A few songs into Lorde's Sunday night concert at American Airlines Center, she dedicated her tune "400 Lux" to "the kids who grew up in the suburbs."
The shout-out drew rapturous applause, which wasn't shocking given that North Texas is stocked with suburban outposts. The dedication was also noteworthy, however, because it could have come before any of Lorde's songs.
That's not a knock. The New Zealand native has made a fine career out of giving voice to lonely souls who hope for meaningful connection. Over nearly two hours, as the many spring breakers in the audience counted down the minutes until their school bell rings again, the singer born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor pulled her audience in for a bit of dancing and shouting.
After opening with a tension-building, shadowy "Sober," where Lorde was only visible for flashes and beats until the end of the song, the show halted completely. As she began performing "Homemade Dynamite," she stopped, apologized and said something was wrong with the lighting, and exited the stage. Technical gaffe aside, it was refreshing to see that a globe-trotting arena show can occasionally veer off course. Lorde corrected herself by starting the show completely over.
Although dancers were a key part of the stage production, they were a softer accompaniment than at most arena-sized pop concerts. Clothed in drab T-shirts and sweatpants, the dancers provided fluid, ballet-style movements that were more interpretive than bombastic. Some songs featured a dozen dancers while other songs showcased a single member or none at all. The dancers would sometimes do their thing inside a clear shipping container-type box that was raised and lowered through the night, but it was a background element.
At times, Lorde got in on the choreographed action herself, with dance moves that were equal parts awkward and joyful. With forceful air-punches accentuating the biggest beats, Lorde's moves were everyone's moves.
The true test of a pop-star's mettle is what happens when the dancers exit, the video stops, the lights dim and the beats soften. Lorde's gorgeous cover of Frank Ocean's "Solo," and an arresting take on her own "Liability" from her Melodrama record, laid out a convincing case for long-term success. Not that her appreciative audience needed further proof.
Lorde's shows aren't smash-hit-packed, given that she has released just two albums. So, understandably, she saved the biggest sing-alongs for the last. "Royals," the 2014 smash that made her a headliner, utilized gigantic bass thumps that somehow managed to increase the song's sonic power while not overwhelming the singer's clarity. And on the day after St. Patrick's Day, cannons shot green confetti from stage during the triumphant, regular set-closing "Green Light."
Lorde shared with the audience that she felt "so little" the last time she played in Dallas. Indeed, the 21-year-old was 17 then and performing songs she had written as a teen. While four years isn't a huge number by itself, there may not be a more impactful four-year period over the course of a person's life than that one.
Plus, she didn't merely transition from high school into college in those years. On the strength of a distinct voice and an unshakably vulnerable viewpoint, Lorde has graduated with honors on her journey from musical darling to international superstar.
Swipe through a gallery of photos from Lorde's Dallas concert
