Melodrama
by Lorde
  • Record Label: Republic
  • Release Date: Jun 16, 2017
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 4504 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,063 out of 4504
  2. Mixed: 88 out of 4504
  3. Negative: 353 out of 4504
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  1. EdwardButera
    Jul 15, 2017
    5
    This is an album that the Lorde knew how to dare easily, some songs have the facility to have a perfect finish, but others lack a finish that is very important, as is the case of Sober. Intelligent music that deserves more quality.
  2. fakeSean
    Jun 16, 2017
    6
    The album is so overrated. But I can still see the album winning several Grammys in the next year's Academy Awards - the judges just love these types of music.
  3. longjetty7
    Jun 19, 2017
    5
    I'm honestly baffled at the acclaim this album is getting. Now, I certainly don't dislike it, but I also don't really like it either. It's just meh, pretty much. One thing I will say is that even though I think Pure Heroine was a superior album, I'm glad that Lorde went in a different direction with Melodrama. She took some risks and it shows a more mature side of her, which I guess is aI'm honestly baffled at the acclaim this album is getting. Now, I certainly don't dislike it, but I also don't really like it either. It's just meh, pretty much. One thing I will say is that even though I think Pure Heroine was a superior album, I'm glad that Lorde went in a different direction with Melodrama. She took some risks and it shows a more mature side of her, which I guess is a good thing. Now here's my track-by-track breakdown:

    1. Green Light - One of the better songs on the album. My only issue is that it starts the album on such an upbeat note, and none of the other songs really match its energy.
    2. Sober - A pretty understated and actually good song. It's got a nice beat and laid-back quality about it.
    3. Homemade Dynamite - Also a pretty decent song.
    4. The Louvre - Probably my favorite song on the album. The hook is very memorable and the chorus is almost like an anti-chorus. I like it.
    5. Liability - Alright, so everything up until this point has been fine, so why the lukewarm review? Well, here's where it starts going downhill. I know people love this song because the lyrics are actually quite good, but the music is just so basic and boring to me. Skip.
    6. Hard Feelings/Loveless - Two songs in one, and both sound like super generic pop songs.
    7. Sober II (Melodrama) - A nice enough melody. This song is alright.
    8. Writer In The Dark - Probably my least favorite song on the album. It sounds very Kate Bush-esque, which normally would be a good thing, but not in this case. It sounds old-fashioned, the melody isn’t interesting, and it’s just annoying to listen to.
    9. Supercut - There are some nice touches to this song, but just like track 6, it sounds like any other pop song. Not my cup of tea.
    10. Liability (Reprise) - Why an 11 track album needs a reprise is beyond me. This is just too boring and slow for my taste.
    11. Perfect Places - Finally we end on a good note. I actually think this is a fun, sort of bittersweet song.

    So there you have it. There are some good songs and some not-so-good songs. I’m glad Lorde decided to take a risk, but there are some interesting choices and my overall impression is that this is a sort of unsatisfying album. If there were some truly standout songs like on Pure Heroine I probably would have bumped this up to a 6 or 7.    … Expand
  4. Zezilia154
    Jul 8, 2017
    6
    Green Light: 10/10
    Sober 7/10
    Homemade Dynamite 8/10
    The Louvre 6/10
    Liability 9/10
    Hard Feelings/Loveless 5/10
    Sober II (Melodrama) 6/10
    Write In the Dark 8/10
    Supercut 7/10
    Perfect Places 7/10

    Nota Geral: 6,5
  5. MR_headphones
    Jun 18, 2017
    4
    boring

    greenlight: 5/10 sober: 3/10 cluttered mess of a song homemade dynamite: 4/10 that synth is annoying the louvre: 4/10 less drums more melody liability: 7/10 idk hard feelings: 3/10 machinery noises! loveless: 4/10 nausea inducing sober 2: 5/10 forgettable writer in the dark: 4/10 boring super cut: 6/10 pleasant liability (reprise): 4/10 boring perfect places: 6/10 i    boring

