Lorde’s New Song: What Does It Mean?

Several subcultures, movements, and zeitgeists have emerged throughout the decades, and they have continued to affect present trends. There were goths, emos, hipsters, punks, the Beat Generation, and a slew of other subcultures. They’re all intriguing, but each has its own set of opposing viewpoints. New-age spirituality is one of these movements. It’s also regarded as a religious activity, and it’s linked to hippies, another counterculture movement.

You’ve most likely seen people with long or dreadlocked hair who are into peace and mindfulness. They have an eclectic way of living, with equally unusual dress and lifestyle choices to match. Their rituals involve interacting with nature and using crystals and sage to give their minds, bodies, and spirits an uplifting mood. It sounds like a cult, but it isn’t as vicious.

Then there’s Lorde, with her new album, which you can buy from a record store or online using a virtual debit card. With this new album, the pop star is also sporting a fresh look, which many think is channeling this movement. Some people think she is doing a social commentary about it. So which is the correct one?

What’s Up With Lorde’s New Look?

Lorde is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter from New Zealand who took a four-year hiatus following her last album’s financial and critical success, “Melodrama.” She has been MIA due to her awkward, anti-social media, pop antithesis character, and the completion of her new album “Solar Power,” released on August 20, 2021. It was a new album that wasn’t as well-received as her previous albums, and it left many fans questioning her new aesthetics and style.

Lorde released a song and a music video with the same title as the album before it was released. Fans recognized how much her music and style had evolved since she was last engaged in the music industry. Her dark electronic pop songs morphed into uplifting, brighter, and more upbeat. Along with her new musical style, she appears to have developed a new fashion sense. She began to wear more colorful dresses to reflect her new album’s themes.

Solar Power is a new phase in Lorde’s music career, and some fans aren’t happy about it, claiming she’s lost the things that made her Lorde from her previous EP and albums. Some admirers were pleased to discover that she has moved away from her melancholy songs and appears to be maturing.

One more noticeable change in Lorde’s musical and visual style is how she appears surrounded by several people as the head of a cult. Some fans believe she was influenced by the film “Midsommar.” Some admirers speculated that it was merely a coincidence. That is until Lorde released a new song called “Mood Ring” with a music video in which she seems to be playing the role of a cult leader.

Mood Ring

With her lyricism, new look, crystals, and sage, Lorde’s “Mood Ring” appear to be a tribute to the new-age movement. Is that true, though? Is there a deeper meaning to all of this?

It turns out to be a parody kind of a song with an accompanying music video that reflects the double meaning of her lyrics. Suppose you’ve followed Lorde’s career, musicianship, or lyricism. You’ll know she enjoys going against the mainstream and likes writing songs about these trends. You can hear this in her earlier songs like “Royals” and “Tennis Court.”

Lorde said in a video posted to the Genius YouTube channel on August 23 that “Mood Ring” is not her telling the world that she is now a follower of the new-age spirituality. She discussed the origins of the song, what each lyric means, and the symbolism behind the songs in this Genius video.

The song and video make numerous parallels to the new-age movement. You can easily understand Lorde’s message once you read the lyrics. As the song proceeds, she sings about how individuals who fly to Eastern cities and countries like Bali, Indonesia, find themselves doing yoga and being spiritual.

Lorde’s New Era Is Here

Lorde said she has no resentment toward the new-age movement, even though “Mood Ring” is a societal criticism. She admits that people who find comfort in doing it simply seek refuge in the health and wellness society. There is nothing wrong with that. She remarked that the new normal is a strange time, so do what you want to cope with these problems.

It’s fascinating to learn about what Lorde writes about and how she is still the same singer and songwriter who took the music world by storm a few years back. Even though she appears to have changed, fans can still enjoy the lyricism and social commentary from the same Lorde they love.