Editorial: Lorde shows the way

Lorde. Photo/Dean Purcell

I have a confession.

It's hard to admit after her amazing success, but I don't particularly like teen pop-prodigy Lorde's hit song Royals.

It's catchy. The melody sticks in your head long after you have listened to it like most songs that linger at the top of the album charts for weeks.

I find my interest wanes quicker than that of the radio stations that place these hits on high rotation.

This, of course, probably has a lot to do with the fact I am too long in the tooth to be part of the target audience.

That's not to say, I do not appreciate Ella Yelich-O'Connor's amazing voice, the cleverness of her lyrics or the message the song conveys.

Royals is an astute swipe at pop culture's celebration of flashy lifestyles.

And I was just as thrilled as anyone to see the 17-year-old winning Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards.

It was a stunning achievement on a world stage in a notoriously competitive industry and it was celebrated across the country.

After the win, when asked about her music and style being unconventional, she said: "Yeah, this time the weirdo won out."

She also revealed she had big plans for 2014, but refused to give away what they were, saying simply: "You will find out."

Prime Minister John Key yesterday sought leave to make a motion in Parliament to congratulate her.

The singer and her co-writer Joel Little had achieved something no other New Zealanders had managed, he said.

It capped off an amazing 12 months for the young Kiwi songstress who went from relative obscurity to having one of the most recognised voices in the world.

She has proven that anything can happen for a Kiwi with the talent and confidence to follow their own path.