OP-ED: Here's Why 'Royals' by Lorde Is Already the Best Song of 2019

From Lizzo's "Juice" to Billie Eilish's "Bury a Friend," 2019 is shaping up to be a year full of bomb new tunes. But just two months into the year, music listeners everywhere (myself included) are ready to call it now: Lorde's debut single "Royals" is undoubtedly already the best song of 2019. 

Taking it slow at a cool 85 beats per minute, "Royals" sent shockwaves through the pop charts and gave us a much-needed break from the sickly-sweet upbeat pop we are used to. Bare-bones percussion and a haunting chorus of angelic, falsetto backing vocals paint an eerie, smoky picture of misguided young adulthood in the 21st century. As a standalone component of the pop genre, "Royals" is a game-changer if nothing else.

And with its not-at-all-subtle socialist lyrics and strong female influence, "Royals" dismantled not only the trend of endorsing capitalistic excess, but the entire patriarchy to boot. While Ariana Grande flaunts her disposable income and desire for revenge through the attainment of material possessions in "7 Rings," Lorde's "Royals" takes direct aim at "jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash," instead promoting "a different kind of buzz." 

But even her squarely middle-class lifestyle doesn't stop her from dubbing herself "Queen B." That's right, ladies. Lorde is the anti-capitalist feminist hero we needed but didn't deserve.

In conclusion, literally nothing else released this year can come close to what Lorde did with "Royals." Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Billboard take heed: quit searching now, because the best song of 2019 is already here, and baby it rules (it rules, it rules, it rules).