I went to see Lorde in concert the other night in Chicago with some friends, and she was incredible. Even from far away up in the stands, we could feel her humility, genuine spirit, and wisdom. Her energy permeated the building. She spoke with such poise about what this album means to her and where it came from. As often happens at concerts, artists like to share a bit about what they’ve been through that influenced their music. And often these moments are inspiring. I think that warm, energized feeling elicited by these personal stories is magnified because it is connected to music and music always brings out all the feels (at least for me). If these stories weren’t told through music, they wouldn’t be nearly as powerful.

Lorde’s dynamism lies in her lyrics and her melodies of course, but also in her presence and performance. And her dance moves because they are just real and amazing. Her new album is a breakup album, so we cried, we laughed, and we danced. Because what else are you supposed to do in the face of heartbreak…

I like this performance of “Supercut”, because while it doesn’t show her explosive energy, it’s like a spiritual ode to an elusive memory of the past. Lucky for us, she sang this song at the concert and ran all over the stage in an happy/melancholic frenzy. It was definitely one of those experiences that I never wanted to end.