Lorde Reminds Us of the Intensity of Being a Teen

Grammy winner 17-year-old Lorde, who has urged people to believe that teenagers are wiser than adults think, has made the Telegraph’s Radhika Sanghani pine for the passion of her younger self.

“Defender of teens Lorde recently told ES Magazine: ‘Teenagers are a lot wiser than you think. They have so many resources to make them wise now.’

“‘A lot of people seem to think that all teenagers are super-misguided and not at all ambitious. [But] such a high proportion of the people my age I know are super-driven, super-focused and super-creative in a way I haven’t seen a lot of adults being.’

“She has a point,” Sanghani writes. “I’m so used to looking back at my teen years with this sense of ‘thank god they’ve over’ that I’ve forgotten just how strong teens can be. It isn’t all bleakness and tearstains in diaries – there’s a lot of power, conviction and strength that goes into being a teen. As Lorde goes on to say: ‘There’s something about that intensity.’

“At 17, she’s more sure of her opinions than most adults ever will be, and thought nothing of defending Rihanna as a ‘sexual, fearless and confident’ woman. She added: ‘I don’t see a female without clothing as a terrible influence. There are worse things. Shooting people. Glorifying violence.’”

Lorde tours Australia throughout July.

Original article by Radhika Sanghani, The Telegraph, June 29, 2014.