Mood Ring – Lorde’s satirical single refuses to disappoint

‘Mood Ring’ is the third single to be released as part of Lorde’s third studio album ‘Solar Power’. Last month I looked at ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’ which was a great track that harmonised well with those melancholic tones that we’ve come to expect from Lorde. So how does ‘Mood Ring’ hold up in comparison?

Well, it’s a stark contrast to ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’, it replaces the more mournful tones, with something a little more upbeat. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t feel and sound like Lorde however, quite the contrary.

‘Mood Ring’ feels very light-hearted. It pokes fun at Wellness culture today through its lyrics with lines such as “You can burn sage, and I’ll clean the crystals” but it's also heavily present throughout its music video too. Lorde’s seen wearing a blonde wig, surrounded by other wellness-seekers in a rather lavish looking retreat. From start to finish the track, and its accompanying music video is filled to the brim with subtle satire.

As well as being pretty satirical, the song gives off this vibe of nostalgia, first and foremost it's even highlighted in the first verse, “the whole world is letting me down / Don’t you think the early 2000s seem so far away?” Lorde’s quite obviously making a comment about the current state of affairs across the globe, and how the turn of the century feels like a much happier time in retrospect. The song as a whole feels like a huge homage to a time that feels so long ago.

Overall, ‘Mood Ring’ is an incredibly well-produced track. It’s an upbeat song that’s not scared to poke fun, and the accompanying music video isn’t either. It’s a clever track with a lot of depth. It’s totally different from the other tracks from the album we’ve heard so far, and that's why it’s so great. Lorde, Keep doing what you’re doing.

Liam Russell

Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/Lorde_-_Solar_Power.png