Lorde’s ‘Solar Power’ was inspired by Primal Scream’s ‘Loaded’

Lorde has spoken about Primal Scream’s influence on her comeback single ‘Solar Power’, pinpointing ‘Loaded’ as a key inspiration behind it.

The New Zealand musician made her return last night (June 10), four years after the release of her second album ‘Melodrama’.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on New Music Daily on Apple Music 1, Lorde said: “I had never heard Primal Scream in my life. I’d been told to check them out. I wrote the song on the piano and then we realised it sounds a lot like ‘Loaded’. It’s just one of those crazy things that they just were the spiritual forebears of the song.”

She continued to say that she had spoken to the band’s frontman Bobby Gillespie about the similarities between the songs and that he was “so lovely about it”. “He was like, ‘You know, these things happen, you caught a vibe that we caught years ago,’” she explained. “And he gave us his blessing.

“So let the record state ‘Loaded’ is 100 per cent the original blueprint for this, but we arrived at it organically. And I’m glad we did.”

‘Solar Power’ also features backing vocals from Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo, who Lorde called “god-tier female vocalists”. “I love those girls so much,” she said. “They killed it on the song […] They both just crushed. It was such a pleasure for me to have them. So talented, so cool and I’ve never had any other voices on my songs.”

In a five-star review, NME said of the musician’s first single from her third album: “Where Lorde will go after this remains unclear, but her third era has started off on a beautiful, summery tip. All that’s left to do is get down to your nearest expanse of water, douse on the SPF and do as Ella would – cut loose, lay back and get free.”

Meanwhile, Lorde has also provided backing vocals on Clairo’s new single ‘Blouse’, which was released today (June 11). The track is the first to be taken from the US artist’s second album ‘Sling’, on which Clairo worked with Jack Antonoff.