Soundcheck with Ethan

By: Ethan Barrocas

Our Lorde and savior has risen from the pristine beaches of her Solar Power era and created a storm. Her latest studio album, Virgin has Lorde revived and back to her electronic foundation with its minimalistic charm.

After the release of the first single “What Was That,” many just assumed that Lorde had “reheated her nachos” and would be creating another Melodrama, which was unjust because she didn’t. Virgin manages to abolish those rumors by sticking to her individuality and conceiving another beautiful body of work. She has always been a force in music, but Virgin takes Lorde a step further, transcending boundaries. Through screwy production done by Jim-E Stack and others, its synths make rain pour out of your headphones. Normally, Lorde relies on captivating hooks on her records but her songwriting on this album is like nothing I have seen from her. It’s beautifully heartbreaking and showcases Lorde at her most poetically introspective. The lyrics are deeply personal and descriptive, reflecting topics of sex, body dysmorphia, gender, and self-image. 

The album opens in a way that feels as free as a virgin. “An ode to city life and horniness.” Lorde said herself about the opening track. “Hammer” paints a picture full of vibrant colors but with grays and silvers thrown onto the painting chaotically. It exudes the freedom of New York and feeling unchained about sexual desires. Through the unrestrictedness she feels, it finds a way to connect to her gender, “Some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man.”  Her unboundness is shown even further through the ecstatic instrumentation that adjoins. The first beat drop is simple but the second one does it for me. The harmonies and ecstatic feel that close the track have a sense of longing but still keep the unchained aesthetic of the song. It’s by far the best lead single in my opinion.

“What Was That” is the closest to Melodrama that we get on Virgin. It’s emotional as Lorde goes in-depth with details on what it feels like for her after a breakup whether it be not eating or feeling completely lost in a chaotic sea of emotions. She reminisces on the chorus with lyrics like, “We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?” It carries that classic Lorde hook, similar to the ones used on “Green Light.” It served well as the first lead single, but it was too similar to what I’ve heard from her before. I wanted something new and in my opinion, it faded into the background.

“Shapeshifter” is melodic and cuts deep. Lorde presents herself as a shapeshifter in her relationships, by changing who she is to best fit the needs of her partner. Lorde views herself as an object in these relationships. For example, “I’ve been the ice, I’ve been the flame.” She’s aloof but she can also adapt herself to her partner’s needs and pretends to be confident. She then highlights how this is a cycle on the bridge of the song, “I’ll kick you out and pull you in/Swear that you were just a friend/And when it’s all over again/Say I’m not affected.” Her emotional detachment highlights the fragility of human connection and how Lorde goes back to the person, even if it causes more hurt to herself. My favorite additions to the song are the shards of fairy tales that are scattered around. In the first verse where she makes a Rapunzel reference, “I’ll let down my braids and you’ll climb up.” She contrasts herself with Rapunzel, whereas Rapunzel isn’t in control, but in Lorde’s case, she has control over the relationship. 

As the song Lorde said she is most proud of, “Man of the Year” solidifies itself as a standout on Virgin. The song was first teased at the 2025 Met Gala when Lorde wore a look that was very similar to the cover for the track. The track shows an image of silver duct tape over her breasts, which hints at the ideas of gender that are discussed on “Man of the Year.” It’s your run of the mill power-ballad, but instead it hits you like a semi-truck. Through her vulnerability she realizes that stepping outside of her femininity allowed her to feel truer to who she is. But she worries too, through lyrics on the chorus she says, “Who’s gon’ love me like this?” The production rises and rises until the tension surges into a beautiful blast of emotion. It’s all over the place but in the best way possible, which could emulate what Lorde was feeling at the time.

“Favourite Daughter” is about Lorde’s relationship with her mother and how her mom is the blueprint for Lorde. Lorde mentioned how this was the hardest song for her to create. She expresses her need for recognition from her mother but also the lingering generational trauma that follows. “All of the medals I won for ya, breaking my back just to be your favourite daughter.” This line from the chorus really stood out to me because it highlights her accomplishments but shows the struggles she went through to make sure she achieved her goal. It’s energetic too which can directly relate to the efforts she put into things. The track feels upbeat but there’s a need at its core and plagues the message with hopelessness.

“Current Affairs” is one of Lorde’s most provocative songs, especially alongside the next track “Clearblue.” The song is about Lorde’s intimate experiences blending it with the chaos of her sensuality. The post-chorus uses a sample from Dexta Daps’ track, “Morning Love,” emphasizing how good she is in bed. The lyrics grab your attention with their sexual nature, such as “He spit in my mouth like he’s saying a prayer.” There is one lyric in particular in the chorus that stuck out to me the most though, “My bed is on fire, mama I’m so scared.” It correlates back to “Favourite Daughter” and how she wants to be brave even in the most sensual moments. 

As the last song started on Virgin, “Clearblue” is a Imogen Heap inspired track only clocking in at two minutes, marking itself as the shortest song on the album. It’s an acapella track and the vocals are processed in a way that seems almost robotic. She discusses having a pregnancy scare as well as the emotions that followed due to the gravity of the situation.

“GRWM” isn’t a Mikayla Nogueira tiktok of her screaming at you that she’s going to Greece, it’s about Lorde coming to terms with her adulthood. She uses descriptive imagery such as, “Wide hips, soft lips, my mama’s trauma/Since ’96, been looking for a grown woman/A grown woman.” Which goes back to “Favourite Daughter” and the generation of trauma she experiences. She also goes back to discuss her youth and what it’s like for someone growing up, “Pink galaxy left undressed/2009 me be so impressed.” She refers to acne as a pink galaxy and the effects puberty has on a teenager. But, she says how her younger self would be proud at where she’s out now. It’s like a more maturing, accepting version of her song “Ribs.” And As someone that’s transitioning into adulthood, this song really hit me hard. 

“Broken Glass” has Lorde confessing her self-hatred through her eating disorder. The entire song is a release for Lorde. She goes very in depth on her experiences such as crying herself to sleep or sweating at the gym for hours. The chorus, however, cuts deep. “I wanna punch the mirror, to make her see that this won’t last/It might be months of bad luck,but what if it’s just broken glass?” It’s violent as she expresses her anger but it’s also added with reflection and how the eating disorder won’t last. The second part however, is more negative. She states how she rather have months of bad luck than have to face herself in the mirror. The synths on this song are sharp that slowly fade out, which could hint at her overcoming her eating disorder.

“If She Could See Me Now,” is similar to “GWRM” in the way she looks back on her life but it’s a lot more bolder. Rough guitar chords play all over the song, it’s edgier and jagged compared to her past work. She feels rewarded on the song, expressing how far she’s come, “It made me a woman, being hurt like that/I can feel, don’t need fantasy/Oh, God, if she could see me now.” It’s one of the more upbeat tracks on Virgin as she embraces her imperfections and starts to love herself again.

Where do I even begin with “David.” This song immediately shot up to one of my favorite Lorde songs of all time. It is BEAUTIFUL! She’s rawly exposed but powerful, all at the same time. From mentioning how she has surrendered herself to people, regardless of how it made her feel to these lyrics, “Pure Heroine mistaken for featherweight,” which discusses her annoyance at being misjudged by the world. Her journey reaches a climax at the end where the synths shatter into a supernova. And just as it starts it ends as she slowly steps out of her confident position and asks, “Am I ever gonna love again?”

My Top 3 Tracks:

1. David
2. Shapeshifter
3. Broken Glass