Lorde Is No One-Hit Wonder: Hear Her New Song

For those of you bemoaning the lack of real talent in the music industry these days, look no further than Lorde, The 16-year-old singer-songwriter is making Billboard history with the gorgeous "Royals," her first single off her upcoming debut album, Pure Heroine, and the record's second single, "Tennis Court," is quickly gaining traction. On Friday, Lorde released a new song, "Team," and the song's haunting melody cements the New Zealander as a talent to watch.

"Team" is just as beautifully dark as "Royals" and "Tennis Court," but unlike the first two singles, it makes use of a strong percussion beat. Fans of Lorde's distinct voice shouldn't fret, though; her sound comes through as powerfully as ever. Like "Royals," the lyrics of "Team" criticize the opulence described in much of today's popular songs: "We live in cities you'll never see on screen/not very pretty but we sure know how to run free." And then there's this brilliant line: "I'm kind of over gettin' told to throw my hands up in the air."

"Team" was released by Lorde on Twitter early Friday morning, hours after it leaked online. The singer accompanied the song with a predictably great description:

I am in paris as i release this. every street we drive down makes my eyes pop with the most incredible things carved in stone, and gilded on pillars, and wrought with metal; the heroes and heroines of this city aren't so hard to find. this song's are a little more mismatched, less classic courtesans on their pedestals, but nonetheless brilliant. this song is kinda of that world, and at the same time, very much of this one.

On Tuesday, Lorde spoke to Billboard about "Team," saying that its lyrics relate to the idea of what it means to be a pop star from a country most Americans know little about.

"No one comes to New Zealand, no one knows anything about New Zealand, and here I am, trying to grow up and become a person," she said. "I've been countering that with going to New York and seeing this place that's in every movie and every TV show."

She continued, "Part of me wanted to go back to writing for me and for my friends, and write something that I felt related to us a little bit."

Check out the song below: