On August 20, Lorde released her third studio album, titled “Solar Power.” This much awaited 12-song record was released four years after her previous album, “Melodrama.” As she released the singles off the album, fans began to question if it would live up to the hype. 

After streaming “Solar Power” for about three days straight, I have come to the conclusion that, while it is entirely different from her past music, it demonstrates her growth as a person and an artist and the progress she made over the past four years. 

The singles, “Solar Power,” “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and “Mood Ring” were released earlier this summer. They set the tone for the album’s release in such an effective way. They showed the themes she was attempting to cover in her music, including current world issues and growing up. She critiques cultural appropriation and our response to climate change with a few tracks. She also mentions her own personal journey with her relationship with fame and performing. 

Fans critique the differences of this album in comparison to her past two records. “Solar Power” has a much more upbeat, fast paced vibe to it, while “Melodrama” and “Pure Heroine” explore these darker themes with instrumentals to match. What I enjoy about this album is the juxtaposition between the lyrics and the tune in several tracks. While it is mis-matched, it is very intriguing to listen to. In other songs, it touches on her improved mental health, previously described in past albums and social media, which is refreshing, in a way. 

At the end of the day, this album’s production was great. Jack Antonoff, known for his work with Taylor Swift, produced “Solar Power,” and his widely-known status is well deserved. No matter what one’s musical preference is, it’s undebatable that the quality of this album was comparable to its predecessors.

My love of Lorde’s music has been years long. Since middle school, I have adored her music and related to her lyrics as we both grew up. This album did not change that. Overall, the production and lyricism, although new to me, were great. It is a bit different from the typical music I enjoy, but there was so much variety in this album, it is tough not to love. On a scale of 10, I’d give “Solar Power” by Lorde a 7.5, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an upbeat, fun album to end summer with.