"Team"

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor known as Lorde, is among one of American’s most popular and influential singers today. Her music has an indie pop and electronic sound to it. She is a singer/songwriter originally from New Zealand.  Many of Lorde’s songs portray a message of being unique. Also, her songs are about life being different than how media usually portrays it to be. Her music paints a very picturesque image about royalty. She has a way, in her songs, that portray simple meanings through unique imagery. The song “Team” by Lorde conveys a message that is relevant for society today.

"We live in cities you'll never see on screen
Not very pretty but we sure know how to run free
Livin' in ruins of the palace within my dreams
And you know we're on each other's team"

She is talking about living in the lower part of society. It’s society that people don’t see on screen because it’s not very pretty. Everyone apart of this society is still happy because they have each other and they have their dreams that help them to keep going. In her dreams, she lives in a palace. In reality, she lives in the ruins.

“Call all the ladies out, they're in their finery
A hundred jewels on throats
A hundred jewels between teeth
Now bring my boys in, their skin in craters like the moon
The moon we love like a brother, while he glows through the room
Dancin' around the lies we tell
Dancin' around big eyes as well
Even the comatose, they don't dance and tell”

I believe, through this verse, she is portraying the beauty in the simple things in life instead of the glamour life that isn’t reality.  She is calling out the people who live for the material things in life because that leads to a messed up view of happiness. Life, to her, is more meaningful building relationships and being satisfied. The music video shows her with a bunch of friends. They are teenagers having fun and wanting to break free from all the “finer” things in life.  

The world is full of imperfections. This song is about embracing your imperfections by being satisfied with them. Instead of trying to hide them, show them to the world because, after all, there is no one perfect.

I think the meaning of this song is good for society today because it helps people, especially younger children/teenagers, to accept who they are. The media, through TV and magazines, portrays life and beauty in an unrealistic way. Beauty, to the media, is looking a certain way and wearing a certain type of clothing. This shallow view is fake  because most people can’t be this way. It’s sad, though, because so many people are striving for perfection and when they can’t achieve it, feel empty.  This is not a positive message we should be sending to young people today. We need to embrace the natural beauty and embrace our real self.

True beauty comes from within. Coming from a Christian perspective, God wants our focus to be on helping others and making our life count for something more meaningful than what we wear.

Matthew 6:25-34