Does Lorde Still Want to Be a Star?
But on this album — and really, each album since her debut — she's implicitly pondered whether being famous is all it's cracked up to be, in terms of what the musical and personal expectations are. 'Virgin' is maybe the most musically scattered of her albums, but in moments, she accesses an emotional directness that manages to turn this sometimes confused music into something direct and appealing.
On this week's Popcast, a conversation about how 'Virgin' figures into the Lorde lore; whether making hits is a worthwhile endeavor; and whether knowing the circumstances of an album's creation can enhance someone's listening experience of it.
Guests:
Joe Coscarelli, New York Times pop music reporter
Hazel Cills, an editor at NPR Music
Connect With Popcast. Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the show's Facebook group and Discord channel. We want to hear from you! Tune in, and tell us what you think at popcast@nytimes.com. Follow our host, Jon Caramanica, on Twitter: @joncaramanica.
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