Song Review - Yellow Flicker Beat

YELLOW FLICKER BEAT

by Lorde

Album: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 OST (out November 18, 2014)

I'm a princess cut from marble,

Smoother than a storm...


When Lorde was announced earlier in the year as contributing to and curating the soundtrack for the next installment in The Hunger Games film series, was there anyone sitting at home thinking that was a poor choice? And I'm limiting this to sane people. Not crazy people who leave comments on YouTube videos. Comments like this:

If there's one thing those Jennifer Lawrence movies have done well, it's create a whole lot of dramatic tension in scenes that show children having to make some really tough choices. "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" Things you'll never hear me yelling out to save a sibling. I mean... Yeah, no I meant that. That dramatic tension is right there at the start of Lorde's latest track, 'Yellow Flicker Beat'. Sure, she's not deviating from her standard formula. Sparse beats, vocal loops, a drop leading into a chorus that's both apathetic and triumphant. So what? The formula works and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Especially for a film soundtrack. Who knows what Lorde's next album will sound like or represent. For now, we get to enjoy this contribution to a soundtrack that, at least in my mind, perfectly compliments the film series it's repping for.

And seriously, these lines are so Katniss:

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.

Because she's the fucking blazing Mockingjay rising like a phoenix out of the ashes, ok Josie? Ok?! Wow. I can see how people get into those fights on YouTube. Seriously though, as a fan it's just brilliant to hear something new from Lorde. She's delivered the goods again. Let's see what she can do with the full soundtrack in November. 

Matt Bond gives 'Yellow Flicker Beat' three and a half Ellie Goulding heads out of five...