Lorde: our lady of Takapuna
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Here is an overview of Ella Yelich-O'Connor’s career-to-date, including interviews with some of the people who work with her, taken from RNZ’s back-catalogue.
Lorde's ascent to pop royalty
Now working with US producers Jack Antonoff and Frank Dukes, she's released two singles, 'Green Light' and 'Liability', from her album Melodrama, released June 16th 2017.
Ella Yelich-O'Connor - known more famously to a worldwide audience as Lorde - shot to fame with her hit single 'Royals' in 2013 and has not stopped topping music charts ever since. Signed to the Universal record label shortly after winning the Belmont Intermediate talent competition in 2009, Lorde moved onto a creative partnership with the former lead singer of Goodnight Nurse, Joel Little, releasing the Love Club EP on SoundCloud in November 2012. 'Royals' was spun off as a single in the summer of 2013 and soon thereafter topped charts in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Italy, and reached the Top 10 in most other Western countries.
Lorde's full-length debut, Pure Heroine, followed in September 2013 and it also became an international smash, earning double-platinum certification in the U.S., quintuple platinum certification in New Zealand, and going gold in the U.K. Further singles followed - 'Tennis Court' and 'Team' - the latter of which turned into a Top 10 hit in the U.S.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
October 2014 saw Lorde's first stadium concert tour of New Zealand, taking in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Read our review of Lorde's Wellington concert.
Lorde performing on the TSB Arena, Wellington Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Mid-tour Ella attended the annual APRA Silver Scroll Awards to present the main award (which she and Joel Little received last year for 'Royals') to this year's winner. Ella and Joel were awarded the Most Performed New Zealand Work in New Zealand for their song ‘Team’, and the Most Performed New Zealand Work Internationally for ‘Royals’.
Lorde accepts the Most Performed Work Award for the songs 'Team' and 'Royals'. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Fans swarm around Lorde as she arrives back in Auckland from the Grammys. Photo: RNZ
In late September 2014 Lorde released ‘Yellow Flicker Beat’ the single she wrote for the soundtrack she was invited to curate for the film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.
New Zealand's Taite Music Prize "to recognise outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music contained on one album" was awarded to Lorde's debut album Pure Heroine in April 2014. In a video acceptance speech from Las Vegas, Lorde suggested that the prize - $10,000 and time in a recording studio - be divided between the non-winning finalists.
April 2014 also saw Lorde perform at American music festivals Lollapalooza and Coachella, and sing with the remaining members of seminal grunge band Nirvana at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York.
February 2014 saw Lorde win Best International Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards in London. She was up against stiff competition with big names such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae and Pink also being nominated in her category.
Lorde wins at the 56th Grammy Awards. Photo: Ashley Page.
In January 2014 Lorde won two Grammy Awards in Los Angeles - Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year.
2013
During 2013 the single 'Royals' topped the charts around the world, and Lorde performed live on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Later with Jools Holland and The Late Show with David Letterman.
The New Zealand Music Awards in November 2013 brought four Tuis, with the debut E.P. The Love Club leading to Single of the Year for 'Royals'. Lorde also collected Breakthrough Artist of the Year, International Achievement Award and the People's Choice Award.
Lorde wins at VNZMA 2013 show photo by Jason Hailes
In October 'Royals' reached No 1 on the USA Billboard Hot 100, beating songs from Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry.
Photo: RNZ
Ella Yelich-O'Connor and co-writer/producer Joel Little won the APRA New Zealand Silver Scroll Award in October 2013 for composing the song 'Royals' which also in that month debuted at No. 1 on the British singles chart, making Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November, 1996) the youngest artist to do so since 1998.
Lorde's debut full-length album Pure Heroine was released on 27 September 2013, and debuted at number one on the New Zealand and Australian album charts. It charted in the Top 10 in nine other countries.
In August 2013 Yelich-O'Connor was also the first woman in almost two decades to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in the United States. At the time Billboard said the ascent of 'Royals' was stunning, achieving the longest reign by a lead female in the 25-year history of the Alternative Songs chart.
Lorde, who was 16 at the time, was also the youngest solo artist to perch atop the Hot 100 since Tiffany, who was also 16 when her song 'I Think We're Alone Now' reached number one in 1987.
