Lorde has become one of the most prominent female musicians in the world, but if you ask her, she doesn’t necessarily always feel like a female artist.
In a new Variety profile, Lorde was asked “if women’s creative decisions are more closely scrutinized than men’s,” and after carefully considering the question, she responded, “There are specific archetypes that people want you to oscillate between. I’m sure there’s a double standard. I almost don’t think of myself as a female artist sometimes, just because I’m less an object of desire.”
She continued to note that it feels good to be involved in more aspects of her career than just strictly music:
“I don’t feel bound to the systems of our industry the way a lot of women do, which is a really privileged spot to be in. ‘This is not something I would ever do.’ It’s a game and if you know the rules, you also know how to break them. If you think that the industry is real life, you’re going to run into problems. It’s fantasy and archetype.
I feel so empowered being involved in all the different areas of my job that traditionally would be left to someone else, whether it’s something like lighting my show, directing videos, graphic design. Being bold is vital because people are only going to listen to you if you speak up. It’s hard for me — I’m shy, I’m a shy girl. But, you always regret not being bold, and you very rarely regret toughening up and doing it.”
Check out the full feature here.