Royals

Recorded in 2012 at Golden Age Studios in Auckland, where Lorde worked with producer Joel Little. The sparse arrangement was built around percussion, finger snaps, bass and layered vocals. Released internationally in 2013, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks and won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. Its rejection of luxury imagery helped establish a minimalist alternative to the dominant pop sound of the period. The song launched Lorde as an international artist and influenced a wave of restrained, introspective pop production. It remains a defining 2010s hit and a landmark global success for a New Zealand songwriter.