Royals by Lorde (2013)

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"Royals" is a debut single from a young female singer, Lorde, released in 2013. This song is included in Lorde’s debut studio album, Pure Heroine (2013). In making this song, Lorde was working with her producer, Joel Little. This song’s lyrics express disapproval with the sumptuous lifestyle presented in songs and music videos by pop and hip-hop-influenced artists. [1]

Controversy

Royals by Lorde (2013)

This song has appeared in various critics’ year-end and decade-end song lists. Despite its success in reaching number one in New Zealand, Canada, and the UK’s international chart, “Royals” has been thoroughly criticized after Feministing blogger, Veronica Bayetti Flores, called this song racist.

The part that caused this controversy is the very chorus of this song, which goes like: “But every song’s like / Gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom / Bloodstains, ballgowns, trashing the hotel room / We don’t care / We’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams

On Feministing, Flores wrote that what she found to be problematic with the song is not that it’s a direct criticism of a form of art (Hip Hop) which is created by people who have been historically oppressed.

What I do find problematic, however, is to focus a critique of excessive consumption to a genre both created and currently dominated by black Americans, particularly when the vast majority of excess consumption is done by white people – not to mention the fact that black people bear the brunt of the ill effects of wealth inequality, both in the United States and globally.” [2]

Floren also stated that she did not find this surprising since the lyrics came from a young singer from New Zealand therefore Lorde couldn’t have predicted this interpretation. She emphasized on the way the song, which voices out Lorde’s disapproval, is being received in America. It’s how her critique of a distinctly American subculture fits into a larger racist narrative in the U.S. Flores pointed out that Lorde’s disapproval could have been directed to the bankers and those old-money folks, who have a direct impact in perpetuating and increasing wealth inequality. For this reason, she considered this song to be racist, towards black cultural aspiration. [3]

Reference