Lorde’s Solar Power album was released just last week, and fans of the singer would notice that it gives off a notably different vibe from her last album. Her Melodrama album, as the title suggests, had ballads with more melodramatic tones to them. Meanwhile, for Solar Power, Lorde sings of summer time and sunny vibes, a tribute to her homeland of New Zealand.
With the release of her new album, it seems that Lorde has different plans for her musical career. While most musical superstars aim high for more sales and fame, it looks like Lorde wants to leave behind her pop royalty image and go for a more low-key approach.
On her last tour, Lorde performed at big concert venues in New York that could accommodate around 19,000 people. But for her Solar Power tour next year, she plans for a tour of U.S. theaters instead of bigger venues. This allows the artist to reach out to her loyal fans in a more intimate setting.
Lorde said in an interview that it is “exactly where I want to be,” preferring to sing to a smaller but passionate crowd that knows her songs by heart instead of a much bigger crowd that knows and likes only a few of her songs after hearing them on the radio.
The singer has announced two gigs for her tour next year at Radio City Music Hall, which can seat 6,000, a significantly smaller crowd than from her last tour.
Aside from going for a more low-key image, in line with Solar Power being more nature-themed, she also wants to reduce her carbon footprint. Instead of a CD release for Lorde’s new album, Solar Power will be released in a disc-less alternative in the form of a “Music Box.”
The Music Box will contain handwritten notes from the singer as well as exclusive photos and other visual content, plus a download card for the album instead of a physical copy of it. The download card gives fans access to the album along with two exclusive bonus tracks, and other goodies for release later on. The Music Box collectible was designed by Lorde herself as an eco-friendly alternative to releasing physical copies of her album.
The Music Box will be crafted as a plastic-free box, made with 100% paper and cardboard waste biodegradable in three months. But if you’re a collector of Lorde memorabilia, don’t worry, Lorde has spoken — Solar Power will have a vinyl release, but as of the moment they’re still trying to figure out how to reduce its impact on the environment.