Solar Power, Lorde’s long-awaited third album, is no Melodrama, but that’s kind of the whole point. The reclusive Kiwi pop singer and Best Cinematography nominee has come of age, an inevitability she addresses directly in “Secrets From a Girl (Who’s Seen It All).” It’s a gentle, guitar-led cut addressed to Lorde’s teenage self, although she knows her advice will likely go unheeded (“You can take it if you want it, these are just / Secrets from a girl who’s seen it all”). Does the song tiptoe into cheesy territory? Definitely, but as a longtime Lorde fan and fellow 25-year-old who also “couldn’t wait to turn 15 / Then you blink and it’s been 10 years,” I’m here for it. Come for the tender introspection, and stay for the free therapy (“Everybody wants the best for you / But you gotta want it for yourself, my love”). —Sam Manzella
Bop Shop VMA Edition: Songs From Chlöe, Lorde, Polo G, And More
