Lorde - Solar Power

In a genuine surprise move, Lorde released the title track "Solar Power" timed to the year's only solar eclipse, announcing her third studio album alongside it. Reuniting with Jack Antonoff, who'd shaped the sound of her acclaimed Melodrama, Solar Power marked a deliberate stylistic turn away from the dense synth-pop of her earlier work toward something breezier, more acoustic, and sun-drenched, a full tonal reset for an artist previously known for moody, wintery introspection.

Across twelve tracks, the album leans into folk-inflected guitar, layered percussion, and airy vocal harmonies, trading the emotional intensity of her earlier records for something more meditative. "Mood Ring" and "Dominoes" stand out as highlights, weaving strings and percussion into arrangements that let Lorde's more relaxed, conversational vocal delivery breathe, while the title track sets the tone for the record's loose, nature-facing themes. It's a genuine departure, one Lorde clearly built with intention rather than as a retreat.

Reception was notably split at the time, with some critics praising the ambition of making an unabashedly happy, laid-back pop record, while others felt it lacked the hooks and immediacy of her prior work. Commercially, Solar Power still performed strongly, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200 and reaching number one in Australia and New Zealand, along with top-ten placements in over a dozen countries.

This vinyl LP pressing captures a genuine turning point in Lorde's catalog, the sound of an artist deliberately stepping away from expectation.