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Lorde Gets Bummed on Tears for Fears Cover for ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

lorde, hunger games: catching fire, tears for fears, everybody wants to rule the world

The official soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire arrives on November 19 bearing songs by a slew of blockbuster talent. We’ve already heard contributions from the National, Coldplay, and Sia featuring the Weeknd and Diplo. Now comes an offering from “Royals” queen Lorde, who conquers Tears for Fears’ 1985 classic “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The 17-year-old singer embraces the film’s post-apocalyptic mood on her cover, ditching the original tune’s shimmering melody and replacing it with a dire mix of battle-ready drums and dead-serious vocals. Lorde’s joyless approach might fare better in the context of Catching Fire (out November 22), but right now, the Pure Heroine starlet sounds pretty joyless. Sheryl Crow’s “Strong Enough” this is not. Stream a 90-second snippet of Lorde’s end-is-nigh war cry below.