Lorde Talks About Pop, Hates Being Called A ‘Teen Hottie’

Don’t call Lorde a “teen hottie” lest you’d want to see her throw up. The 17-year-old New Zealand breakout star has spoken about being a “pop princess at heart” in a new interview, saying that she can’t stand being called a hottie.

“The phrase ‘teen hottie’ literally makes me want to throw up,” she told New York Times in an interview via Skype.

She might appear uptight compared to her contemporaries in the music industry, and that’s probably true. But that’s not an act. Lorde said she still maintains control over how she is packaged and presented, even turning down an obscene amount of cash just to stay true to herself.

“I would like to think that my public persona comes naturally to me and isn’t that dissimilar to my real way of doing things,” she continued. “I’ve turned down easily millions of dollars doing what I do and saying no to things that I think are corny.”

As for her music, the Grammy-nominated artist said she writes lyrics that she believes her generation can relate to.

“I’m trying to make something people my age will care about, trying to keep my peers feeling like I’m doing something for them or representing them in some way.”

Case in point, her chart-topping “Royals” is about middle-class kids such as herself who fantasise of the opulent lifestyle that they see celebrities have.

Also, her current single “Team” is based on “the idea of an outsider experiencing this world that is inhabited by teens, seeing it like someone on the outside would see it and then getting more and more involved.”

She also expressed her love for pop music, saying she’s a “pop princess at heart,” but her own brand is just a bit different.

“Some people love writing about that, and that’s fine,” she said of love songs. “But I personally haven’t found a way to do it yet which is innovative and feels new to me.”

Meanwhile, the Kiwi schoolgirl is nominated for four Grammy Awards. “Royals” is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance, while her album “Pure Heroine” is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.