Four years after her debut album, Pure Heroine, Lorde, also known as Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, reclaims the pop throne with “Green Light,” the leading single from her upcoming record. Released on March 3, fans everywhere are rejoicing over the return of this young sensation, particularly in the evolution of her sound. Much of Lorde’s bravado was due to her lyrical depth and masterful construction of mature content despite her incredibly young age. These attributes carry on into Lorde’s contemporary works: in “Green Light,” O’Connor belts “But I hear sounds in my mind / Brand new sounds in my mind / But honey I’ll be seein’ you, ever, I go / But honey I’ll be seein’ you down every road / I’m waiting for it, that green light, I want it.” Leading up to the single’s release in various posts across social media, O’Connor mentioned that she viewed this new era as her “crossing over” between adolescence to full-blown adulthood, and her lyrical work reflects that. Although the song is about her first major heartbreak, the tone in which “brand new sounds in my mind” is sung insinuates growth both interpersonally and personally. Lorde holds more wisdom now than her seventeen year old self had and she is blatantly aware of the fact. In fact, she uses this knowledge to her advantage across her music and creates a shining theme of personal fundamental development. I am a huge fan of the story O’Connor weaves, particularly when comparing the aspects of her music I identified with in 2013 versus the present. Two singles into the Melodrama era, Lorde is sure to deliver with her sophomore solo endeavors. Melodrama is slated to release on June 16, though “Green Light” and “Liability” are available on iTunes now.