What Was That Review – Lorde: Synth-Pop Anthem [4/5]

Guide

It feels as though Lorde has been around forever, but technically she is still very fresh in the scene at only 28 years of age and she is still evolving and improving with every new release. Her new track, “What Was That” displays a more mature side and she holds nothing back with a powerful vocal delivery.

Song Analysis (What Was That Review)

My first impression of this synth-pop track is that it is likely to become an immediate hit for the New Zealand artist. It has an infectious groove with electronic sounds creating a contagious undercurrent and a foundation for Lorde’s unique vocals. The song is in the key of C Major, a popular choice for many pop tracks and it has a pace of roughly 168bpm, which gives it plenty of energy.

Lorde – “What Was That” Lyrics (What Was That Review)

Verse 1
A place in the city
A chair and a bed
I cover up all the mirrors
Can’t see myself yet
I wear smoke like a wedding veil
Make a meal I won’t eat
Step out into the street, alone in a sea
It comes over me

Pre-Chorus
Oh, I’m missing you
Yeah, I’m missing you
And all the things we used to do

Chorus
MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up
We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?
I remember saying then, “This is the best cigarette of my life”
Well, I want you just like that
Indio haze, we’re in a sandstorm and it knocks me out
I didn’t know then that you’d never be enough, oh
Since I was seventeen, I gave you everything
Now we wake from a dream, well, baby, what was that?

Post-Chorus
What was that?
Baby, what was that?
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Verse 2
Do you know you’re still with me
When I’m out with my friends?
I stare at their painted faces
They talk current affairs
You had to know this was happening
You weren’t feeling my heat
When I’m in the blue light, down at Baby’s All Right
I face reality

Pre-Chorus
I try (I try), to let (To let)
Whatever has to pass through me pass through
But this is staying a while, I know
It might not let me go

Chorus
MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up
We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?
I remember saying then, “This is the best cigarette of my life”
Well, I want you just like that
Indio haze, we’re in a sandstorm and it knocks me out
I didn’t know then, but you’d never be enough, oh
Since I was seventeen, I gave you everything
Now we wake from a dream, well, baby, what was that?

Post-Chorus
What was that?
‘Cause I want you just like that (When I’m in the blue light, I can make it alright)
What was that? (When I’m in the blue light, I can make it alright)
Baby, what was that?

Meaning (My Opinion) (What Was That Review)

The lyrics explore subjects of longing, nostalgia, and the complexity which can be found in relationships. Lorde in the first verse muses over her disconnection, which is summed up in the picture of covering mirrors to evade introspection. With Lorde noting that despite the strong connection, it was never sufficient, the chorus emphasises the transitory character of these events and leaves one yearning and perplexity about the actual significance of the relationship. The deeper emotional undercurrents left unsolved to me contrast with the usage of drugs and transient moments of happiness.

As the song plays, there is a shift from external distractions to internal struggles. Moreover, the second verse reveals that Lorde still carries the presence of the person she sadly lost, even when surrounded by other people and her lyrics emphasize the emotional weight that she still feels. With Lorde trying to let go of the past but feeling imprisoned by memories and feelings that won’t vanish, the pre-chorus catches her effort at moving on in life.