The wordy rush of the song's pre-choruses is rap-like in delivery, as Lorde namechecks the riches she's never known.
In 2012, Ella Yelich O'Connor was 17 and living in New Zealand, looking at the idea of fame through the lens of someone with no access. The song was a light-hearted poke at hip-hop. "I've never seen a diamond in the flesh," she sang, opening her career with a wry observation about the difference between consuming pop culture and trying to embody it. The wordy rush of the song's pre-choruses is rap-like in delivery, as Lorde namechecks the riches she's never known. Of course, the stardom she'd then experience would lead her to America and "luxe" parties. Despite her successes though, Lorde's catchiest hit forever cemented her as the voice of an outsider looking in. — E.B.