Our horoscope did not prepare us for Lorde to release a spirituality-themed single aimed at the Pluto-in-Scorpio generation. (Millennials.) “Mood Ring,†Lorde’s third single from her imminent new album, Solar Power, arrived in the daylight today, along with a music video and a pre-premiere livestream. “This was the first Solar Power video that we shot,†Lorde teased ahead of the video. “So fun to shoot, so relaxing.†Not not an ode to a certain Asian-owned queer bar in Bushwick, “Mood Ring†is a satirical “song about trying to feel spiritually connected in the modern world†and all the things we buy to facilitate that, astrology-themed cocktails included. Starring a blonde who is not Ella Yelich-O’Connor (“I’m open to names,†Lorde says), the video sees her using crystals, vitamins, sun salutations, and more to “get well from the inside.†“Obviously, when making this album I did a deep dive into ’60s flower-child culture,†Lorde says in a release. “I wanted to understand the commune life, dropping out from society and trying to start again. That really resonated to me when writing this album. One thing that occurred to me as a major parallel between that time and our time is our wellness culture and our culture of spirituality, pseudo-spirituality, wellness, pseudo-wellness. Things like eating a macrobiotic vegan diet or burning sage, keeping crystals, reading tarot cards or your horoscope.†Well, we’ll certainly need a visit to our local healer after this callout! Solar Power arrives in just three sunrises, on August 20.
