“I'm a princess carved in marble / smoother than a storm,” sings Lorde on her new song “Yellow Flicker Beat.” “And the scars that mark my body, they”re silver and gold… I'm locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me.”
The track is less so about the New Zealand artist herself, but more an ode for Katniss Everdeen, as it was crafted for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” soundtrack. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter curated the entire soundtrack, with “Yellow Flick Beat” the first reveal of the tracklist. No word which other artists will appear on it.
“Yellow Flicker Beat” has a determined plod to it, topped with Lorde's descriptive and headstrong lyrics. Her hypnotically wavy voice hets harmonies over the big choruses, with production work from Adele helmer Paul Epworth to amplify the drama.
I think this one may be a grower for fans of Lorde's “Pure Heroine,” but it certainly evades your typical syrupy end-credits ballad. Academy Award nominee Lorde, maybe?
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” is in theaters Nov. 21. We'll update you on when to expect the soundtrack.