Kanye West ‘s ‘ Hold My Liquor ‘, which appeared on the highly anticipated ‘ Yeezus ‘ LP this year (featuring Chief Keef and Justin Vernon ) is a heavy hip-hop track. It’s filled with industrial sounds and deep bass lines, making it difficult to imagine this style of song in anyone else’s hands.
I was certainly hesitant when I first saw that this was the song Lorde had chosen to sing at her headline Auckland gig on Saturday night. Pop artists covering rap songs is a notoriously bad idea, and often leads to the uniquely awful flinching that comes after watching a pop artist try their hand at rap, only to end up floundering way out of their depth. Much like ‘the sex talk’ or grandparents asking you to define the word ‘twerk’, it’s awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved, and once it’s over we all vow to never speak of it again.
Lorde’s version however is a triumph. It’s odd, because spouting lines like “ I can’t control my bitches/and my bitches they can’t control me ”, should seem out of step with the rhetoric of a teenage girl. For some reason though, I didn’t even blink when I heard them. Lorde’s soulful voice compliments the heavy nature of the track, and allows her to perform some of the rap parts without any of the awkwardness.
While Lorde doesn’t perform the whole song during the unexpected performance, what she did sing speaks volume of her ability as both an artist and a chameleon of genre. Building a bridge from pop to hip-hop isn’t an easy thing to do, and many young artists have tried and failed to make that transition. While I’m sure she hasn’t got her sights set on a budding hip-hop career, ‘Hold My Liquor’ is a testament to her creativity and playfulness as an artist.
The best part about this cover is that there’s no arrogance, and none of the bravado of a singer trying to prove themselves. It’s just Lorde doing her thing, and if this is any indication, ‘ Pure Heroine ‘ is going to be one hell of an album.
So Kanye, I’m really happy for you and I’mma listen to your song, but Lorde’s giving you a run for your money.
THE RIPE INTERVIEW LORDE
WORDS BY Alex Byrne
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