We've been running this blog for six years, which means we've had our fair share of exciting discoveries. Very few moments though have us as excited as we are right now about Lorde, a 16-year-old from Auckland, New Zealand who has been quietly building an incredible catalogue of music on SoundCloud for the past year. Her debut EP, The Love Club, which was released last month, is a stunning piece of work that defies her age. There's a classic quality to Lorde's music that draws comparisons to the likes Santigold and Lykke Li, yet her sound is wholly her own — a dark, brooding pop aesthetic built around minimal production and a voice that sounds like it's been crawling and scratching its way out of her for years. The Love Club is one of those records that rewards repeated listens, revealing new layers each time through. The Love Club EP is available for free download on her SoundCloud page.
Lorde