By Andrew LaGambina
Contributing Writer
[email protected]

That’s all I could think while listening to Lorde’s new single “Yellow Flicker Beat,” which serves as her musical contribution to the soundtrack of the new Hunger Games movie, a soundtrack for which she is the curator. The song, produced by Paul Epworth, of Adele fame, takes lyrical cues from the popular franchise, with lines like “This is the start of how it all ever ends/They used to shout my name, now they whisper it” and the haunting, almost hymn like elements in the song build to flourishing choruses will compliment the last installments of the Hunger Games as I’m sure they were intended to.

Musically, this is a continuation of Lorde’s previous work. There are sparse, basic beats that build tension that never feel properly released. The result is a song that keeps you on the edge of your seat through each listen. There are probably more atmospheric layers in this song than there were on all of the instrumentals from Pure Heroine combined, which makes sense given the tone of The Hunger Games movies.

The song needs to be epic, and so it is. Lyrically, this song is a bit of a departure for Lorde, as it feels like she is writing from someone else’s perspective. (SPOILER ALERT: It’s Katniss’ perspective.) Surprisingly, this writing style fits her well.

Overall, this song is another solid addition to Lorde’s catalog. Though The Hunger Games haven’t been successful in exciting me yet, I do find myself intrigued by a Lorde-curated soundtrack for Mockingjay Part One. I, and many other people, cannot wait to see what else this girl has up her (obscenely talented) sleeves.