After two somewhat lacklustre singles (it feels like a crime saying this about Lorde), ‘Mood Ring’ offers us everything we want from Lorde and a little bit more. With acoustic guitar riffs (an upcoming staple of Solar Power no doubt), an unmistakable early noughties pop vibe, and typically great Lorde lyrics, ‘Mood Ring’ is the perfect single before the album’s release.
Starting off with sweet harmonies and a subtle synth backing, ‘Mood Ring’ quickly launches into Lorde’s sweet vocals and that acoustic guitar that feels partly in thanks to Jack Antonoff. In a similar vein to ‘Solar Power,’ it boasts that same summery warm vibe – even if tainting it with a satirical edge. As Lorde pointed out, the song ‘was a really cool metaphor for the magical thinking that we all employ at times to feel well,’ and it’s this ‘magical’ element that presents itself in lyrics like ‘ladies, begin your sun salutations’ or ‘you can burn sage, and I’ll cleanse the crystals’. What’s mesmerising about the single though is its tainted noughties and late 90s sound, reminiscent of singles like Nelly Furtado‘s ‘All Good Things (Come To An End)’, or even Natalie Imbruglia‘s ‘Torn’. It draws you in with soft nostalgia that seems ready to celebrate a care-free and simple mode of living, something that Lorde celebrates all too well in the music videos for ‘Mood Ring’ and even ‘Solar Power’.
Where Pure Heroine had its ‘Royals’ and Melodrama had its ‘Green Lights’ (or any song on that album to be honest), Solar Power has ‘Mood Ring’ and is the track that finally has me excited to hear what Lorde’s next album will be all about.
‘Mood Ring’, from Lorde’s upcoming album Solar Power, is out now via Universal Music New Zealand. Watch the magical music video below:
