Solar Power

Solar PowerSingle by Lorde
General information
Artist	Lorde
Released	June 11, 2021
Genre	Indie folk • Pop • Psychedelic pop • Sunshine pop
Length	3:12
Album	Solar Power
Label	Universal Music New Zealand
Producer(s)	Lorde, Jack Antonoff, Malay
Songwriter(s)	Ella Yelich O'Connor, Jack Antonoff
Singles chronology
Previous	"Homemade Dynamite (Remix)"
Current	"Solar Power"
Next	"Stoned at the Nail Salon"
Solar Power track list
Previous	"The Path"
Current	"Solar Power"
Next	"California"

"Solar Power" is a second track by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, serving as the title track of her third studio album, Solar Power. The song was released on June 11, 2021 through Universal Music New Zealand, following a teaser on Lorde’s website that read “Patience is a virtue”. It leaked hours before its official release and was moved up from its original date of June 20, 2021.

Background

Musically, "Solar Power" blends elements of indie folk, pop, psychedelic pop, and sunshine pop. Critics praised its breezy, summery sound and noted its stylistic departure from Lorde’s earlier work.

Its music video, co-directed by Lorde and Joel Kefali, drew comparisons to the 2019 folk horror film Midsommar. The song was also translated into the Māori language by Hēmi Kelly, and released by Lorde as "Te Ao Mārama / Solar Power", the second track from her Te Ao Mārama, issued on September 9, 2021.

Writing and production

"Solar Power" has been described as a guitar-led indie folk, pop, psychedelic, and sunshine pop song. Lorde wrote the song while visiting her friend Cazzie David on Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts. She wrote the song on a Yamaha DX keyboard and later brought the demo to producer Jack Antonoff for further work.

Lorde initially thought the song sounded similar to Robbie Williams' 2000 single "Rock DJ" (both songs include references to A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?"), but she was later informed of its similarities to "Loaded", a 1990 single by the British band Primal Scream. Although the similarity to "Loaded" was unintentional, and Lorde said she had never heard of Primal Scream beforehand, she contacted the band's lead singer Bobby Gillespie to clear "Solar Power" with him. In an interview Apple Music 1 DJ Zane Lowe, Lorde said Gillespie had given "Solar Power" his approval: "He was so lovely about it — he was like, 'These things happen, you caught a vibe that we caught years ago.' And he gave us his blessing. So let the record state: 'Loaded' is 100% the original blueprint for this, but we arrived at it organically. And I’m glad we did."

Aside from "Loaded", "Solar Power" has also been compared to George Michael's 1990 song "Freedom! '90". Michael's estate issued a positive statement on the similarities between the songs after the release of "Solar Power", stating "We are aware that many people are making a connection between 'Freedom '90' by George Michael and 'Solar Power' by Lorde, which George would have been flattered to hear, so on behalf of one great artist to a fellow artist, we wish her every success with the single."

The song features backing vocals from indie rock musicians Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo.

Critical reception

The music video for "Solar Power" was released on June 11, 2021, directed by Lorde and Joel Kefali, which "posits Lorde almost as the leader of a happy-go-lucky, hippie solstice cult — almost a benign, yassified [sic] version of Midsommar". Stewart Sowman-Lund of The Spinoff also noted a similar connection, writing that "the music video is like if Midsommar was shot in New Zealand". Lorde told Triple J that "we built literally basically a universe on a secret beach. The first video is me introducing you to the world of the album and the videos, I play a kooky tour guide almost". The music video was met with a mixed reception from critics.

Chart performance

"Solar Power" debuted at #64 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week of June 25, 2021. In her home country, New Zealand, she reached the 2nd position, where it was certified gold 4 months later. It was also nominated for "Single of the Year" at New Zealand's biggest awards show, Aotearoa Music Awards.

Live performances

On July 15, 2021, Lorde debuted "Solar Power" live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The performance took place on the rooftop of the Ed Sullivan Theater. On July 30, Lorde premiered two performances with Jack Antonoff of "Solar Power" on YouTube. Both performances were shot on the roof of Electric Lady Studios in New York in July 2021 with a day of difference. In an email sent to fans on July 30, 2021, Lorde wrote they had plans to "do a handful of songs" for the performance, "but the fine warm day became a large storm, and we got through one take of Solar Power and had to tap out for fear of electrocution."

Solar Power (Late Show with Stephen Colbert)

Solar Power (Summer Storm Version - Rooftop Performance)

Solar Power (Rooftop Performance)

Te Ao Mārama / Solar Power

"Te Ao Mārama / Solar Power" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It is the second track from her Te Ao Mārama, and is performed fully in the Māori language. "Te Ao Mārama" translates to "world of light" in Māori, which is both a reference to the title of Solar Power, and the phrase "mai te pō ki te ao mārama", which Leonie Hayden of The Spinoff called "the transition from night to the enlightened world that comprises part of the Māori creation narrative (similar to Adam and Eve’s apple, but from the point of view that knowledge is a good thing)".

The song was translated into Māori by Hēmi Kelly, who said of the song, "I love the warmth of summer so it was easy for me to connect with the lyrics. It talks about leaving your worries behind and moving into a positive space. That reminded me of the transition in our creation narratives of moving from darkness, te pō, into the world of light, te ao mārama. That’s a transition we continually navigate throughout our lives."

Lyrics

• Original
• Te Ao Mārama / Māori language

[Verse 1]
I hate the winter, can't stand the cold
I tend to cancel all the plans (So sorry, I can't make it)
But when the heat comes, something takes a hold
Can I kick it? Yeah, I can

[Pre-Chorus]
My cheeks in high colour, overripe peaches
No shirt, no shoes, only my features
My boy behind me, he's taking pictures
Lead the boys and girls onto the beaches
Come one, come all, I'll tell you my secrets
I'm kinda like a prettier Jesus

[Chorus]
Forget all of thе tears that you've cried
It's ovеr (Over, over, over, over)
It's a new state of mind
Are you coming, my baby?

[Verse 2]
Acid green, aquamarine
The girls are dancing in the sand
And I throw my cellular device in the water
Can you reach me? No, you can't (Aha)

[Pre-Chorus]
My cheeks in high colour, overripe peaches
No shirt, no shoes, only my features
My boy behind me, he's taking pictures (He's taking pictures)
Lead the boys and girls onto the beaches
Come one, come all, I'll tell you my secrets
I'm kinda like a prettier Jesus

[Chorus]
Turn it on in a new kind of bright
It's solar (Solar, solar, solar, solar, solar)
Come on and let the bliss begin
Blink three times when you feel it kicking in

[Outro]
That solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power
Solar-olar-olar power

[Verse 1/Tahi Whiti]
E ngau mai ana te hōtoke
Waiho mai ahau kia noho (Haere, hoatu koutou)
Nau mai te waru whakahihiko
Me puta rā? Ehara

[Pre-Chorus/Korihi Mua]
Hanahana ana ko taku kiri
Noho ana i te rēhia
Kei taku taha taku kaingākau (Kaingākau)
E te tī, te tā, tahuti mai rā
Ki te ina i ngā hīhī o te rā
Taku rite, ko Hinemoana (Ah)

[Chorus/Korihi]
E puta i te pō ki te ao mārama
(Rama, rama, rama, rama; Ah)
Titiro ki mua, hoake tāua

[Verse 2/Rua Whiti]
Wai uri, wai pounamu
Kani ana ngā mōrehu
Whiua aku māharahara ki waho rā
Hinengaro wātea

[Pre-Chorus/Korihi Mua]
Hanahana ana ko taku kiri
Noho ana i te rēhia
Kei taku taha taku kaingākau (Taku kaingākau)
E te tī, te tā, tahuti mai rā
Ki te ina i ngā hīhī o te rā
Taku rite, ko Hinemoana (Ah)

[Chorus/Korihi]
E puta i te pō ki te ao mārama
(Rama, rama, rama, rama; Ah)
Piri mai Hine-raumati

[Outro/Whakamutunga]
Taukamo kia puta rā koe ki te ao
Mārama, rama, mārama
Mārama, rama, mārama
Mārama, rama, mārama
Mārama, rama, mārama
Mārama, rama, mārama
Mārama, rama, mārama

Music Video

Music video	Information
	Premiere	June 11, 2021
	Filmed	Cactus Bay on Waiheke Island, New Zealand
	Director	Joel Kefali & Lorde
	Producer	Andrew McLean
	Production co	Good Oil
	Exec. producer
	Editor	Stewart Reeves
	Choreographer
	Length	3;20

Background

Presumed to have been filmed in New Zealand, the “Solar Power” music video was widely believed to be shot at Cactus Bay on Waiheke Island. Newshub speculated this based on the visible landmass in the distance—likely the Coromandel Peninsula—and the appearance of a cargo ship that suggested a location north of Auckland. Cath Handley, chair of the Waiheke Local Board, also identified Cactus Bay as the likely site, calling it a “beautiful beach,” while expressing concern that the video might attract large crowds to the island. In an interview with Jesse Mulligan on The Project, Lorde declined to confirm the exact location and instead urged fans not to "desecrate any beaches with selfie sticks or anything," subtly discouraging over-tourism.

Synopsis

In the music video, Lorde portrays a radiant, almost cult-like leader guiding a carefree community on a secluded sunlit beach. Set against the backdrop of golden sands and glistening waves, she leads her followers through whimsical rituals—dancing barefoot, playing games, passing symbolic objects—evoking the vibe of a peaceful, nature-worshipping commune. Though offered symbols of power, like a golden horn, she gently declines them, choosing instead to remain grounded. The video culminates in her being carried by the group, parasol in hand, as a figure of light and liberation. Drawing visual inspiration from Midsommar and 1960s counterculture, the video blends joy, satire, and natural intimacy reflecting themes of bodily freedom, spiritual searching, and reconnection with the earth.

References

Navigation