Lorde Lands Cover of Billboard Magazine

New Zealand singer, Lorde, has graced the cover of Billboard magazine, while saying in the accompanying interview that in a perfect world she would never do interviews.

The comment, according to the magazine, stems from a desire to retain a level of mystic that accompanied her rise to stardom, rather than a distain for the trappings of celebrity.

“I feel like mystery is more interesting,” Lorde says. “People respond to something that intrigues them instead of something that gives them all the information – particularly in pop, which is like the genre for knowing way too much about everyone and everything.”

The 16-year-old has done little to promote herself, either in New Zealand or in the US, and yet had garnered a massive local and international following, featured in the Billboard top ten Hot List, top the New Zealand music charts, and has sold-out shows in both the US and New Zealand. Her manager estimates that she has done fewer than 10 performances since her debut late last year.

Billboard reports that Lorde wrote the lyrics for Royal in ‘half an hour’, and it’s success as has been equally as rapid. In addition to topping music charts, the song has also had radio success. “It’s easy to say this has been our most-requested song so far this year,” says Mike Kaplan, PD at KYSR Los Angeles, which has played “Royals” 766 times, according to BDS.

Jason Flom president of Lava/Republic, who Lorde is signed to in the US, says he has never seen an artist of his explode so quickly, and that Lorde’s reign will extend well beyond “Royals” with the right moves.

“I don’t use the word lightly… but I’d say she’s a legitimate genius,” Flom says. “We know we’ve got somebody who’s not only achieving extraordinary commercial success, but somebody who, if handled right, can be around a long time, and be the artist of her generation.”