Lorde Just Gave An Underrated Britney Spears Classic The ‘Solar Power’ Treatment

Solar Power, the new record by Lorde, is an unexpected serve of optimism, light breaking just through the clouds as the sun sets on a difficult day.

After all, the New Zealand pop wunderkind hasn’t historically been known for her sunny side. ‘Royals’, the song that made her name, is sleek, sure, but it’s also difficult and dark, looking at the world and letting out a long, slow shuddering breath. And then there’s that whole state of the world thing — most popstars are trying to fit the times by going bleaker, not boppier. Lorde represents a deviation from a trend not only in her own career, but in the pop music machine more broadly.

That sunnier side led to some mixed reviews from fans and critics, with certain voices deploring the singer’s change in direction. But it seems like not even the reception to Solar Power can get Lorde down, as she has today unveiled an extraordinary cover of ‘Break The Ice’ by Britney Spears that sees her lean even further into the stripped-down, optimistic sound of that record.

Of course, as Vogue points out, Lorde and Spears are a match made in heaven. Both make nuanced, full-throated pop records. Both are unashamed of exploring new directions and sounds. And both have an essential, minimalist style that favours direct lyricism rather than heavy metaphors.

The video, which sees Lorde wondering a forest while dressed in a nifty red number, is sun-kissed in the way that the ‘Solar Power’ video was; dappled with light, a full-body embracing of the changing of the seasons and the coming of the new era.

It’s fantastic, is what I’m saying, and well worth taking the time to drink up. Perhaps more than once.

Watch the cover in full right here: