After an enormous response, Lorde took the stage with a medley of “Green Light” and “Tennis Court” as she wore a white veil. She did a killer version of Disclosure’s “Magnets” and it was followed by “400 Lux,” “Buzzcut Season,” and “Homemade Dynamite.”
The highlight performance of the night was her powerhouse rendition of “Ribs,” which was raw and crisp as she sang it in an elevated rectangle. ‘Governors Ball you are pure magic,” she said. “I cannot believe this night. Thank you for coming to my party. I appreciate it. I have a new record coming out in two weeks. It’s called Melodrama. It’s about all the insanity of being in your twenties. This is actually a song that I wrote when I was 16, but the same feelings are still there,” she said.
She continued with “Sober” and “Sober II,” both of which were from her forthcoming studio album.
“I wanted to play you a song. I feel like the DNA of the song is not so far from Melodrama, because love is hard, love is real hard, and you’ve got to do your best. This song is about wanting to do right in love,” Lorde said, and immediately broke into a haunting, piano-driven version of Robyn’s “Hang With Me,” which she sang as a duet with Jack Antonoff, who co-produced her new CD.
After another new track, “Liability,” she sang her signature tune, the Grammy-winning “Royals,” which was sheer bliss. Equally remarkable was “Perfect Places,” and she closed with “Team” and the full version of her latest single “Green Light.”
The Verdict
Overall, Lorde was divine at Governors Ball Music Festival in New York. Ella Yelich-O’Connor (also known as Lorde) was one of the most noteworthy artists at this year’s Governors Ball festival. Her live set garnered five out of five stars.