    greenlight: 5/10
    sober: 3/10 cluttered mess of a song
    homemade dynamite: 4/10 that synth is annoying
    the louvre: 4/10 less drums more melody
    liability: 7/10 idk
    hard feelings: 3/10 machinery noises!
    loveless: 4/10 nausea inducing
    sober 2: 5/10 forgettable
    writer in the dark: 4/10 boring
    super cut: 6/10 pleasant
    liability (reprise): 4/10 boring
    perfect places: 6/10 i really like the beat    … Expand
  6. Bretto66
    Jun 23, 2017
    6
    I just don't get the hype about this album....Ive listened to it 3 times and all I hear is a average to good pop album by a very average vocalist. This is definitely not exciting music to my ears.
  7. Scraper
    Jul 24, 2017
    4
    Lorde may be earnest on Melodrama but certainly doesn't seem to strain herself trying to fill out all the negative space. Of course Pitchfork will go nuts over a simple electro-beat and intermittent noise but this formula, well-known to the indie crowd, will forever turn me off. At it's liveliest, it's pop, but it's real ambition is to whisper poetry about humanity. Good enough for an artLorde may be earnest on Melodrama but certainly doesn't seem to strain herself trying to fill out all the negative space. Of course Pitchfork will go nuts over a simple electro-beat and intermittent noise but this formula, well-known to the indie crowd, will forever turn me off. At it's liveliest, it's pop, but it's real ambition is to whisper poetry about humanity. Good enough for an art student I guess. I need more. I need personality. It's just not coming through. The best thing I can say is I'm glad there are no filters on her voice which gives it a truthfulness. Read the top comment here on Metacritic: "There are not many stand-out tracks..." This reviewer gives a 10.… Expand
  8. aleatoric
    Dec 13, 2017
    5
    I enjoyed Pure Heroin - it felt fresh, vulnerable, and had desirable quirks and imperfections that made it feel real. Melodrama, in comparison, feels like the opposite. It's trying so hard to be "melodramatic" but all the while it's laced in immaculate-but-boring production and predictable songwriting. I like synthetic music when it knows it's synthetic and doesn't take itself tooI enjoyed Pure Heroin - it felt fresh, vulnerable, and had desirable quirks and imperfections that made it feel real. Melodrama, in comparison, feels like the opposite. It's trying so hard to be "melodramatic" but all the while it's laced in immaculate-but-boring production and predictable songwriting. I like synthetic music when it knows it's synthetic and doesn't take itself too seriously. It can be good fun. But here, it's synthetic music desperately trying to show human emotion. The medium makes the emotions feel forced. This music makes me feel nothing.

    But it's not terrible. The production could have carried a different vocalist much better. And like I said, it's immaculate production. Only issue with the production is I think the range could be a little deeper and cavernous -- it feels a bit hollow through most of its entirety. Like there are songs I really want to bounce my head to, but they just feel... weak, like a car that just can't get the engine started.

    The acclaim this album has gotten doesn't surprise me, though. An artist with a few radio-friendly singles making a slightly edgy art electro pop album? Yeah, of course people are eating it up. Good on them. But there were at least 50 better albums this year, and it's frustrating they won't get nearly as much recognition.    … Expand
  9. JefersonXCX
    Jun 16, 2017
    5
    Após 4 anos do "Pure Heroine" temos o "MELODRAMA".
    Melodrama foi muito aguardado, o seu primeiro material "Green Lights" agradou muito a mim. A expectativa por um álbum com essa sonoridade (Pop/soul/folk) me entusiasmou. Após ouvir o material, percebi que temos outro álbum com o mesmo elemento que a industria tem imposto nos últimos anos. Um rock/pop chato e com inúmeras teorias e    Após 4 anos do "Pure Heroine" temos o "MELODRAMA".
    Melodrama foi muito aguardado, o seu primeiro material "Green Lights" agradou muito a mim. A expectativa por um álbum com essa sonoridade (Pop/soul/folk) me entusiasmou. Após ouvir o material, percebi que temos outro álbum com o mesmo elemento que a industria tem imposto nos últimos anos. Um rock/pop chato e com inúmeras teorias e conceitos. O disco realmente é dramático, tão dramático em suas faixas que chega a ser tediante. Ainda destaco as faixas que são destaques do álbum: Liability, Supercut e Perfect Places. Levamos em conta a grande evolução de Lorde, que não foi o bastante pra agradar os charts quando falamos de "Royals", tornando o lead (Green Lights) mais um de seus fracassos de boa qualidade. Queremos um pop vivo, mas neste caso o "drama" nas canções passaram da conta.    … Expand
  10. pdrojacob
    Aug 5, 2017
    6
    O Melodrama surpreende por apresentar muitas sonoridades diferentes, mas falha ao apresentá-las de forma exagerada. Um instrumental vezes perfeito, vezes poluído, carregado com uma métrica de letra fantástica, nos faz entrar em êxtase por alguns longos minutos, mas acaba cortando o tesão com melodias que se transformam em delongas cansativas e confusas. Num todo, uma obra bem pensada,O Melodrama surpreende por apresentar muitas sonoridades diferentes, mas falha ao apresentá-las de forma exagerada. Um instrumental vezes perfeito, vezes poluído, carregado com uma métrica de letra fantástica, nos faz entrar em êxtase por alguns longos minutos, mas acaba cortando o tesão com melodias que se transformam em delongas cansativas e confusas. Num todo, uma obra bem pensada, gostosa de se ouvir, mas que peca por exagero.… Expand
  11. JorgeLRamirez
    Aug 30, 2019
    6
    Those galactic sounds are a melancholic walk towards the end of this generation.
  12. dhoskins
    Jun 29, 2017
    6
    I'm not into Lorde's in-your-face, throaty, borderline out-of-tune talk-singing that she trots out a lot on this album. I prefer her softer, more vocal tasteful approach on tracks like "Supercut" and "Perfect Places". I'd say I prefer her upper register, but she's done her lower register so well in the past, on tracks like "Royals."
    On the other hand, she's clearly a talented lyricist,    I'm not into Lorde's in-your-face, throaty, borderline out-of-tune talk-singing that she trots out a lot on this album. I prefer her softer, more vocal tasteful approach on tracks like "Supercut" and "Perfect Places". I'd say I prefer her upper register, but she's done her lower register so well in the past, on tracks like "Royals."
    On the other hand, she's clearly a talented lyricist, and her rhythmic delivery remains very interesting and nuanced.
    Musically, whereas Pure Heroine had about three standout tracks for me, nothing here hits those heights.    … Expand
  13. vLogan
    Jun 16, 2017
    6
    Realmente muito bom, porém inferior ao Pure Heroine. Além disso, contém algumas contradições ao seu último álbum. Ademais a Lorde não deixa de ser uma grande artista.
  14. AdmiralJones42
    Jun 23, 2017
    6
    Similar to Lorde's debut release, I personally have found the singles to this album to be very interesting and attention grabbing, and the rest of the record to fall somewhere into the realm of background noise. Her sound outside of what you would hear from her on the radio, which is typically punchy and highly unique, tends to be more on the side of uninteresting and repetitive. ASimilar to Lorde's debut release, I personally have found the singles to this album to be very interesting and attention grabbing, and the rest of the record to fall somewhere into the realm of background noise. Her sound outside of what you would hear from her on the radio, which is typically punchy and highly unique, tends to be more on the side of uninteresting and repetitive. A middling release with some very nice highlights.… Expand
  15. Criss0102
    Jul 24, 2017
    5
    I feel magic, my soul speak with this album, Lorde is an ARTIST, A REAL ONE, Bowie was right she is the future of music, keep going, you go Lorde, happy.
  16. LeadOxide
    May 1, 2018
    6
    Honestly this album is overrated. There are only a few standout tracks here: Green light, Homemade dynamite, Liability, Perfect places. The rest of the tracks are all over the place. The awful hook on The Louvre. The massively premature fadeout on Loveless. The boring silence at the end of Supercut. The completely unnecessary reprise of Liability. The anxiety inducing tension of Sober. TheHonestly this album is overrated. There are only a few standout tracks here: Green light, Homemade dynamite, Liability, Perfect places. The rest of the tracks are all over the place. The awful hook on The Louvre. The massively premature fadeout on Loveless. The boring silence at the end of Supercut. The completely unnecessary reprise of Liability. The anxiety inducing tension of Sober. The lyrics are definitely a redeeming feature on these tracks but they're still badly structured.… Expand
  17. clem666
    Apr 12, 2021
    6
    It is undeniable that Lorde manages to surprise us with lyrics characterized by an unsuspected depth. She appears to be self-conscious and beautifully analyzes her feelings and deeds. Lyrically (and with many highs and lows) what she offers is really interesting. There definitely is some quotable content in 'Melodrama'.

