Lorde
A&R executive Jason Flom received a SoundCloud link with 200 plays and signed Lorde within days, comparing her to Tori Amos after a single listen. She was 16. She wrote the lyrics to "Royals" in about half an hour and finished five tracks with producer Joel Little within three weeks. The title came from a National Geographic photograph of Kansas City Royals player George Brett that she'd been drawn to for years, combined with a lifelong fascination with aristocracy and luxury she'd never experienced. In the music video, the boys are her actual friends. She wore her own old sweater.
In our deep dive into Royals, we trace the song from a SoundCloud link and a half-hour writing session to the record that redefined what a teenage pop star could actually sound like.
