Virgin

James Yu
Sep 25
2 min read

By James Yu Sep. 24 2025

With this volume marking my third year writing for the music column, I was faced with a decision: continue reviewing music or switch to a new subject. Although the thought of finally establishing a meme column was enticing, my choice was obvious. For me, listening to music is a passion. Whether I’m entranced in the melodies or passively listening while my mind is elsewhere, music allows me to explore complex themes and topics in a reflective manner.

Most recently indicative of this is Lorde’s newest studio album “Virgin.” Released in June, I received several recommendations from friends to listen to the album’s final song “David.” After only recently relenting and listening to the song, I was immediately blown away. Lorde’s vocals are filled with sorrow, yet through the pain, she finds clarity. During the song’s climax, Lorde affirms the lessons she has learned: she “doesn’t belong to anyone” and she wouldn’t “let myself sing again for you.” However, the song’s brightest moment is in its ending. Cutting out all of the overpowering instrumental for the finale, Lorde’s isolated vocals are haunting. Her repetition, questioning if she’d “ever love again” strikes the soul by illustrating the loneliness in separation. As much as the singer may strive to affirm herself, throughout the entire process of healing, she’s lonely. “David” is beautiful, and the exemplar for music that helps me reflect, even through preoccupations.

Unfortunately, I can not give the same high praise for the rest of the album. While the album’s themes share “David”’s brazen boldness, they leave much to be desired. The project’s second song “What was that” illustrates much of what is lacking throughout. While it and other songs try to explore complex themes of identity and self-discovery, the song sounds more like a pop song up Taylor Swift’s alley. Instead of delivering a strong payoff to the song’s admittedly convincing buildup, the lyrics are dry, lacking meaning. Furthermore, the album’s boldness works against it when almost every song sounds the same. While Lorde experiments heavily with different instruments, the lyrics and vocals vary little, resulting in each song blending into the next. Although this may be satisfactory for listeners like me who will passively listen to the album, the songs falter when paid closer attention to, letting down the promise

of “David.”

Was I vibin’?

+ Bold experimentation

+ Repetitive themes

+ Dry execution