Lorde’s quest for world domination moved one step closer to completion when she made her American television debut on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The teen sensation performed her breakout single “Royals” for the broadcast, then stuck around for a bonus rendition of another Pure Heroine cut, “White Teeth Teens.” Backed by a drummer and keyboardist (with an assist from her pre-recorded harmonies), she looked a tad nervous for the first performance, making somewhat stiff movements while almost willing herself to get lost in the song with a few smiles here and there. Having gotten that out of the way, she seemed more comfortable on “White Teeth Teens,” but in both cases, her gorgeous voice didn’t fail her.
While Lorde seems wise beyond her years, she recently had to learn one music star lesson the hard way: Do not piss off Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez fans. First, in an interview with New Zealand’s Metro, she said, “Taylor Swift is so flawless and so unattainable, and I don’t think it’s breeding anything good in young girls.” Then, speaking to Rolling Stone (via Idolator), she criticized Gomez, who’s recently covered “Royals” on tour.
“I’m a feminist and the theme of her song [“Come & Get It”] is, ‘When you’re ready come and get it from me.’ I’m sick of women being portrayed this way.” Naturally, fans of Swift and Gomez attacked her on Twitter, comparing her looks to Quasimodo from Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. Lorde later took to her Tumblr to diffuse the situation, apologizing for not thinking before she answered the interviewer’s question. She added that Swift was the first person she thought of when trying to picture an attractive pop star.
“I wish my favourite stars didn’t look perfect because I think fans (me included) have these feelings of worthlessness, like they’ll never be as pretty/talented/whatever, as a result of this intense photoshop culture and the endless strive for perfection,” she wrote. “She happens to be good looking, but I think she actually uses her other imperfections in an incredibly powerful and relatable way. Taylor Swift has a very unique vision, which I admire.”
Hopefully that quells the haters. Lorde’s debut LP Pure Heroine is available now via Universal.
