The first song that probably comes to mind when people think of Lorde is the 2013 smash hit ‘Royals,’ which spent nine weeks at the top of the chart. Billboard Hot 100 and is one of the best-selling singles of all time. My Favorite Lorde Song was also released in 2013, on the same EP as ‘Royals’, but it didn’t reach the same level of commercial success.
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‘the love club‘ was also the name of the EP it was released on. Later, the song was also featured along with ‘Royals’ and other much-loved characters. Lorde tracks like ‘Team’ and ‘Tennis Court’ on the extended version of their debut album, pure heroin. However, it was never released as a single.
The song lyrically explores the idea of falling into the wrong friend group and how this can have an effect on your mental well-being and other relationships in your life. Lorde opens the song with the line “I’m in a clique, but I want to get out,” immediately creating the confusion between being simultaneously adored as part of a popular group and wanting to leave it all behind. She calls attention to the new personas that people can often develop to fit in with her peers with the lyric ‘I forgot my old address the other day’. It’s clear that this is unfortunate for the singer, as towards the climax of the song she states that ‘the only problem I have with the club, is how you’re separated from the people who saw you grow up, when you’re a member’. The song, therefore, reflects on the importance of being yourself and reuniting with those who have raised and loved you from the beginning, such as family and childhood friends.
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Musically, the song has an ethereal quality, with Lorde’s background harmonies at the beginning of the track drawing you in as if an angel herself were singing to you. Combining these harmonies with a clapping rhythm and synth sounds makes for an addictive earworm. It’s simple yet incredibly effective, making ‘The Love Club’ a song I’ll never get tired of listening to no matter how many times I do it. It really makes me feel like I’m floating in space, completely weightless.
It’s a shame ‘The Love Club’ hasn’t achieved the commercial success of other Lorde songs and hasn’t been released as a single. Yet as one of the first pieces of music Lorde released, self-releasing the EP of the same name in 2012 before its official release the following year, it still sounds fresh with every listen. A track doesn’t have to be immensely successful on the charts or fame to be one of an artist’s best and for me ‘The Love Club’ is one of Lorde’s best.