I have to admit, I was a little more than reluctant to jump on the Lorde bandwagon. After hearing Royals a thousand times on the radio and all the buzz over her apparent antics (including battles with Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift), I was over Lorde before I had even listened to her music. But soon enough, songs from her debut album Pure Heroine had begun to pop up everywhere, from Youtube recommendations to my Pandora stations. Before I knew it, I found myself singing along and clicking the thumbs-up button on every one. Intrigued, I decided to give her a chance and sat down to listen to her album all the way through.

As much as I had been determined to hate it, Pure Heroine defied my expectations. But what made it so impressive? Lorde’s music really doesn’t stray too far from the traditional vocal-heavy pop-music formula, yet somehow her album was refreshingly unique compared to other recent radio hits. It could have been the combination of mellow downbeats and Lorde’s gravelly alto vocals, or maybe it was the detached, poetic lyrics. With Katy Perry’s recent album Prism reportedly containing 226 clichés, Lorde’s lyrically interesting Buzzcut Season and Glory and Gore are a breath of fresh air for the jaded pop listener.

I had originally pegged Lorde to become somewhat of a one-hit wonder, predicting a decline down the same route as 15-minute stars like Gotye and Carly Rae Jepsen once Royals started to lose popularity – but now, I’m not so sure. With catchy singles like Tennis Court and Team rising in popularity, Lorde seems to have the potential for pop stardom.

Likely one of the most crucial elements of Lorde’s recent fame has been the elegantly moody lyrics that attract a teenage audience with their observant and often raw commentary on the equal glamour and grit of young life. The album features bitter social criticisms disguised with pretty wording and clever slang, creating subtle double meanings – including the title Pure Heroine itself.

Lorde’s spacy vocals are certainly the focal point of the album, however: the same, slow beats and simple electronic riffs underlay the vast majority of her songs until they seem to run together beneath her vocals. The lack of variety is excusable for a single album, but I’m hoping for some new material in her upcoming work.

Overall, Pure Heroine earns a solid 4 stars out of 5 from me on account of its striking vocals and interesting sound. I have high hopes that, being a debut album, its shortfalls can easily be atoned for in the future by its rising-star singer. So be careful not to get the wrong idea about Lorde simply by listening to Royals –give Pure Heroine a chance first and decide for yourself whether it’s worth all the hype.