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"Solar Power" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, released on 10 June 2021, through Universal Music New Zealand as the lead single from her third album of the same name. The song, written and produced by Lorde and Jack Antonoff, was announced on Lorde's website alongside the message "Patience is a virtue" and briefly leaked hours before its release, after being pushed forward from its initial release date, 20 June.

Writing and production

Lorde wrote the song while visiting her friend Cazzie David on Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts. She wrote the song on a Yamaha DX7 keyboard and later brought the demo to producer Jack Antonoff for further work.

Lorde initially thought the song sounded similar to Robbie Williams' 2000 single "Rock DJ", but she was later informed of its similarities to "Loaded", a 1990 single by the British band Primal Scream. Although the similarity to "Loaded" was unintentional, and Lorde said she had never heard of Primal Scream beforehand, she contacted the band's lead singer Bobby Gillespie to clear "Solar Power" with him. In an interview Apple Music 1 DJ Zane Lowe, Lorde said Gillespie had given "Solar Power" his approval: "He was so lovely about it — he was like, 'These things happen, you caught a vibe that we caught years ago.' And he gave us his blessing. So let the record state: 'Loaded' is 100% the original blueprint for this, but we arrived at it organically. And I’m glad we did."

The song features backing vocals from indie rock musicians Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo.

Artwork

The cover image was photographed by Lorde's friend Ophelia, showing Lorde’s buttocks. The cover art was released on Lorde's official website and the official Instagram account of her frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff on 7 June 2021, and was widely shared on social media. However, due to a large scale DMCA takedown, many Twitter accounts sharing the cover were locked for several hours. The photo quickly went viral online. Lorde responded that, "It's a specific experience thinking about everyone in your life seeing your butt. I have no regrets. I love this cover and am happy for this to be how people see my butt." There is another version of the cover art, which obscures Lorde’s butt with sunlight. This obscured version was shown to Spotify users in Japan, users of China’s top music streaming platforms like NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music, Apple Music users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Critical reception

"Solar Power" has received widespread acclaim from music critics. Writing for Pitchfork, Anna Gaca called the song a "soft-touch anthem for the season's simple pleasures", and remarked that it "flipped the script" when compared to the sound of Lorde's 2017 album Melodrama. Rhian Daly of NME gave the song five out of five stars, labelling it a "sun-kissed ode to starting anew", and drew musical comparisons to the Primal Scream album Screamadelica, Joni Mitchell, and Wolf Alice's sound since Visions of a Life. Writers for New Zealand magazine The Spinoff generally praised "Solar Power", with Toby Manhire calling the song an "instant classic", and Stewart Sowman-Lund calling the song "so perfectly summery that it makes me want to drive straight to Devonport (or wherever people swim in Auckland)".

Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated that the track "boasts a breezy, psychedelic quality that's perfectly paired for summer drives and beach trips, and an optimistic outlook", while lacking "the urgency of her best songs". Writers for Vulture received the song well, with Justin Curto describing it as "a sunny, acoustic-driven song about a good day on the beach, as the cover art teases" and noted that its bridge is reminiscent of George Michael's "Freedom! '90", and Craig Jenkins called it "slight and fun", though it felt "more like a carefree vacation update than the blockbuster comeback we've been anticipating since the simpler times", while noting similarities to "the psychedelic dance-rock of early '90s UK rave kings like Happy Mondays and Primal Scream". In a Billboard piece, Jason Lipshutz wrote that "Lorde's new single 'Solar Power' is a playful splash of salt water onto our faces in time for the summer", calling it "deceptively simple", noting the saxophone and trumpet in the mix, and asserted that "Lorde remains one of the best at filling the corners of her songs with personalized knickknacks". In a five star review, Rachel Brodsky of The Independent praised Lorde for "finding a new way to express a universal feeling", comparing it to the Beach Boys' song "Kokomo". Consequence named it "Song of the Week", describing it as "light, bouncy, and nonchalant", emphasising its departure from Lorde's previous works.

