By Staff Writer: Jada Boprie

Lorde is creating history as one of the youngest music artists to have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Her hit “Royals” reached the number one spot on Oct. 2, elbowing aside Miley’s two week streak with “Wreaking Ball”. And Lorde is only 16 years old. However, age is one detail she wants her fans to ignore.

Lorde, whose given name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, was raised in New Zealand. Discovered at her school talent show and signed to a record company at age 12, Lorde is not quite the overnight star everyone believes she is. For four years, Lorde has been fine-tuning her voice and honing her skills as a song writer.

In a recent interview with a radio station, Lorde mentions how she hopes her fans will focus on her music, not her age. It could be easy to forget she’s 16 because of the sophistication of her voice. She uses a minimalist approach to singing, pronouncing each note clearly so that the lyrics are the focal point.  But for anyone who’s heard “Royals” or the songs on her new album, Pure Heroine, it is also difficult to forget her age because of the lyrics themselves. Lorde writes all of her songs and they are surprisingly relatable.  Her songs are inspired by her friends and their experiences. Although she grew up in New Zealand, her songs about society and nostalgia speak the truth about life growing up anywhere.

“I’m pretty confident in [the album]. I think it’s good.  And hopefully that will squash any one hit wonder vibes,” Lorde said in an interview with ZMTV.

Pure Heroine is a symbol of everything Lorde is known for from “Royals,” including catchy beats and poetic flow. Lorde has a unique way of blending indie with pop into music that can be appreciated by people who love different genres. But the one thing that makes Lorde’s music so unique is that it lacks the clichéd themes of pop music about money and being pretty. Instead, she sings about the underdogs. Part of the reason “Royals” is so popular is that it’s a description about being a teenager in a world where the wealthy elite are idolized. Some of the songs from her album that are gaining popularity are, “Tennis Court,” “Team,” and “A World Alone.”

Despite making history, Lorde is relaxed about her fame. As “Royals” rapidly climbed the charts, she wasn’t obsessively tracking its progress. Instead, she had to be informed by her producer. Whether her #1 will last for one week or ten, Lorde’s music is out there now and her number of fans is climbing. But Lorde remains down-to earth.

“I’m not super chart-minded . . . but I’m stoked,” Lorde said in the ZMTV interview.