You’ve heard of Lorde by now. You know, Lorde: the just-turned-17 (born in 1996!) New Zealander phenom whose song “Royals” (above) is seemingly played everywhere all the time. Have you heard the rest of the album? It’s pretty damn good, too. But you and most other people will never know it, because she’s doomed to fall into obscurity just as fast as she found the spotlight.

This would be unfortunate, because Lorde is the real deal. She may be marketed as a vapid pop songstress, but there’s a lot more there there. Seriously. Go read her bio over at Wikipedia. This kid still has a lot to show us.

Pure Heroine is her debut album, one that she started when she was 15. “Royals” is definitely the strongest song on the album, but the rest of the album is well worth listening to. Her sultry voice (she’s 17!), ear-worm pop hooks, and synth-driven instrumentation is easy to listen to on repeat, over and over and over. So even though the song shows up overhead at the grocery store, through the headphones of your neighbor on the bus, or blaring from the open windows of that car that just drove by, you don’t mind. And then you find yourself humming the chorus 10 minutes later.

Side note: “Royals” is probably my 5-year-old son’s favorite song of the year, and not just because both he and I are named Royal. I want to remember this fact and remind him of it in 10 years, when he’s turning 15 and wondering what direction he should point himself in.

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29. Shaking the Habitual by The Knife
30. False Idols by Tricky
31. Let’s Be Still by The Head and the Heart

2012 Musical Bacon Calendar
2011 Musical Bacon Calendar
2010 Musical Bacon Calendar
2009 Musical Bacon Calendar