Prettier Jesus: A review of Lorde’s new album, “Solar Power”

Singer-songwriter and self-proclaimed “prettier Jesus” Lorde broke her four-year hiatus and has gifted us her dazzling third album, “Solar Power.”

The album, released Aug. 20 with Universal Music Group, brilliantly showcases Lorde’s growth as both an artist and a woman, as well as her reflections on the resilience of our planet through melancholic melodies and vulnerable lyricism.

Once the world tour for her last album, “Melodrama” came to a close in the fall of 2018, Lorde retreated to her homeland of New Zealand and fled from the public eye, logging off social media and taking a break from music to focus on reconnecting with friends, family, nature and most importantly, herself.

In February 2019, Lorde embarked on a journey to a land few get the opportunity to visit — Antarctica. The trip showed the singer the reality of climate change — an issue that now holds great importance to her. Lorde’s enchantment with the strength of the natural world grew, and she decided to share her experience through memoirs and photos in her book, “Going South,” released June 4.

The musician used her time away from the world to find her new sound and voice. The lessons she learned in Antarctica and back in New Zealand are present in the lyrics of this serene album.

Lorde painfully sings about the destruction of the planet in the fifth track, “Fallen Fruit.” After explaining that “the ones who came before us” made irrevocable damage to our planet and we have no choice but to see the end of days, she croons, “How can I love what I know I am gonna lose?”

Her passion for the climate crisis not only carries through her heart-wrenching lyrics, but also the merchandise she released in this era. Lorde collaborated with EVERYBODY.WORLD — a clothing company that uses 100% recycled cotton to reduce energy and water usage. Her eco-friendly merch can be found on her website and at future concerts for her upcoming tour, “The Solar Power Tour” — set to begin in February 2022 in Lorde’s home country. Fans are expecting a more stripped-down and laid-back vibe at her future shows to match the energy of this new album.

The title track and first single of the album, “Solar Power,” is a groovy ode to summer bliss. In it, Lorde expresses her adoration of sun-kissed skin and the freedom of the sunny season, saying, “My cheeks in high colour, overripe peaches / No shirts, no shoes, only my features,” as well as describing her hiatus with lyrics, “I throw my cellular device in the water / Can you reach me? No, you can’t.”

This lively song is the most vibrant track and stands out in an album filled with soft folk tunes. Lorde’s transition from her usual energetic ballads to her sweet calmness heard on “Solar Power” reflects her real-life efforts to flee from the chaos of the world and her pop star lifestyle during her break.

Listeners can understand Lorde’s growth during those four years when they hear lyrics like, “Now the cherry-black lipstick’s gathering dust in a drawer / I don’t need her anymore,” in “Ocean Feeling,” alluding to her signature emo look during her “Pure Heroine” era. Lorde is telling fans that she’s matured and is no longer the person she used to be.

In the song’s outro, Lorde sings, “Was enlightenment found? / No, but I’m tryin’, takin’ it one year at a time.” She recognizes she has yet to become the person she wants to be.

Lorde worked alongside producer and long-time friend Jack Antonoff — producer for the world’s biggest artists, such as Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift — for the creation of “Solar Power.”

The record consists of 12 songs, including singles “Solar Power,” “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and “Mood Ring.” Clairo — fellow Antonoff collaborator — and Phoebe Bridgers provided backup vocals in the form of siren-like harmonies for six of the tracks.

While the artist’s previous albums contain synth and digital beats, “Solar Power” embraces an organic tone with the simplistic usage of the acoustic guitar, drum kit, the occasional hum of cicadas and ambient city noise.

This change in musicality prompted criticism because Lorde became a trailblazer in the music industry for the electro-pop sound she left behind in this new era. After all, fans and critics waited four years for “Solar Power” and perhaps were expecting Lorde’s usual teenage angst and thus were disappointed to hear her mellow side.

But that’s the point — Lorde isn’t a teenager anymore. She is a 24-year-old woman who grew tremendously in the past few years. “Solar Power” spotlights her dreams, doubts, grief and her fear for the future.

Lorde traded her coming-of-age tunes filled with explosive sounds for a raw look at her inner-self. Although some fans are hesitant to take that peek, Lorde welcomes listeners with open arms as she sings, “Come one, come all, I’ll tell you my secrets.”