Lorde admits she 'sucks at being famous'
She found international fame at the tender age of 16 thanks to the unprecedented commercial success of her debut single, the US and UK number one hit Royals.
But four years on and as she prepares for the long-awaited release of second album Melodrama, Lorde admits she struggled to adapt to the spotlight after being whisked from her native New Zealand and placed on the world stage.
She told NME: ‘When it was happening, I was quite overwhelmed by it. But that was a long time ago. If anything, I’ve slowly been getting less famous since Royals was really big. Which is totally cool for me… I suck at being famous. And that’s fine.
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Looking back: As she prepares for the long-awaited release of second album Melodrama, Lorde admits she struggled to adapt to the spotlight after being whisked from her native New Zealand and placed on the world stage at the tender age of 16
The 20-year old has slowly adjusted to her own celebrity status, but she still bristles at the scrutiny she faced after Royal's claimed the number one spot in the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
'It rocked my foundations and could have f**ked me, you know?' she reflected. 'I remember being made aware of my looks and my body in a way that I had never been,' she said.
'I remember all these kids online, I think I beat their favourite people to Number One, and they were like, "F**k her, she’s got really far-apart eyes."
'I remember being like, "Whoa! How did I get all this way without knowing I had far-apart eyes?" Just weird s**t like that. But I was able to return to my family and shelter against that and get to where I am now. I feel so comfortable in myself.'
She told NME : ‘When it was happening, I was quite overwhelmed by it. But that was a long time ago. If anything, I’ve slowly been getting less famous since Royals was really big'
With age comes maturity, and the singer - real name Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor - believes her forthcoming album has a newfound emotional honesty that reflects her life-changing four years in the industry.
Citing standout track Writer In The Dark as an example of her lyrical growth, Lorde admits it was inspired by a lost relationship.
'I think that when you do this, you have to find a way to live with yourself, because it’s not making no one feel anything.
'But it was important for me to say. And I don’t think that song is apologising for it. It’s more like, what did you think was going to happen? I was doing this before I met you and I’ll be doing this after you’re gone… I felt quite empowered.
Reflective: The 20-year old has slowly adjusted to her own celebrity status, but she still bristles at the scrutiny she faced after Royal's claimed the number one spot in the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand
'It was weird, I woke up in the middle of the night and was lying next to someone. And I wrote it down on my phone and I was like, "Oh God, I feel so naughty writing this!" While somebody’s sleeping, like an evil witch.
'But I really love that song. I feel like it’s such a cool, painful moment in the record.'
Melodrama is released on June 16 2017.