‘Lorde’ Dishes On New Single ‘Perfect Places’ And Admits ‘I’m A Mess’ [Video]

Melodrama is perhaps the aptest name Lorde could have come up with for her new album, at least as one learns about the singer/songwriter’s inspiration for her new single. As “Perfect Places” drops to a long-waiting fanbase, Lorde opens up about what drove her to write the song’s lyrics and reveals that some recently passed music legends had more than a passing influence upon the subject of Lorde’s creative process. Lorde also admits that the torrential flood of dark and miserable news played no small part in producing the dark mood perceptible in “Perfect Places” and more tracks from Melodrama.

Lorde Explores The Darker Side Of Teen Parties In “Perfect Places”

Rolling Stone reports that Lorde has just dropped “Perfect Places,” her second single from Melodrama, and the single is already gaining speed as another hit for the singer. Once presumed to be another one-hit wonder queen, Lorde is back with a powerful new album to judge by “Green Light” and its darker sister track, “Perfect Places,” both of which have struck chords with fans, though for different reasons.

“Perfect Places” tells the darker side of teen society, revealing that younger generations are jaded with the apathy and cynicism of the world, even before they reach the end of their high school years.

“Every night I live and die/ Meet somebody, take ’em home/ Let’s kiss and then take off our clothes,” sings 19-year-old Lorde. “It’s just another graceless night.”

While “Perfect Places” is perhaps a sign of a larger problem, affecting teens in countries all across the globe, this latest single from Melodrama is also deeply personal. Lorde sings with raw emotion, as lyrics like “I’m 19 and I’m on fire” hint that the song isn’t entirely philosophical.

Lorde retreated to her New Zealand home, following the success of her first LP, Pure Heroine, and it was there that Lorde was inspired to write “Perfect Places.” She says much of the song is based on the experiences she’s had with her friends, during her time away from th limelight of Pure Heroine‘s commercial success.

Lorde Annotates “Perfect Places” And Reveals What Inspired Her Second Melodrama Single

After releasing “Perfect Places,” Lorde added a little something special for Genius users. Pitchfork reports that the Melodrama artist took the time to annotate the single’s lyrics, giving deeper insight into what inspired Lorde to write the song.

For instance, one line reads “all of our heroes fading” is specifically about the passing of David Bowie and Prince in the last year. Lorde says she took those two deaths especially hard, feeling as though their deaths had taken the magic out of her life.

Additionally, Lorde says writing Melodrama while so much darkness was consuming the world affected her writing style.

“The news was just horrific every day,” Lorde says of the period during which she wrote the songs for Melodrama.

One line reads “I hate the headlines and the weather,” perfectly summing up Lorde’s feelings about the entire summer.

In her Genius notes for “Perfect Places,” Lorde calls that line “the most Melodrama line on the whole album.”

As dark as it may be, “Perfect Places” has touched her fans and has already become an anthem for a new generation of teens. Celebrating the success of “Perfect Places,” Lorde shared an Instagram photo of herself drinking a Red Bull.

“Just over here sippin on RB overjoyed that ur jazzed on perfect places,” Lorde writes in the caption.

Not everything in “Perfect Places” is dark and dismal. Lorde reveals that one line, “watch the wasters blow up the speakers,” was written after a night out with friends.

“We had this crazy room going then blew the speakers spectacularly and ghosted out of there. So yeah. Kind of about me,” confesses Lorde. “I’m a mess.”

[Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]