    However I still consider this project as way too overrated. Lorde's    It is undeniable that Lorde manages to surprise us with lyrics characterized by an unsuspected depth. She appears to be self-conscious and beautifully analyzes her feelings and deeds. Lyrically (and with many highs and lows) what she offers is really interesting. There definitely is some quotable content in 'Melodrama'.

    However I still consider this project as way too overrated. Lorde's voice is the same on almost each and every tracks. As she put effort on lyrics delivery at some point I can't completely blame her but she still could have done so much better with her voice. On the other side we have the production that I find sooo unoriginal and effortless. It could have come from 'Pure Heroin'. Anyway I recognize the very few risks Lorde and her producers took here and there but it is just not enough to make the thing shine as a whole. It is a decent pop album and you will probably love it as much as you love pop style because it never barely goes beyond the ease of it.    … Expand
  18. Bomsen
    Jul 3, 2017
    6
    Never been a fan of the genre Lorde associates with, but was pleasantly surprised by this one. It is filled with somewhat generic pop-tripes, yet it adds something new in its sensuality and, well, its melodrama.
  19. terrenceknows
    Jul 24, 2020
    6
    top 3 favs: the louvre, writer in the dark and hard feelings

    least favs: sober I & loveless

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Album of 2017
4
#4 Most Discussed Album of 2017
5
#5 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Jul 10, 2017
    80
    There are no gimmicks. There’s nothing screaming for acceptance. Melodrama is a raw, real album under its sparkly clean production. One written for the masses but able to resonate with each individual listener.
    Read full review
  2. Q Magazine
    Jul 6, 2017
    80
    Lorde's biggest achievement is retaining her emotional insight into herself and her generation despite her utterly transformed life. [Aug 2017, p.100]
  3. Prefix Magazine
    Jul 6, 2017
    85
    Still only 20 years old, Lorde could have been forgiven for floundering under the weight of expectation. Instead she’s reasserted her status as today’s ultimate alt-pop artist with a record that balances the contemporary with the classic in typically immaculate style.
    Read full review
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