Lorde expressed interest in performing at local venues in her early teens. She signed with Universal Music Group (UMG) in 2009 and collaborated with producer Joel Little in 2011 to start recording music. Their first effort, an EP titled The Love Club, was self-released in 2012 for free download on SoundCloud before UMG's commercial release in 2013. The EP's international chart-topping single "Royals" helped raise Lorde to prominence. Her debut studio album Pure Heroine was released that same year to critical and commercial success. The following year, Lorde curated the soundtrack for the 2014 film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and recorded several tracks, including the single "Yellow Flicker Beat".
Lorde's second studio album Melodrama (2017) received widespread critical acclaim and debuted atop the US Billboard 200. For her third studio album, Solar Power (2021), she ventured into indie folk and psychedelic styles. The album reached number one in Australia and New Zealand and charted inside the top-10 in numerous countries, although it polarised music critics and fans alike.
Lorde's accolades include two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, and a Golden Globe nomination. She appeared in Time's list of the most influential teenagers in 2013 and 2014, and the 2014 edition of Forbes 30 Under 30. In addition to her solo work, she has co-written songs for other artists, including Broods and Bleachers. As of June 2017, Lorde has sold over five million albums worldwide.
Flicker
Lorde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the scars that mark my body, they're silver and gold
My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones
It keeps my veins hot, the fires find a home in me
I move through town, I'm quiet like a fire
And my necklace is of opal, I tie it and untie it
And our people talk to me, but nothing ever hits
So people talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes
I'm going in (ooh)
This is the start of how it all ever ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I'm speeding up and this is the
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We rip the start, the colors disappear
I never watch the stars there's so much down here
So I just try to keep up with them
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
I dream all year, but they're not the same kinds
And the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double time
And now people talk to me I'm slipping out of reach now
People talk to me, and all their faces blur
But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison
And I'm locking up everyone that ever laid a finger on me
I'm going in (ooh)
This is the start of how it all ever ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I'm speeding up and this is the
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We rip the start, the colors disappear
I never watch the stars there's so much down here
So I just try to keep up with them
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat
Sparking up my heart
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat
In these lyrics, Lorde describes herself as a princess cut from marble, suggesting strength and endurance, and her scars as silver and gold, which implies they are valuable and have made her who she is today. She then goes on to describe her blood as a flood of rubies and precious stones, signifying her passion and intensity. The fires find a home in her veins, causing her to move quietly through town, like a fire.
Despite the fact that people talk to her, nothing seems to hit or matter to her anymore. All their voices just burn holes in her, suggesting an emotional detachment from others. She enters a little prison that she creates for herself by lacing her fingers together, and she locks up everyone who has ever laid a finger on her.
The chorus of the song sees Lorde talking about the start of how it all ever ends. People used to shout her name, but now they barely whisper it. She is speeding up, and the red, orange, yellow flicker beat is sparking up her heart. She never looks at the stars as there is too much going on down here, and she just tries to keep up with this flicker beat.
Overall, the song can be interpreted in a number of ways but it mostly appears to be about finding strength even after having been scarred by life. It's a song about resilience and courage in dealing with various emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm
I am an elegant and refined person, with a calm exterior that belies the turbulence within me.
And the scars that mark my body, they're silver and gold
The physical and emotional wounds I have endured are precious to me, because they have shaped me into who I am.
My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones
My life force is vibrant and valuable, like a river of precious gems flowing through my veins.
It keeps my veins hot, the fires find a home in me
My passion and intensity run deep, fueling the flames of creativity and inspiration that burn within me.
I move through town, I'm quiet like a fire
I am a force to be reckoned with, but I move with a quiet grace and purpose.
And my necklace is of opal, I tie it and untie it
My adornments reflect my complexity and fluidity; I am constantly changing and evolving.
And our people talk to me, but nothing ever hits
Despite being surrounded by people, I often feel isolated and disconnected from them.
So people talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes
The words of others can be painful and damaging, leaving lasting scars on my psyche.
I'm going in (ooh)
I am plunging headlong into the depths of my emotions and experiences, with a fierce determination to come out the other side stronger.
This is the start of how it all ever ends
This moment represents the beginning of a transformative journey that will shape the rest of my life.
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I have broken free from the constraints of others' expectations and now move with a subtler but more powerful energy.
I'm speeding up and this is the
My momentum is building, and I am becoming more and more focused on my goals.
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
The vibrant, pulsing energy within me is rising to the surface, igniting a creative spark that cannot be contained.
We rip the start, the colors disappear
As I move forward with purpose, the past fades away and I create my own new beginnings.
I never watch the stars there's so much down here
I am so immersed in the richness of the present moment that there is no need to look beyond it.
So I just try to keep up with them
Despite the chaotic pace of life, I make a concerted effort to keep moving forward and not lose sight of my goals.
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat
The beat of my heart is a powerful and vibrant force, driving me forward on my journey of personal transformation.
Sparking up my heart
The energy and passion within me is constantly igniting new sparks of creativity, motivation, and purpose.
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat
The pulsing, rhythmic beat of my heart is a constant reminder of the strength and vitality that lies within me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ella Marija La Yelich O'connor, Joel Little
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aurelio Ferreira De Freitas Aurelio
on Perfect Places
ITALIAR OPP
Rivera Azer Lloyd
on Royals
Lorde