "Lorde – Melodrama – Amazon.com Music". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  236. ^ "Lorde – Melodrama [LP] – Amazon.com Music". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  1. ^ UK sales figures for Melodrama as of August 2021[230]
  2. ^ US sales figures for Melodrama as of June 2021[232]
[edit]