Lorde in Montréal
A Night of Rebirth & Transcendence
“As for me, I’m going back to the clay,” Lorde sings on her recent track “If She Could See Me Now.” The song is about rebuilding yourself from scratch despite adverse challenges and pain, and wishing that your younger self could see you now and how strong you have become. With confetti exploding over the arena, it is a fitting anthem of triumph and self-improvement. In fact, the main theme that I noticed during Lorde’s show is rebirth, and I was surely born again.
Last Saturday, Sept. 27, Ella Yelich-O’Connor, the singer-songwriter better known as Lorde, made a stop at the Centre Bell in Montréal, as part of her Ultrasound World Tour. She embarked on this tour nearly two weeks ago, along with supporting acts The Japanese House and Blood Orange.
The Japanese House opened the show with some light and fun indie-pop songs, but nothing too crazy. It was a short and sweet set that was fun but did not overstay its welcome. Next, Blood Orange took the stage. As a longtime Blood Orange fan, I was excited to hear hits like “Champagne Coast,” as well as other songs like “Jesus Freak Lighter” and “Mind Loaded.” However, something felt off about their performance. They felt a bit out of place in a large arena. Their performance reminded me of the musical performances seen at The Roadhouse in nearly every episode of David Lynch’s television series, “Twin Peaks.” The performances felt distant and almost dreamlike, similar to The Roadhouse performances seen in the show, which are often symbolic of deeper messages within the series. It was enjoyable, but I felt it was more suited for a smaller venue.
Lorde’s set began with darkness. A blue laser beam ejected out to the center of the stage as Lorde slowly rose on a platform. “I might have been born again, I’m ready to feel like I don’t have the answers,” she sang during the opening song “Hammer.” This is also the opening track to her fourth record entitled “Virgin,” released back in May of this year.
After getting her most well-known hit, “Royals,” out of the way immediately after the opening song, the alternative-pop singer revealed that she has many stories to share with us and felt that it was best to start with the song “Broken Glass.” The track references an eating disorder and self-esteem problems that Lorde experienced a few years ago. I was impressed with how grandiose she made the show feel with a minimalist aesthetic. For example, some of the only things on stage included a giant box-fan which she sang into, as well as a treadmill that she ran on while singing the emotional ballad “Supercut.” Charlotte Blake ’27 stated that she “liked how it was casual but very authentic and real. She’s not trying to be anything other than what she is.”
The New Zealand native artist delivered an electrifying performance of “The Louvre,” with as much fire in her heart as a song as powerful as this needed. Written from a place of burning passion for love, I could feel every emotion of the song as if Lorde and I had both experienced it only yesterday. The end of the song features a dramatic electric guitar solo that invokes feelings of nostalgia and lost love. As this happened, Lorde held a signal flare, illuminating the entire stage with it. A beautiful metaphor for the fire you feel inside when you have an intense crush, and the slow fading of the flame as the love is lost. Lorde is an artist like no other.
Lorde was unafraid to get vulnerable with the crowd. Before her heartbreaking ballad “Liability,” she gave a lengthy speech about the loneliness she has experienced in her life and being labeled as “different.” Having grown up with Lorde’s music, this moment hit deep for me and gave me an opportunity to reflect on my experiences of adolescence. Standing on stage with only a vocoder, she delivered a raw and captivating performance of “Clearblue,” chronicling her feelings with the experience of a pregnancy scare. She was also unafraid to strip down to her underwear for some songs about body-image issues, fully sharing her vulnerability with us. This felt empowering and enhanced the connection between artist and audience.
I was disappointed to see so many people sit down as soon as Lorde started playing tracks from her 2021 album “Solar Power,” which received mixed reviews from critics for its folky and laid-back nature. Oh, “Solar Power,” you deserve so much better. Nothing could have prepared me for the transformative experience that was “Green Light.” The explosive dancing, lights, and singing perfectly embody yearning. I don’t think I have ever felt so free.
The fitting final track, “Ribs,” has defined a generation. Immersed in the crowd on a very small B-stage, Lorde encouraged us to cry along with her to a song that she wrote at 16 years old. A song that has raised so many of us. Admitting that she can’t help but cry every time she hears the song, Blake said that it was “an experience that I have been waiting for for so long. I first discovered “Ribs” when I was 14, and I really resonated with it. I remember thinking I was so grown up and crying to it on the roof. Looking back, it seems ironic. I don’t listen to it often, so that the song does not lose its magic.”
Despite our collective fears of growing older and losing the fond memories of the past, experiencing a night of Lorde’s Ultrasound Tour was an unforgettable experience that I and many others will cherish for a long time.