Lorde at Alexandra Palace

It’s hard to imagine a more Perfect Place to be on a Wednesday night than at the Alexandra Palace watching 20-year-old singer-songwriter Lorde bounce through a 17-song set on her global tour, inviting fans to take part in the melodrama that inspired her latest album and its title. Radiating energy and genuine joy, and creating a personalised experience for each of the 10,000 fans at the sold-out show, the New Zealand performer made a party out of a concert.

In addition to showing off her deep, guttural, enchanting voice, Lorde enthused about London, frequently proclaiming her love for the city and for their fearless and unashamed dancing. She made a diverse crowd feel at home, “dancing in a world alone,” as A World Alone from 2013 debut Pure Heroine goes. Wide smiles and a pure glow ensued when she observed the audience singing every word of the songs back to her, and this was reflected before singing Liability, when she shared how – when writing the heart-wrenching track – she told wildly creative co-songwriter Jack Antonoff that “someday, fans will sing ‘I ’m a little much for e-e-na-na-na-na-e-e-everyone ’ back to me.” This made the crowd accompaniment all the more magical.

Lorde also played hits from her first album such as Ribs, a buzzy, dance-able track about growing up; Team, which contains vivid, imaginative lyrics such as “we live in ruins of a palace within our dreams”; and, of course, her breakout smash hit Royals. Yelich-O’Connor (ther singer’s real name) enjoyed herself over Green Light, the glorious lead single from Melodrama, which serves as an anthem for letting go and dancing away one’s problems. She went crazy with the crowd, jumping up and down to the synchro-beat of the piece.

The young singer-songwriter certainly let loose at the event, which made the show whimsically unforgettable. It wasn’t just the incredible, soulful crooning that made the set so spectacular, it was the fact that a group of misfits could scream along to songs about being outcasts and feel included in a bigger group, with Lorde the “Queen B”.

Laura Boyle
Photo: Krists Luhaers

For further information and future events visit Lorde’s website here.

Watch the video for Green Light here: