Lorde Opens up on What She Misses Most About New Zealand
Grammy award-winning New Zealand celebrity Lorde became famous with her song “Royals” in the states and won best pop solo performance and song of the year categories at the Grammys thanks to the song. She was only 15 when she recorded “Royals,” and has continued to create hit after hit. Lorde grew up in New Zealand and has said that she misses life on the island. Here are a few things the pop artist has mentioned missing about her homeland.
Here’s why Lorde says she misses New Zealand
Known by her birth name Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, Lorde was born Nov. 7, 1996, in Takapuna, New Zealand. Her mother was a poet, a trait that was not lost on the young girl. At the age of 12, Lorde was signed to a development contract with Universal Music Group after an agent saw footage of her performing at a talent show.
Her hit single “Royals” was quickly picked up in the states and she became the first female solo artist to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in 17 years.
Despite being an international success, Lorde says that she misses New Zealand, mostly the beaches and the food. Lorde revealed that one of her favorite foods from New Zealand is a sheep’s milk cheese called Devotion, which is unfortunately out of season at the moment. The cheesemaker is based in Upper Moutere, a town located in New Zealand. She also used to have an Instagram account dedicated to onion rings.
New Zealand has influenced Lorde’s music
Lorde dearly loves her home country of New Zealand, and she uses it whenever she can in her work. She stated that she has recorded cicadas in New Zealand because she said they remind her of her summers there. Additionally, she is an avid environmentalist thanks to her upbringing in the beauty of nature that is New Zealand; Lorde will no longer be releasing her albums on CD because of the environmental impact they have.
She has often used New Zealand in her music, too. The secret beach location where she filmed the music video for “Solar Power” has never been verified, although it’s rumored to be Cactus Bay on Waiheke Island, which is also used in the cover for the album of the same name.
What’s next for Lorde?
Solar Power will be Lorde’s third album and it is releasing on Aug. 20, 2021. As an alternative to being released on CD, Solar Power will be sold as “an eco-conscious Music Box,” which has visual content, handwritten notes, photos, and a download card. She states, “I decided early on in the process of making this album that I also wanted to create an environmentally kind, forward-thinking alternative to the CD. I wanted this Music Box product to be similar in size, shape, and price to a CD, to live alongside it in a retail environment, but be something which stands apart and that’s committed to the evolving nature of a modern album.”
Lorde’s talent and environmentally conscious decisions make her a strong force not only in the music industry but also as an ally for environmental change. Being raised on the rugged island of New Zealand has influenced not only her work but the way she lives her life. It seems that Lorde is using her platform to make music and help the environment.