Music video

The music video for "Solar Power" was released on 11 June 2021, directed by Lorde and Joel Kefali, which "posits Lorde almost as the leader of a happy-go-lucky, hippie solstice cult — almost a benign, yassified version of Midsommar". Stewart Sowman-Lund of The Spinoff also noted a similar connection, writing that "the music video is like if Midsommar was shot in New Zealand". With a presumption that the video was filmed in New Zealand, Newshub claimed that the location of the music video was Cactus Bay on Waiheke Island, guessing that the landmass in the distance was the Coromandel Peninsula, and presuming that a cargo ship in the background placed the video's location north of Auckland. Lorde told Triple J that "we built literally basically a universe on a secret beach. The first video is me introducing you to the world of the album and the videos, I play a kooky tour guide almost".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

• Lorde – vocals, production
• Jack Antonoff – bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, percussion, 12-string acoustic guitar, production
• Phoebe Bridgers – background vocals
• Claire Cottrill – background vocals
• Matt Chamberlain – drums, programming, percussion
• Evan Smith – saxophone
• Cole Kamen-Green – trumpet
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
• Matt Wolach – assistant mixing
• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Will Quinnell – mastering

Release history

References

1. Convery, Stephanie (11 June 2021). "Lorde releases new single Solar Power to coincide with solar eclipse". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HqSMD6NOc
3. Kranc, Lauren (10 June 2021). "Lorde's New Single 'Solar Power' Is Causing Chaos Across the Internet". Esquire. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
4. Michallon, Clémence (10 June 2021). "Solar Power leak: Lorde's new song released early on streaming platforms in apparent mishap". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
5. ^ Lorde (10 June 2021). "Solar Power - Single by Lorde on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
6. ^ Helman, Peter. "Lorde discusses her new song's similarity to Primal Scream, and writing it at Cazzie David's house". Stereogum. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
7. Aswad, Jem (11 June 2021). "Lorde explains the inspiration for 'Solar Power': Primal Scream, but apparently not George Michael". Variety. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
8. Strauss, Matthew. "Lorde discusses "Solar Power" recording and inspiration, working with Phoebe Bridgers, and more in new interview". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
9. "Lorde is Finally Back With 'Solar Power,' Reveals Cheeky Album Cover". Seventeen. 11 June 2021.
10. "Why was Lorde's 'Solar Power' cover art removed from Twitter? Fans say 'a** was too powerful'". Meaww. 8 June 2021.
11. "Lorde reveals how she feels about her 'butt' photo on Solar Power cover going viral". New Zealand Herald. 11 June 2021.
12. "Lorde's New Cover Art Has 2 Versions. One Doesn't Have Her Butt". Vice. 11 June 2021.
13. Gaca, Anna (10 June 2021). ""Solar Power" by Lorde Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
14. Daly, Rhian (10 June 2021). "Lorde's new song 'Solar Power' is a gorgeous, sun-kissed rebirth". NME. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
15. ^ "Scorching takes on 'Solar Power': Lorde's new single, reviewed". The Spinoff. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
16. Cinquemani, Sal. "Lorde's "Solar Power" Is a Breezy, Perfectly Timed Summer Anthem". Retrieved 11 June 2021.
17. Curto, Justin (10 June 2021). "Lorde Releases Her Beachside Babe Bop 'Solar Power'". Vulture. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
18. Jenkins, Craig (11 June 2021). "Lorde Has Risen But Only Halfway". Vulture. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
19. Lipshutz, Jason (10 June 2021). "Lorde Returns As Something Unfamiliar, But Just as Riveting, on 'Solar Power': Song Review". Billboard. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
20. "Lorde's Solar Power is a sun-splashed and of-the-moment return – review". The Independent. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
21. "Song of the Week: Lorde Paints a Sunny Portrait With "Solar Power"". Consequence. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
22. Willman, Chris (10 June 2021). "Lorde Leads Her Disciples to the Beach in Extremely Summery New Video, 'Solar Power'". Variety. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
23. Burrows, Matt; Satherley, Dan (11 June 2021). "Revealed: The secret beach location of Lorde's new video 'Solar Power'". Newshub. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
24. Newstead, Al (11 June 2021). ""It's definitely my most complex work" Lorde on her "playful, fun" third album Solar Power". Triple J. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
25. "Credits / Solar Power / Lorde". Tidal. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
26. "Singles to Radio 10 June 2021". 10 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
27. "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases | ..." All Access. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
28. "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases | ..." All Access. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.

• 2021 singles
• 2021 songs
• Lorde songs
• Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff
• Song recordings produced by Lorde
• Songs written by Jack Antonoff
• Songs written by Lorde