Exploring the story of how Lorde got her name
Lorde is one of the most interesting contemporary pop stars. The New Zealander brings positive energy to the form whilst always espousing a progressive spirit augmented by sharp societal critiques. Like one of the other most esteemed vocalists of today, Billie Eilish, Lorde invariably leads by example, which is endlessly refreshing.
Something of a Generation Z answer to Madonna, Lorde has consistently shown that she is not just a one-trick pony, consistently thinking outside of the box with every new venture. Her most recent effort, 2021’s Solar Power, was a stunning and expansive record that fused indie, folk, psychedelia, and atmospheric synths to create what is undoubtedly her best offering yet.
Reflecting the kind of left-field approach and attitude she is known for when discussing Solar Power with Viva Magazine in May, she said: “One of my favourite questions to ask of any piece of work is, ‘Who is this for?’ I asked it a lot of Solar Power and the answer was always, ‘It’s for me’. And in wilfully choosing to make this really weird, sprawling album that admittedly asks more questions than it answers, I think that’s not going to be for everyone, so I’m content with that”.
In short, the New Zealand pop star is an enigma, and even those who aren’t fans find themselves wondering what artistic direction she’ll go in next. Lorde is so unique that even her name separates her from the crowd. Born Ella Marija Yelich-O’Connor, it wasn’t until she started to become genuinely ensconced in music that she decided to forge her world-renowned brand’s name. Lorde has always been intrigued by the aristocracy, as her hit debut single ‘Royals‘ denotes, and this interest inspired her to choose her name.
After toying with a few ideas, she eventually settled on the name ‘Lord’ and added the ‘e’ at the end to make it a little more feminine. Speaking to Interview Magazine in 2013, she revealed how she eventually ended up as Lorde. “My name is Ella, that’s who I am at school, hanging out with friends, while I’m doing homework,” she explained. “But when I’m up on stage, Lorde is a character. My friends actually find that really difficult to digest, separating me from the theatrical character they see on stage; but they’re getting used to it.”
She added: “When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought ‘Lord’ was super rad, but really masculine—ever since I was a little kid, I have been really into royals and aristocracy. So to make Lord more feminine, I just put an ‘e’ on the end! Some people think it’s religious, but it’s not”.