Collection items
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Lorde: Sharing the brand new sounds from her mind
6 May 2017Lorde's second album - which has already produced two hit singles - is out next month. She talks to Kim Hill about feeling free, hearing colours and the oddness of some of her "spicy" fan mail. Video, Audio
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Ella Yelich-O'Connor
13 Aug 2009Long before she became ‘Lorde’, twelve-year-old Aucklander Ella Yelich-O'Connor and her band-mate Louis McDonald joined Jim Mora for a chat and to play a couple of songs live in the Radio NZ studio… Audio
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Lorde returns to centre stage with Green Light
3 Mar 2017"An assured step." That's the verdict on Lorde's new single 'Green Light' from Yadana Saw from RNZ Music. Video, Audio
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Lorde to debut new material at Coachella
4 Jan 2017Lorde's announcement as one of the major acts at the 2017 Coachellla Festival almost certainly means new tunes from the Kiwi songwriter are on the way, writes RNZ Music's Alex Behan. Video
Coming up
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Lorde on top of musical world
28 Jan 2014This time last year she was unknown except to a small circle of devoted New Zealand fans; now the Auckland teenager Lorde is on top of the musical world. Audio
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Lorde: top of the world
New Zealand musician who is topping charts in New Zealand and the United States, and has just released her debut album, Pure Heroine. Audio
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Lorde: Pure Heroine - Review
3 Oct 2013Nick Bollinger reviews the debut album of NZ pop sensation Lorde for The Sampler. Audio
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Graeme Downes dissects 'Royals' by Lorde
Dr. Graeme Downes, Head of the Department of Music, University of Otago, dissects the winning formula of 'Royals' by Lorde, which received the 2013 Silver Scroll for song writing. Audio
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Joel Little
21 Sep 2013Ex Goodnight Nurse frontman and producer/songwriter for Kids of 88, Joel Little, on the making of that Lorde sound. Audio
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Music Manager - Scott Maclachlan
21 Apr 2013Scott is one of the finalists in the Music Managers Forum NZ Music Manager of the Year, for his work with artists like Mt Eden, Chaos in the CBD and Lorde. Audio
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NZ teenager at top of Billboard hit list
13 Aug 2013An Auckland teenager has made music history in America, becoming the first female artist to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in almost two decades. Audio
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Lorde takes top prize at 2013 Silver Scrolls
16 Oct 2013The teenage singer Lorde has taken the top prize at this year's Silver Scroll awards, which celebrates the nation's best songwriting. Audio
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Teaching students the principles of a great pop song
14 Oct 2013A song by Kiwi teenage sensation, Lorde, is being used by Otago University's music department to help teach students the principles of a great pop song. To tell us what makes her song such a fine… Audio
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Silver Scrolls 2013 Awards Ceremony
19 Oct 2013We take you backstage at one of the most anticipated events on the local music calendar. talk to winners including Lorde's co-writer Joel Little, some of the other nominees for best song of the year… Audio
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Lorde and Lydia Ko named in Time Magazine
13 Nov 2013Singer songwriter, Lorde and professional golf player, Lydia Ko have reached new heights, named as two of Time Magazines most influential teenagers in the world. Audio
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Lorde, Aaradhna big winners at New Zealand Music Awards
22 Nov 2013The singer-songwriter Lorde is continuing her stellar rise after taking home a haul of wins at last night's New Zealand Music Awards. Audio
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Music Biz 2014 - The NZ Music Industry and Lorde
25 Jan 2014Journalists Duncan Grieve and Matt Nippert mull over the state of the local and international music industry, and the legend of Lorde. Audio
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Lorde wins Grammys
27 Jan 2014It's two out of four for Lorde, winning song of the year and Best pop solo performance. Audio
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Teacher says Lorde's star quality shone from early age
28 Jan 2014A schoolteacher who helped guide Lorde's music career says even as an intermediate pupil, she had star quality. Audio
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Lorde's parents proud of her Grammys success
28 Jan 2014Joining us now are Lorde's father Vic O'Connor and mother Sonja Yelich, who are in LA with their daughter - Ella Yelich-O'Connor to her family. Audio
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Lorde's friends say fame hasn't changed her
28 Jan 2014Friends of Lorde are celebrating her double Grammy success at Takapuna Grammar School, where she studied before striking it big. Audio
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Taite Music Prize 2014
We hear from Lorde via video link from Las Vegas and talk to her manager Scott Maclachlan as the 17 year-old from the North Shore takes out yet another prestigious gong. There's also a great speech… Audio
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Producing the goods – Joel Little
Best Engineer and Producer for the 2016 Artisan Awards, Joel Little talks Broods, Los Angeles and addresses the next Lorde project. Video, Audio
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Ben Barter, Lorde's drummer
9 Jan 2017Ben Barter lives in LA and plays drums for Lorde and bands like Broods and Passion Pit. This summer he’s back at his childhood home in Hillsborough near Onehunga. Audio
Lorde - Ella Yelich-O'Connor - at RNZ Auckland, May 2017. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Lorde - Ella Yelich-O'Connor 2013. Photograph by Charles Howells.
Silver Scrolls 2013 Lorde Ella Yelich-O'Connor and Joel Little Photo by Topic
Lorde performs live at the VNZMA 2013 show by Jason Hailes
