Albums to watch

Pure Heroine

Lorde

Pure Heroine

Debut full-length release of indie electronic pop from 16-year-old New Zealand singer-songwriter Ella Yelich-O'Connor, with producer and co-writer Joel Little

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Motown / Universal Lava / Republic
UK Release date
30/09/2013
US Release date
30/09/2013
  1. 10.0 |   The Digital Fix

    Pure Heroine may not be wildly original or necessarily groundbreaking but right here is proof, if needed, that proper, fantastically written and performed pop is alive and well
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  2. 9.4 |   Billboard

    September has been a profoundly great month for new female vocalists in popular music, but Lorde is easily the most vocally striking and lyrically thought-provoking. Pure Heroine is honest and addictive. Welcome to the age of Lorde
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  3. 9.0 |   Clash

    As a well-read girl with a strong idea of feminism, her lyrical devices and clever wordplay blend point and simplicity seamlessly without ever leaving the listener feeling left out
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  4. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Delivers everything you could have hoped for from a pop star in 2013
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  5. 8.3 |   A.V. Club

    A scattered, but preternaturally gifted album, charting the rise of a new teen phenom with enough awareness to navigate crossover success with aplomb
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  6. 8.2 |   Paste Magazine

    At 37:17, Pure Heroine doesn’t take long to take down modern values
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  7. 8.2 |   Sputnik Music (staff)

    A remarkably jaded affair, as eager to dismantle the vapidity and bloated emptiness of pop culture as it is to ponder the seemingly eternal state of affairs that is being a teenager
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  8. 8.0 |   FasterLouder

    A wistful dissection of a youth still in progress
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  9. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    She’s a star; more to the point she’s an obvious star
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  10. 8.0 |   Q

    An intimidatingly assured opening shot from a major new talent. Print edition only

  11. 8.0 |   DIY

    What we’ve come to expect is catchy blog-pop with hit potential. And this whiffs all over this record. No standard lulling filler, just anthems
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  12. 8.0 |   God Is In The TV

    There will be people asking with success at such an early age, where can Lorde possibly go from here. In my opinion. Anywhere
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  13. 8.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Pure Heroine feels surprisingly real and fully formed, punching through sparse, cushily booming post-hip-hop tracks with vividly searching lyrics
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  14. 8.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    Lorde’s clearly a gifted songwriter for her age, but don’t let the novelty affect your perception of Pure Heroine. It’s a very grown-up album despite its teenage topics, and if you give a damn about good pop songs, then you owe it a listen
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  15. 8.0 |   Slant Magazine

    A remarkably unpretentious and almost raw set of vignettes mostly powered by Lorde's modest, affectation-free performances
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  16. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    A record packed full of inspirational, intelligent monologues. It isn't half catchy either
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  17. 8.0 |   The 405

    Where she goes next is anyone's guess, but she'll be watched by the entire world as she does so
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  18. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    A remarkable debut that fairly sizzles with confidence and attitude
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  19. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    If the "Lorde" persona isn't just a record-label construct, it bodes well
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  20. 8.0 |   Time Out

    Lorde’s best choruses - ‘Royals’, ‘Team’ and ‘Tennis Court’ - are simply glorious
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  21. 7.5 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    While it’s no masterpiece, Pure Heroine is unique and engaging enough to keep the conversation going
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  22. 7.3 |   Pitchfork

    What’s fueling Pure Heroine is a tension between the tweet and the truth
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  23. 7.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    Combines the frivolity of youth and the new science of FM pop 2.0 to unchallengeable affect
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  24. 7.0 |   The Fly

    Whilst Lorde’s world creates its own incredibly distinctive atmosphere, it feels accessible and open to maturing
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  25. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    A lush, engaging experience
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  26. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    A somewhat trendy collection – neither classic-sounding enough to stand alone, nor innovative enough to break new ground
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  27. 6.0 |   All Music

    Contains all of the stylized goth foreboding of LDR's Born to Die and almost none of the louche, languid glamour
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  28. 6.0 |   Spin

    If nothing else, the music is aggressively okay
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  29. 6.0 |   The Independent

    It's impressive, slick alienation for the Y? Generation, but as with Del Rey, it's a one-trick-pony sort of act
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  30. 6.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    Precocious, certainly, exhilarating, at times, Lorde’s debut album is almost but not quite as good as it thinks it is
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  31. 6.0 |   The Observer

    Is Pure Heroine the most restrained pop release of 2013?
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  32. 6.0 |   NME

    Lorde spends so much time rebelling against the pop formula there's little time left to deliver the goods
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Lorde: Pure Heroine

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Tennis Court £0.99
  • 2. 400 Lux £0.99
  • 3. Royals £0.99
  • 4. Ribs £0.99
  • 5. Buzzcut Season £0.99
  • 6. Team £0.99
  • 7. Glory And Gore £0.99
  • 8. Still Sane £0.99
  • 9. White Teeth Teens £0.99
  • 10. A World Alone £0.99
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